Design from scratch vs. adapting existing plans – GreenBuildingAdvisor

I’m currently in the very early stages of a Pretty Good House build. We are very cost conscious but don’t want our forever home to lack in quality or comfort. I’ve talked to an architect or two and they are quoting quite enormous fees (sometimes upwards of 15% of the build cost).

Has anyone out there purchased plans from one of the standard online dealers (I.e. Architectural Designs) and adapted them to PGH standards with improvements in insulation, windows, doors, etc?

Location: South Metro Atlanta.