Your first step when planning to design your own home should be to collect all of your ideas into one place. Set aside a box or a drawer where you can put anything that you think could be useful later on in the design process.

• Carry a camera around with you and take photos of any buildings, décor or furniture that you like
• Cut out pictures and articles from magazines of designs that you would like to copy or take inspiration from
• Collect paint and fabric swatches  

When designing your own home, it is important that you have a developed vision of how you want it to look. Even if your plans are forced to change because of regulations or practicalities, it will save a lot of time if you can go to your architect with a set of specific requirements rather than poorly thought through ideas.

You need to consider how many bedrooms you want, how large you would like your kitchen to be and where you want your staircase, as well as all other possible layout requirements.

You will need final blueprints of your house design drawn up by a professional artichect. However, before this, you should draw your floor plan to specify where you would like doors and windows to be, and how large you would like the rooms.

Use graph paper, a ruler and a pencil, and choose a scale (such as 1 inch = 4 feet).

You may find it useful to utilise some home design computer software to help you visualise your plans. There are also many online resources which allow you to create a floor plan of your dream home for free, and view the design in both 2D and 3D.

Take your design to an artichect who can draw your plans up professionally, and who will be able to suggest any changes that may need to be made in order to meet building regulations.

Here are a few other ideas to help you when you come to design your own home:

• Take your time to decide exactly how you will use each space and how each room will link to another. Consider how furniture will work in each room, and plan where you would like windows and doors to be and how large you would like them. Don’t rush into drawing up plans until you are certain about your requirements.
• If you are feeling unsure about anything, don’t be afraid to contact a professional. Even if you feel you need some advice from the very beginning, most architects will consult with you for a small fee.
• Never forget your budget. Whatever plans you make, always make them with your budget in mind. If there are certain aspects of your home’s design that you would like but know you can’t afford, spend time looking for cheaper alternatives.