Right-Size

The house that fits the life you actually have. Under 2,000 square feet, but drawn like every foot matters. Vaulted ceilings instead of wasted bonus rooms. One real porch instead of three half-ones. A kitchen sized to cook in, not host a magazine shoot. Smaller plans for families downsizing, couples building their first or their last, and anyone who’s done with paying to heat rooms they don’t use. Designed by the Fulbright family, 35 years of building, drafted in West Georgia.

Small doesn’t mean cheap, and it doesn’t mean tight

A smaller house done well lives bigger than a larger house done generically. The trick is the plan, not the square footage. What you need is a main living space that flows, a kitchen that two people can cook in at the same time, bedrooms that don’t have their ceilings eaten by closet soffits, and at least one real outdoor room.

Every plan in this collection is under 2,000 square feet — most in the 1,200–1,900 range — and was drawn with the assumption that nothing is a throwaway space. Vaulted ceilings in the great room make a 1,500-sqft living area feel like 2,000. Built-in bunks in a flex room add four sleep spots in 80 square feet. A screened porch that’s part of the walkway from the kitchen to the driveway doubles as both outdoor dining and a mudroom. The moves matter more than the footprint.

Most buyers in this collection are one of three types: retirees downsizing from a 3,500-sqft family home, young couples building their first real house instead of paying a mortgage on a flip, or builders wanting a spec plan that actually sells. The plans below work for all three because they were drawn for how people actually live when they’re not performing for the neighbors.

Right-size questions Max Sr. hears most

Can a 1,500-sqft house really feel big enough for a family of four?

Yes, if the plan is drawn well. The secret is volume, not floor area — a vaulted great room with 14-foot ceilings feels twice as large as a 10-foot ceiling with the same footprint. The plans in this collection were drawn to make small feel generous. Four of them sleep six comfortably with built-in bunks in the flex room.

What does a house under 2,000 sqft actually cost to build?

As of 2026, expect $180–$320 per finished square foot in most Southeast markets, depending on finishes, site prep, and whether you’re in a high-cost area. For a 1,600-sqft plan, that’s roughly $290,000–$510,000 construction cost before land, plus 8–15% in soft costs (permits, septic, well, driveway). The plan itself is $1,495 for the PDF set. Real build cost varies by your builder and your location — Max Sr. can give you a ballpark during plan review.

Do these plans have full kitchens or compact ones?

Full, in most cases. A small house doesn’t mean a small kitchen — in fact, a smaller house can afford to dedicate a bigger percentage of its footprint to kitchen because it’s not also supporting a formal dining room. Most plans have a kitchen with island or peninsula seating for 4–6, a real pantry, and room for two cooks.

Which plans work as an ADU or guest cottage?

Several do. Cook Cottage (772 sqft), Small Cottage Floor Plan (804 sqft), and Black Mountain Cottage (794 sqft) all work as either a standalone small home or an ADU / backyard cottage / in-law unit on an existing property. Local zoning rules matter — check your county’s ADU ordinance before you build, and we can modify the plan for height, square footage, or setback constraints if needed.