I also attempted to create a double-wide driveway, like the one at my house, but instead found myself with a figure 8-shaped path that didn’t come close to resembling anything I’ve seen in real-life. I thought I had created a realistic reproduction of the retaining wall in my front yard using the software’s 2D view, but when I switched to 3D, I realized that I had created a wall that dwarfed my entire home.

I found its exterior landscaping features a bit easier to use than those on the HGTV product, and while the customization options are extensive, they’re also somewhat difficult to master. Like its HGTV rival, Home & Landscape Design does, as promised, let you design or redesign an exterior space too. It took me some time to learn how to use all of these features, though, and even after spending plenty of time using the software’s extensive help videos and tips, I never felt as though I had mastered it. You can add furniture, change wall colors and floor coverings, and alter the lighting. Home & Landscape Design includes an extensive set of tools for customizing the look of the home you’ve designed, which allows you to see your house in a new - or different - light. Like the $50 HGTV Home and Landscape Platinum Suite, Punch Software’s product sometimes made placing existing components, such as windows and oddly-shaped hallways, a challenge. But Home & Landscape design suffered somewhat when I attempted to create a model of my existing house. I had a blast creating an imaginary dream house, and loved using the software’s 3D viewer to see a realistic model of my creation. The application makes it easy to draft a floor plan of a house, using its QuickStart feature. Home & Landscape Design NexGen 3 lets you view your design project in 2D and 3D at the same time, making it easier to visualize the changes you make.Getting started with Home & Landscape Design was easier than I thought, despite its dated-looking interface.

The same could be said of Punch Software’s Home & Landscape Design NexGen 3, a $50 application that allows both novices and experienced users to design and redesign living spaces, both indoors and out. It has plenty of potential, but just needs some help living up to what it could be. I own a house that isn’t quite the home of my dreams.

Punch home design software reviews