Having your home modeled in 3D or using the building information modeling (BIM) process is fundamental to leveraging the various benefits of these technologies, such as improved design quality, higher precision estimates, and fewer errors during construction. You can read more about 'The Value of 3D Models During the Design of Your Home' in the blog post.

To access these models and utilize their benefits, there are three options available.

The option where the author of the design (architect, MEP specialists, etc.) creates the models themselves is the most preferable. This means that models can be created early for utilization in design reviews and other processes. Finding architects and designers capable of creating 3D or BIM models for small housing can be a challenge. At the very least, architects should create simple 3D models for renderings. These can be used for design reviews, but other use cases like quantity takeoff and drawing generation are very limited or impossible. A much preferable option is to conduct the entire design using BIM software.

When I built my house, I compared the costs between proposals from architects who could create BIM models and those who could not. There was no difference at all. Of course, the process of finding one could be lengthy, but it is well worth it. For tips on finding an architect, read my post: "How to Find a BIM Capable Architect".

This is less preferable because models are created from 2D drawings or sketches, and the later you create BIM, the harder and more expensive it is to fix errors. Third-party involvement is usually from outsourced specialists. You can find plenty of them on platforms like Upwork. However, be warned that the quality may vary significantly, and it is not easy to verify.

An added benefit of outsourcing modeling is that you can obtain models and drawings for disciplines that might not usually produce any information at all. For example, in Latvia, it is not necessary to create MEP drawings for family houses. But in my experience, not coordinating MEP pipes with architecture and structure can lead to expensive errors during construction.

Outsourcing modeling for a family house can cost anywhere between a couple of hundred dollars to more than a thousand, depending on the expected results. These are additional costs, but they could be well worth it, as described in the final section of this post.

Learning to create models yourself might seem challenging, but the difficulty depends on your goals. If you're simply aiming to experiment with various layout solutions in 3D, acquiring this skill could take just a couple of hours at most. You can find guidance on this in my free guide on layout sketching in both 2D and 3D.

However, if you're interested in more advanced applications of models, mastering their creation will require more time and effort. The benefit lies in the fact that the knowledge and models themselves can be reused multiple times, especially when planning changes and adjustments. Currently, you can delve into 3D home interior planning through my course. But for those seeking deeper insights, there are numerous opportunities available to expand your knowledge further.

When delving into modeling on your own, it's important to factor in the costs associated with training and software. However, there are ways to reduce these expenses, such as utilizing YouTube tutorials for learning. Additionally, software costs vary, and I outline methods to save on them in my free guides and courses. Despite these initial expenses, the overall benefits far outweigh them. For a detailed comparison of expenses and benefits, please refer to the final section.

When considering costs versus benefits, four major factors can significantly impact the expenses associated with your home, as detailed in my post titled "How Much Cash Did BIM Save Me When Building My House?":

On average, these factors can contribute anywhere from 5% to 20% or even more to the total construction costs. Contrasting these expenses with the costs of creating models yields the following comparison:

As you can see, even in the worst-case scenario, where designers charge extra to develop models or you opt for outsourcing, significant savings can still be achieved by minimizing costly errors. These benefits have been consistently demonstrated, both in my personal case study and in various research findings.