Warning this won’t go over well with Houzz community. Wish I was joking.

Even online plans start with an architect or home designer. If you want to spend years trying to find something special in a sea of generic and bad, then keep looking online. If you want a shortcut to the head of the line, start with a local architect.

Lots of plans online. If you happen to find one that works perfectly for you, the topography of your lot and your climate, then you've hit the jackpot! Most likely you will find plans that would kind of work and will need to have them altered ... might as well start fresh with an architect. That isn't to say that you can't look at plans and model homes for ideas and inspiration.

There are some good online designs but most of them are for one story houses on narrow subdivision lots so the garage is forced into a corner of the house and the greater depth creates dark unpleasant interior spaces. Most of them have entances that lead directly into the living spaces for what reason I don't know.

In addition to the number of bedrooms, designs should be categorized by lot width and house depth. Without that information you might be searching forever.

Can I have $1.00 for every hour you spend searching for a preconceived design that meets your every need?