Customer Reviews

Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've tried many home design programs over the last couple of years and have always been disappointed. I've downloaded many free trial versions and purchased a couple. My latest, Punch Super Home Suite, was OK for 2D stuff but the 3D was impossible and frustrating. I took advantage of their money back guarantee!

I just purchased Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer for $39.00 from a local retailer last week. While I still have lots to learn I love it! I'm amazed at the sophistication for the price. I was VERY leery of buying this based on only one 5 star rating but I did. Well now there are two 5 star ratings so hopefully this will help others.

There are still some things that are "tricky" to construct but I haven't found anything I couldn't create yet and I discover more useful features every time I use it. The training videos are a great way to learn the software quickly and it comes with a hard copy manual, which is getting less common these days. If you are looking for an inexpensive but powerful design program definitely try this one!

When I read the other reviews on this product, I was a bit surprised at their very positive nature. Then I remembered how I felt when I first tried this program and it all made sense. My guess is that the folks who wrote the positive reviews probably haven't worked with the program for very long or tried to create anything but the most elementary structures. I know I was very impressed at first. That is until I tried to re-create my own home as the starting point for a remodeling project.

This program is very intuitive and easy to learn, the problem is that it is also very limited. After you get past the ease of creating floor plans, the next obvious progression is to see the building in 3D. That's where the problems begin. The roof planes are nearly impossible to control. If you are creating anything other than a simple cape or ranch, you will quickly see how un-nerving this program can be.

Since most homes are comprised of several sections, controlling how the roof planes associated with those sections are generated is critical if you are to be able to create an end product that resembles what you had in mind. This program takes almost all of the roof plane control away from the user. The program generates the roof planes based on a few user defined parameters. This results in 3D images that almost never match what I had in mind.

Just for the record, I'm not technologically impaired. I am an engineer by trade. If I can't get it to work, then the average user is likely going to have even more trouble. In the end, if you can't get an accurate 3D model from this program that resembles what you are trying to create, then why spend the money or the time on this program. Just get a $10 floor plan program or jump up to the $500 version of this Chief Architect program which, as I've been told (haven't used it myself) , is very capable.

Chief Architect tops them all! This program is great. It has a easy userface like 3D Home Architect version 4.0! This program is definitely worth the $ 59.00 I paid for it. Eventually I will upgrade to the next version. This version also offers designing tutorials. And the backdrops are really nice. BUY IT!!!! I have tried soooo many Home design programs and this is the BEST!!! I WOULD GIVE IT 10 STARS BUT THEY ONLY ALLOW UP TO 5!!!

The good news is if you are wanting to design basic ranch type homes or simple two stories with no interior balconies, then this program is for you. It's pretty easy to use if you are patient enough to listen to the tutorials. It gave me a good idea of what my ranch home is going to look like inside.

But it definitely has it's drawbacks. The color palette and furniture is very limited, so don't think you are going to be doing a lot of decorating. The "3-D" views are impossible to control and often give a distorted view of the home. Recording a 3-D walkthrough was a joke. It won't even go through doorways or turn corners without distorting the look of the home. Furthermore, there is not a lot of advice from the help section on this subject. You can't do vaulted ceilings or two story homes with the upstairs looking down over a balcony to the floor below.

The landscaping component of the program is severely limited. There are less than 500 plants to choose from, mostly from the East and mid-West. You cannot customize plant beds, but have to choose from their oval or kidney shaped templates. The fences have no gates and there is no way to create curved walkways.

The exterior of the home looks nothing like what I was trying to achieve. It won't do wainscoating brick or stone and it was hard to create covered porches or decks. The roof is auto generated and does not allow room for modifications.

But the program is only 40 bucks, so you can't really complain too much. If it was a really powerful program, I suspect it would cost a lot more. Bottom line: it's great for simple projects, a good value for the money and it's pretty easy to use. Just don't expect too much out of it.

Colors are not very faithful when painted on walls and have a rather limited palette. I could never find bookcases or adequate fireplaces. The roof is automatically generated so you can't really replicate your own roof,if you are doing a remodel,(unless it's really simple). Viewing tools are ok, measurement tools lack versatility. You can get a floor layout and view the 3D construction rapidly, but it really wasn't adequate to model my rather simple house. It's a good package if you only need to run some simulations to get rough ideas of what things might look like after a remodel.

I had high hopes buying this product... but the more I use it, the more bugs I find and the less I can do. Take for instance today, I am building some built-in bookshelfs in my house and want to try different designs. I spent hours converting soffits into shelves (b/c I could not find a flexible enough component in the program that allows me to build this). Finally after mucking around, I get it... great. Now I want to try different colors on different elements... and it crashes... repeatitively. I now have to scrap all my work. I've also had major issues trying to get my roof created, painting cathedral ceiling & walls. I've used this program for 4 months now... so this is not a one off problem I'm voicing about.

It was a good program for laying out the dimensions of our house including the interior walls. But thats where the simplicity ends. I am a UI designer by trade, and I can definately recommend that this company higher a usabilty expert to review the program. I would also highly recommend much more flexibility in what can be imported (graphics, colors), and what can be created (i.e. non standard furnature).

I was very anxious to recieve this product. I reviewed various products and this seemed to be the one to buy for the price. At this point I'm not disappointed I bought it, just disappointed at some of the limitations. I was looking to do basic, accurate floor plans, i.e. kitchens. With this product you're forced to design a house and then focus on a specific room. I live in an area where there are alot of raised houses. A raised foundation/house on piers is not an option. I will say that it has a nice selection of finishes, though many of them look too similar to tell a difference. Overall, it's a decent product and not a bad buy.

Not that easy to use. Doesn't do landscape architecture well at all. Mainly just for construction. Not hard to use, but not easy either. I bought it used. I recommend that if you buy it, you get it used too. Can't see paying full retail price for this. There have got to be better packages out there

This product was a horrible waste of my money.
There is no option for log houses, which I find surprising. This is afterall, far from an alternative building style.

It seems as though this product was made for those with little or no creaativity, seeking to create another ugly box like all those that already exist all over the nation.

Don't waste your money!