Punch! Professional Home Design Suite Reviewer's Comments

If you’re looking for the ultimate in home design software, look no further. Punch! Professional Home Design Suite has earned our “TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award” with its user friendly features, a vast library of quality 3D objects, and the most extensive tool set available in affordable home design software.  

Considering the thousands of dollars that you can spend fleshing out your designs with architects, interior designers and the like, Punch! Professional Home Design Suite is easily the best home design software and the best bargain. Whether you want to experiment with interior design, remodel your kitchen, or effectively communicate your ideas to a contractor, Professional Home Design Suite is perfect for your needs.

If you are a contractor, and you need a more professional grade solution without spending a thousand dollars, check out Punch! Architectural Series 5000.

Punch! Professional Home Design Suite Screenshots. Click for more
       


Aesthetic Appeal:  

Let’s face it:  Not all home design software is easy on the eyes.  All of them can design a two-dimensional home, but it’s difficult to visualize what a different shade of paint, or a new set of cabinets will really look like in a 2D environment.

That’s why most home design software has a way to convert your 2D design to a realistic 3D representation, and some make it more realistic, more handsome, or beautiful, if you prefer, than others. Punch’s 3D environment is one of the best-looking, and the quality of their appliances and furniture improves every year.  Add to that the ease of moving around in the 3D world, and you’re designs really come to life.

Features & Tools:  

While the price for this home design suite is relatively low, Punch’s features and tools haven’t been reduced. And it’s not just that this software has the features, it’s how well they’re implemented into the design that makes them so useful. We really liked the way Professional Home Design’s tabbed interface worked: all the common elements for building anything from foundations and walls to ventilation and plumbing fixtures were placed in plain sight.

Also, if you don’t like the looks of that dishwasher or cabinet set, you can change their appearance with Punch’s 3D Custom Workshop. You can easily change the color, texture, and even the size of anything in their extensive object library.  If you don’t like any of the stock objects, you can easily create your own.

Another great feature exclusive to Professional Home Design is the Hands-On Real Model. Real Model allows you to print your designs onto paper or cardstock, and labels each element clearly so you can build an actual model of your home.  Seeing it on your screen is one thing, but putting it together like a model kit is something that is great for presentations, or just getting spousal approval.

Support & Documentation:  

While we would have liked some nice video tutorials, Professional Home Design Suite doesn’t leave you out in the cold when it comes to documentation and tutorials.  There’s a thick, comprehensive paper manual that details everything from setting up the foundation to creating your own furniture objects. You can access the same material with their application help, and their technical support email and phone numbers are clearly listed in their website’s Support section.  There is even an active online community at http://forums.punchsoftware.com .

Summary:  

The extensive feature set, coupled with top-notch tools, intuitive design, and a large library of objects put Punch’s Professional Home Design Suite at the top this year, barely edging out Better Homes and Gardens’ Home Design Suite 8.0. Overall, this is a great product to aid in home remodeling, home design, and even landscaping your property.