How do you create a floor plan?

Just wanting to know if anyone here use any software or app to create floor plan of your property? Or do you usually just pay someone to do so?

If you are using some sort of software or app, mind to share the name of the software and your experience of using it? Is it accurate? Is it easy to use? Is it easy to share with your tradesman? I believe having a floor plan in place really helps with communication with any changes that you want to make.

If you usually pay someone to create a floor plan, mind to share any contact as well as the cost? Are you happy with the service? I would imagine most Real Estate Agents will be able to comment on this one. I am located in Melbourne but happy for other users from different states to share.

 

I personally have tried using magicplan on my phone. The concept is to use your phone to scan through the room and it can automatically populate or draw up a floor plan. The idea sounds really cool but it was rather frustrating to use. As a user, I tried to locate the corners of the room as well as all the opening points (e.g. door) so that you can create those corners and opening points on your floor plan. However, in reality, the points that I located most of the times are either skewed or not perpendicular to the floor and this then skewed the height / length of the rooms. Especially when there are objects at the corner, it makes it worse. Happy for other users to comment on this, it could just be me that is not skillful enough for this app.

magicplan app
#1 Floor Plan App, Construction & Surveying Software | magicplan

 

I just measure the rooms myself and use Excel (which I use to to envision modifications as well). Crude but works for me.

 

I use Sweethome3D, but that app you linked looks helpful, i'm gonna grab it as well.

 

It really depends what you want to do with it.

The REA plans are really quite innacurate and they tend to use a app to create them and would not be accurate enough to do a renovation.

However if you need a mudmap type layout then will get trades to accurately draw up a particular room (ie kitchen, bathroom) and they will create a plan based on that then that's different.

If you are doing a full house renovation, removing some walls and require a builders license and plans then you will need much better plans and probably the services of a surveyor or drafterperson to measure/create

 

Sweethome3D looks pretty good. Is it free? What do you think of it?

 

I use floor plan mainly for renovation purposes, as I mentioned is easy to communicate how i want to make changes to the floor plan. For example, if I want to re-arrange my bathroom, I need to know whether I can fit a bathtub at a corner and see if I can still have space to fit a shower next to it.

I also know of some developers would use sketchup to draw plans to see how many houses / townhouses can potentially fit on their property, but I never done that myself personally.

Westminster, have you use any software or app yourself? Or do you pay someone to do it for you? I am also keen to see how much does it cost to get someone to draw a decent accurate floor plan.

 

For basic stuff to get an idea before my stuff is properly drawn by a draftsperson I use Live Interior 3D. Pretty similar to what @Archaon suggested. I got it about 10 yrs ago when there wasn't much Apple OS software in the space and it's very clunky but I know how to use it and it's quick for me to draw up stuff in it. I just use it for 2D layouts.

If you are getting an external survey done of a property a surveyor will do the inside as well on request and it should cost around $2-300 extra.

 

Yes its free, plenty of free models to download as well!.

See my post here.

I've since learnt alot more within the program, like the abilty to copy from one project and paste directly to a new project!

Some examples of what ive been able to knock up in the program added below.

 

I have used Floorplanner - Create 2D & 3D floorplans for real estate, office space or your home. it has a free version. All online. you have to pay to use more elaborate features.