It won't turn an environmental horror into a hero, but it does help you find ways to make your build a little more efficient and reduce its environmental footprint. We also liked the Build Green option, which can help you make more environmentally responsible choices when you design your project.

We mean that as a compliment, as it's easy to create fairly complex designs with the minimum of effort thanks to the format painter and object distribution tools. It's easy to learn, its drawing tools are very good and it feels more like using an illustration program than a home design one.

TurboFloorPlan comes from the same stable as the famous TurboCAD design app, and it's a very polished and mature product: it doesn't suffer from the interface quirks or performance and stability issues that plague some of the cheaper apps out there. At $49.99 it isn't a lot of money but you get an awful lot of features. We've given TurboFloorPlan two gongs here: one for its quality as a Mac app, and one for its value for money on both Windows and Mac platforms. If you’re planning a reno or new build, you may also want to look at the best interior design software (opens in new tab) and the best landscape design software (opens in new tab) to find the ideal planning partner for your needs. Some programs are easier to use than others, so your level of expertise or willingness to learn can also play a part in deciding which is the best software for you. The way this is done varies from one software to the next, as the number of objects available to place in rooms differs between them. Thanks to powerful 3D rendering tools, you will be able to see your new or updated home as if you were in the room – not just images, but models to move about within. This can save you money and time in the long run, as you have a detailed design plan that you can share with your renovator or work with yourself. This allows you to better plan the layout and design of your home, right down to the details, before you start working on it. The idea behind this software is to help you see what your ideas might look like.

Sweet home 3d electrical library