Around the World

Guides on house plans, building costs, permits, materials and energy efficiency, with plans you can buy today.

Around the World · 9 min read How Big Should Your Family Home Be? Canada vs the US, Germany, Poland and Romania A Canadian two-storey over a full basement, an American plan with a bonus room and a compact German Stadtvilla are all called "normal". This step-by-step guide sorts out the real sizes and what they mean for your own build. Read more → Around the World · 9 min read Mudroom, Mechanical Room or Pantry? Utility Spaces in Canada, the US, Germany and Poland The rooms missing from the glossy renderings decide how a house works in January. Here is how Canada handles mudrooms, mechanical rooms and pantries, and what American, German and Polish plans can teach a Canadian family. Read more → Around the World · 8 min read 7 Ways Snow, Wind and Zoning Shape the Roof: Canada vs the US, Germany, Poland and Romania Why Canadian roofs are built for snow, Gulf Coast roofs for wind, Romanian roofs for earthquakes and German roofs for the zoning plan, and what that means for the house plan you pick. Read more → Around the World · 7 min read How Long Does It Take to Build a House in Canada? Seven Myths Checked Against Europe A wood frame goes up in weeks, so why does a Canadian custom home still take most of a year? We test seven common myths against builds in the US, Germany, Poland and Lithuania. Read more → Around the World · 9 min read Open Concept or Closed Kitchen? How Canada and Europe Lay Out the Main Floor Canadians love the great room with an island, while many European families still close the kitchen door. Here is what each layout means for daily life, furniture and heating, and how to judge a bungalow plan before you buy it. Read more → Around the World · 8 min read How Energy-Efficient Must a New Home Be? Canada vs the US, Germany, Poland, Lithuania How do Canadian energy rules for a new family home compare with the US, Germany, Poland and Lithuania? We look at insulation, heat pumps, HRVs and incentives, and at what they mean for your house plan. Read more → Around the World · 9 min read Storey-and-a-Half or Full Two-Storey? What Canada Can Learn from Europe's Attic Homes Poles, Germans and Romanians build millions of homes with bedrooms under the roof. Here is a step-by-step plan to decide whether a storey-and-a-half makes sense for your Canadian lot, budget and climate. Read more → Around the World · 8 min read From Stock House Plan to Building Permit: 8 Myths, Canada vs the US, Poland and Germany Can you build from a stock plan in Canada, what has to change to fit your lot, and how long until you can dig? Eight common myths, checked against how the US, Poland and Germany handle the same step. Read more → Around the World · 7 min read 7 Ways Canadian Wood-Frame Walls Compare to Brick and Block Homes in Europe A Canadian 2x6 wall is about 9 inches thick. In Poland the same wall is closer to 18. Here is what the difference means for warmth, price, build time and the plan you choose. Read more → Around the World · 7 min read Attached, Heated, Built-In or a Carport: How Canada's Garage Compares Abroad The US builds three-car garages, Poland tucks one into the house, and Germany often settles for a carport. Here is what those choices mean for a family home in Canada, where snow and frost get a say. Read more → Around the World · 9 min read What a Small Bungalow Costs to Build in Canada vs the US, Germany, Poland and Romania The same compact one-storey floor plan can cost three times as much in one country as in another. We compare build costs in Canada, the US, Germany, Poland and Romania, and explain what it means for your own bungalow budget. Read more → Around the World · 9 min read Basement or Slab? Why Canadians Dig Down While Other Countries Build Flat Frost depth makes a basement a natural choice in most of Canada, while builders in the US South, Germany and Poland often go without one. Here is how the budgets compare and when skipping the basement makes sense on your lot. Read more →