Lakehouse plans are primarily designed to maximize the scenic view of beautiful waterfront property. The gift of being closer to nature, its wildlife, and the calming essence of the water is the true appeal of what makes lake houses so preferable as either a primary residence or a vacation home.

You’ll find that many of America’s Best House Plans lake house floor plans include an assortment of spacious front and rear porches, including desirable wrap-around porches and screened-in porches! This unique and extensive collection makes enjoying the outdoors cozy and serene, ensuring you’ve made the most out of the incredible investment of living waterside.

These waterfront house plans are created to optimize your breathtaking view with comfortable outdoor living spaces and provide a cozy indoor dwelling. Lake home plans typically include large picture windows toward the rear of the great room and kitchen, an open floor plan, the primary bedroom on the main floor, and one other popular feature like a bonus room or a mudroom. 

America’s Best House Plans offers a compelling variation of styles, sizes, and floor plans conducive to how you plan on using your home. The answers to these questions can determine and assist you in selecting the best house design for your family’s use.

• Will the home be a permanent residence or a weekend/summer getaway?
• Will there be lots of family and friends visiting?
• Do you have a young family with young children, or do you have teenagers, or perhaps your children are grown or away at college?
• Are you seeking an active lifestyle, a more relaxing atmosphere, casual family living, or a more traditional home suitable for formal occasions?
• Would you prefer an open layout with easy access to the outdoors, where decks and porches are natural extensions of the home or a more traditional home with delineations between interior rooms and outdoor spaces?

Lakefront properties have unique characteristics that must be considered when planning your new home build. We offer an excellent variety of lake house floor plans with walkout and daylight basements that can turn a challenging piece of property into an asset while making the most of expandable space for family entertaining, multi-purpose usage, or adding additional bedrooms and baths to the home.

What is the purpose of a lake house?

Lakehouse plans and waterfront living provide a quiet refuge, a peaceful existence, and a unique setting for you and your family. This type of lifestyle lends itself well to the peace and quiet of nature as opposed to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Oftentimes, these homes feature exterior elements consisting of large amounts of outdoor living space; wide window views, decks, porches, and verandahs are included to maximize views and drench the home in sunlight while adapting indoor/outdoor living space to the lifestyle you are seeking. Capturing the recreational benefits of waterfront living, this house plan collection is highlighted with different architectural styles, ranging from casual cottages to elaborate floor plans/amenities that are suitable for a permanent residence or ideal for a vacation home.

What is lake house architecture?

Lake house plans typically provide large picture windows towards the rear of the house - Whether one, two, or three stories, Lake Front House Plans offer the opportunity to take advantage of breathtaking views and proximity to nature and offer natural buffers to the wildlife setting just outside your back porch.

Most lakefront house plans provide some porch, whether a back deck, front porch, wraparound porch, or multi-level porch. This feature encourages homeowners and visitors to spend as much time outdoors as possible, enjoying the scenery and soaking up the natural benefits of waterfront living. A range of sizes and styles - Within this collection of high-quality house plans is a wide range of architectural styles and square footage. No matter what you are looking for in a Lake Front House, this collection offers a unique level of variety from which to choose.

What is a year-round lake house?

Some find the peace and tranquility they discover living lakeside to be too enjoyable to experience for one or two seasons a year and choose to make their lake home house plans a more permanent, year-round fixture. There’s no different name to this type of home, it’s still a lake house, but you’ll want to make sure you focus more on insulation and heating than typical summer vacation homes do. Make sure your lake house floor plan keeps you warm in the fall and winter and the refreshing spring and summer months.

Is it safe to build a house near a lake?

Yes, it is safe to build a house near a lake, but there are a lot more nuances to building near a body of water, so it pays to work with an experienced construction firm that knows its way around waterfront property.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living near water?

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of living near water:

Pros:

• Typically, a good investment. Since the lakefront property is a finite resource, building a waterfront home usually results in a solid investment that will gain value year after year.
• Relaxing, vacation mindset 24/7. It’s hard to get stressed out when you’ve got a beach right outside your door, so lake house plans result in better financial investment and a better investment in your mental health.
• Access to a variety of activities. Speaking of investing in health, being right on the water puts you next to various water sports, from jet skiing to stand-up paddle boarding or sailing. Lakefront living helps keep you active as well as relaxed!

Cons:

• Higher insurance costs. Because lake house plans are right on the water, they come with a bigger price tag to cover the potential damage that water could cause due to flooding. Additionally, insurance can be higher due to injury that sometimes happens at lake homes.
• It may come with land leases. Not all lakes are privately owned. They may be owned by power companies or municipal/federal entities like the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, who, in turn, will lease the shoreline and land that you build on to you. The terms are usually set in 100-year increments and then renewed or sold, so it’s something to consider when buying land to build your waterfront house plans. On the upside, you don’t have to pay property taxes on land leases!
• More wear and tear than normal homes. That gentle lake breeze that’s so relaxing every evening is doing daily damage to your home. Since there’s very little blocking a lake house from the elements, there’s a lot more wear and tear on the exterior of your home that will require regular upkeep, which means higher than normal expenses for maintenance.

In what states are lake houses popular?

Lake house plans are a great second option because lakes are in all 50 states, so you can pick the climate that suits you best and buy property there. There are a few states that are the most popular when it comes to lake homes, and the first is Michigan/Illinois surrounding Lake Michigan. California and Nevada around Lake Tahoe are also popular options for waterfront homes. Unsurprisingly, Florida has quite a few small lakes that offer small lake house plans for people interested in a warmer climate. Other popular states include Georgia, Idaho, and the Carolinas.

You’re only a few clicks away from locating that lake house floor plan you’ve been dreaming of with the cool night breezes, soothing sounds of water, and a peaceful level of calm. Please sort through this varied collection of lake house plans to find the home of your dreams.