How to Make a Map of Your House

If you're planning a DIY redesign or renovation project for your home, you'll need to make a map of your house. Once you've completed your map, you'll be able to create to-scale, cut-out pieces of furniture or movable walls to place inside your map. Being able to visualize your ideas helps prevent expensive and aggravating design missteps. You should also keep a map of your house handy to plan emergency exits in the event of a fire or natural disaster.

Measuring tape
Calculator
Pencil
Spiral notebook
Sheet of large graph or drafting paper
T-square
Drafting triangle (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Measure each room of your house, including hallways, bathrooms, laundry room, attached garage and closets. Take measurements of your home's exterior dimensions, as well.
- 2
  Convert your measurements to a smaller scale so you can easily draw your house map. For example, if your house's exterior length was 40 feet, and you converted each foot to one-half inch, you'd draw that length as 20 inches on your house map.
- 3
  Draw your house's exterior measurements first, and then draw the rooms inside the walls; this way, you can make sure you took all your measurements properly. Keep your lines parallel and any angles to scale by using a drafting triangle and the T-square, if necessary.
- 4
  Return to each room with your map. Measure again, this time noting where doors, windows and any other entrance and exit points are. If you need the map for home renovations, note the size and location of major home appliances, fixtures and cabinetry.
- 5
  Convert your new measurements to scale and add them to your drawing. Use the architectural symbols from Plan-and-build-a-house.com to represent details in your house. See link in Resources.

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