Most people who are interested in building a new home begin their journey by falling in love with a specific aesthetic or a floor plan they found online. However, without a central technical guide, those isolated ideas can lead to expensive logistical failures.The danger of skipping a thorough design phase is that uncertainty becomes your greatest expense. If you hand a builder a set of conceptual sketches that lack technical precision, you are essentially asking them to guess your budget. These guesses can result in design regret where the finished home fails to support your lifestyle or ignores the specific constraints of your land.
At AV Architects + Builders, we approach design as both a creative and technical responsibility. For over 24 years, we have worked at the intersection of architecture, construction, and real estate, and that perspective shapes how we draw. Every line is evaluated not only for beauty, but for constructability. Every layout decision is tested against site realities and market data. Because of this integrated mindset, our Vacation Style Living® Design service is not simply about producing drawings. It is about producing clarity.
By the end of this article, you will understand how we transform initial concepts into a fully coordinated, ready-to-bid architectural package. We will break down exactly what is included in your design set, the timeline involved, and how our process protects your investment. You will learn how to secure a roadmap that allows you to build with total confidence regardless of whether you choose to build with our team or another contractor.
© 2026 AV Architects + Builders. All Rights Reserved
Ready-to-Bid Plans for Your Custom Home
Vacation Style Living® (VSL) Design is the architectural engine that transforms your conceptual vision into a buildable reality. Building directly upon the foundation of your VSL Vision, this phase delivers the ready-to-bid drawings and technical specifications required to execute your project with surgical precision. This is the stage where your dream home is fully defined through curated exterior materials and the exact kitchen and bath layouts that anchor your modern aesthetic.
This phase represents the transition from "what is possible" to "how it is built." Rather than providing a vague set of plans, we produce a comprehensive document set that acts as a legal and technical contract for your build. By completing your Design, you secure a professional roadmap and lock in your architectural strategy regardless of when you plan to break ground.
Why Design for a Custom Home Matters
In the world of custom homes, the design phase is the critical junction where your investment is either protected or put at risk. This stage determines every variable of your project from your ultimate construction costs to the daily sensory experience of living in the home. If the design is flawed, the entire project suffers through budget leaks, technical errors, and logistical friction. When a design is executed correctly, every detail of your home works in harmony to support how you live, move, and relax.
VSL Design ensures your vision is not just an inspiring concept but a buildable, high-performance reality. By investing in a comprehensive design set, you are effectively buying insurance against the change orders and on-site fixes that plague poorly planned projects. This level of technical clarity acts as the North Star for every craftsman on your site, providing the real-world budget intelligence required to maintain the Vacation Style Living® standards of wellness and flow.
What is Included in VSL Design?
Your VSL Design package are detailed drawings that refined your approved design into a fully coordinated buildable plan including room sizes, windows and doors, and major building systems.
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Everything from the VSL Building Guide:
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Professional Analysis
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Spatial Programming
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Square Footage Strategy
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Site + Engineering Review
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Real-World Budget Intelligence
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Project Timeline Framework
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Everything from the VSL Vision:
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Concept Design Tailored to Your Lifestyle
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Preliminary Site Analysis
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Preliminary Zoning Analysis
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Preliminary Utility Location Analysis
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Architectural Site Plan
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Schematic Floor Plans
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Schematic Elevations
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3D Schematic Views
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Exclusive VSL Design Deliverables
- 3D Rendered Views
- Floor Plans
- Building Sections
- Elevations
- Roof Plan
- Door / Window Schedule
- Lighting Plan
- Finish Floor Plans
- Exterior Material Selections
- Kitchen Layout
- Bath Layout
© 2026 AV Architects + Builders. All Rights Reserved
How It Works: The VSL Design Experience
The VSL Design process is a collaborative journey led by our expert architects. We guide you through every milestone to ensure that every technical and aesthetic decision reflects your goals and long term vision.
- Concept Refinement: We begin by synthesizing the findings from your Building Guide and VSL Vision with your direct feedback. During this stage, we fine tune the layout, proportions, and overall massing of the home to achieve an optimal design that balances beauty with buildability.
- Design Development: Our team develops the 3D rendered views, floor plans, elevations, and building sections that illustrate the spatial flow, structure, and function of your home.
- Final Plans: You’ll receive a comprehensive design package — complete with drawings, material selections, and an updated construction budget — ready to present to your builder for permitting.
Who is VSL Design For?
VSL Design is the strategic choice for homeowners ready to move beyond concepts and into a tangible architectural framework. It is the right fit if:
- You are ready to move past the "what if" stage and need to understand the exact technical reality and investment required before committing to construction.
- You already own a lot and require the technical intelligence to know how to maximize the site and define the actual architectural footprint.
- You want to be bid-ready with a secured professional roadmap so you can lock in your strategy and break ground exactly when your timeline is ideal.
- You value a streamlined process and want a single source of truth that integrates architecture and building expertise to eliminate the friction of managing multiple consultants.
What is the Cost of Custom Home Design?
The cost of design services starts at $135,000+. This base reflects the professional hours required for advanced architectural development and the specialized engineering coordination necessary to create a technically sound masterpiece. You will notice the plus sign next to the price because the reality of the cost is that every project is different. Property constraints, jurisdictional requirements, and specific project scope can all affect the final fee.
How Our Services Build on Each Other
One important thing to understand is that our services are designed to build on one another. If you begin with the Building Guide or Vision service, you are not starting over later. Should you decide to move forward into the full Design phase, the investment you have already made is credited forward. The work, insight, and documentation developed during those earlier steps become the foundation for your design.
If you know from the beginning that you want to move straight into Design, both the Building Guide and Vision are already embedded within that service. We do not skip those foundational steps, we simply integrate them into a seamless process. That means your lifestyle analysis, conceptual development, and schematic exploration are all included before the technical drawings are finalized. Whether you enter at the beginning with the Building Guide or move directly into Design, the path is cohesive, transparent, and structured to protect your investment at every stage.
© 2026 AV Architects + Builders. All Rights Reserved
Start Designing Your Dream Home Today
Your home deserves more than inspiration, it deserves intention. With VSL Design, you gain the complete architectural intelligence required to move forward with total confidence. Whether you build with us using our design-build service or manage your own bidding process, this is the stage where your dream home ideas become tangible.
Choosing VSL Design means choosing peace of mind. Instead of an abstract idea, you possess an expert verified roadmap that kills the guesswork. By investing in this detail now, you protect your budget and ensure the home you build is the exact one you imagined. It is the difference between hoping for a great result and holding the master instructions to create one.
VSL Design takes your vision and gives you ready-to-bid architectural drawings and specifications tailored to fit your lifestyle. If you are ready for professional certainty, you can get started with Design now, Schedule a discovery call or visit our learning center for more resources.
