A few different online resources exist if you want to design a building for free such as Gliffy.com, Floorplanner.com and Smallblueprinter.com. Some reputable software such as the SmartDraw program even can be used for free if you want to download and install a program to your hard drive. All of these types of programs and services give you the ability to design a highly-accurate floor plan or blueprint for a building complete with specific measurements and furniture.
Step 1
Go to a website such as Gliffy.com or Floorplanner.com that will allow you to design a building plan for free online. Both of these sites allow you to create buildings and floor plans completely free. Click the "Get Started Now" button on Gliffy.com. Choose "Sign up for a free account" on the Floorplanner.com home page and select the "Personal" account to complete the registration steps.
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Step 2
Get starting designing by first selecting the "wall" or "room" tools to build the outer edges of your house or building.
Click the "Floorplan" menu in the left-hand column in Gliffy building template; select "Structure" from the drop-down menu if it is not already selected. Click and drag the horizontal and vertical wall tools over to the Gliffy graph area. Use the Gliffy rotator and/or handle tools to extend the length of your walls.
Using Floorplanner.com, click the "draw room" tool in the Construction box. Click anywhere on the Floorplanner graph to begin the outside of your building. Drag your mouse outward to make the size of your building's outer walls larger. Click on individual walls and select the "Split Wall" option to adjust lengths and rotate the walls to make the outer edge of new rooms.
Step 3
Add doors and windows to your building design. Include stairs in your building if you want to create two or three separate levels. Find these building elements in the "Structure" drop-down menu in the "Floorplan" section if using Gliffy to draw your building. In Floorplanner.com, select the drop-down menu from the Library box and choose "Doors and Windows" to see these elements; stairs are located under the "Structural" menu. The process for adding these structural elements remains the same in both Gliffy and Floorplanner. Click and drag the doors, windows and/or stairs over to the graph area and position them where you want them to be located.
Step 4
Add furniture and other equipment to your building to make your design look realistic and "full." In the Gliffy program, find beds, tables, chairs and other furniture in the "Floorplan" section under the various drop-down menus like dining room, living room and office layout. Find these elements in the Library box drop-down menu categories if using Floorplanner.com. Click and drag each of the pieces of furniture over to the appropriate areas of your building design. Use the rotator and handle tools to position the furniture to exact specifications.
Step 5
Save your building design when finished. Click the "save now" highlighted-text button at the top of the graph in Floorplanner.com to name and save your design to your online account. On Gliffy, choose the File menu at the top and click "Save." Complete the registration form when prompted to save your building design to your online Gliffy account.
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