Hand drawn plans require a great deal of knowledge on the part of the designer or architect. Time also becomes a huge factor in hand drawn plans because simple changes to the structure can result in extensive redrawings.

The main issue with traditional blueprints is that a 2D view of a house is difficult for clients to visualize. Designers and architects are trained to be able to picture what the house would like three-dimensionally—off of the page. Problems can, and do, arise because clients do not have this same ability to imagine what the house will look like once built. One option that designers of custom homes offered was models scaled to size and made of balsa wood. This would at least allow clients the option of viewing what their house would look like in 3D. These models, however, were quite expensive because they had to be handmade and were quite costly—an option that the average client could not afford.