So the house is essentially a 2 bedroom ranch (2100 sq ft) on the mainfloor with a craft room, exercise room and guest room with bath on the lower level. We also have a 3rd garage/workshop down there.

Front of house is one story (dormers are in attic).

Rear of house. Note deck is behind garage so no windows on the lower level are blocked by deck, which would make them dark and basement like.

Side of house where split design is apparent...note french doors on the side are really lift garage door to garage/workshop. Rear includes sliders to patio.

Downstairs rooms have 9' finished ceiling, guest room and exercise room have even higher trays....designed to hide the ductwork. (All ductwork is in conditioned space for energy efficiency.) These rooms do not feel like a basement.

Downstairs guest room:

Downstairs craft room

Also an important part of the design was the openness between the upper and lower levels. We have a full size staircase in the foyer that goes down. When heading downstairs you can see daylight from the sliders to the outside.....from downstairs, you can look up and see daylight from the glass front doors.

We were extremely well prepared before we met with him. We knew exactly what we wanted, but we were willing to listen to suggestions from him if it something we liked/desired didn't work with the design & budget.

We also involved a builder early on. He was at every architect meeting & had a lot of contact with the architect during the design process. We did not have a contract with him or pay him a consultant fee. He knew that if he came in with a number that was out of our ballpark, the deal would not happen. This was really risky on his part, I guess, as he spend so much time on our project ahead of time. I knew we really liked him, & he has an amazing reputation in town. So we felt pretty sure we would go with him, but it was understood that we could bid out the project to someone else. It was helpful to have him sit in on the sessions. From his point of view, he could say yay or nay to various items, based on our budget.

We did end up spending quite a bit more on the architect than we initially thought we would. But it has definitely been worth it. He is amazing! His plans are incredibly detailed. I doubt we will run into as many issues with our build because they are so detailed. He took our visions & made them into a beautiful reality.

In the end, we are getting very close to the exact floor-plan we initially desired. We literally looked at thousands (& thousands) of floor-plans, but it was worth it!

Also, if you are already using Pinterest, here is a tip. I have thousands of things pinned (many things unrelated to the build), so I made a separate account that is solely for the build. I also allow various trades to pin to my boards if they want to suggest something.

In the end, time is money so make sure you are very, very prepared!

Here are my Pinterest boards:
Garage
Flooring
Powder Bath
Master Bath
Kids Bath #1
Kids Bath #2
Guest Bath
Pool Bath
Dining Room
Master Bedroom
Kids Bedroom #1
Kids Bedroom #2
Guest Bedroom
Exercise Room
Upstairs Laundry Room
Exterior of Home
Family Room
Kitchen
Pantry
Mudroom
Entry/Front Door/Stairs
Master Closet
Garage
Pool
Library/Office
Playroom
Windows/Doors
Patio
Driveway/Landscaping
Roof
Lighting
Paint
Door hardware
Misc/Gadgetry

It is often wise to hire a builder as a consultant to price the project as it is being designed, then bid the project competitively.

Often it is necessary to spend money to save money.

The best way to lower the cost of design is not to offer your design but to be ready with a written program and photos of what you like. A good architect can make a good design out of that information in short order. Working with your design could delay that result and increase the cost.

My gut tells me they are trying to rush you through the process. I would rather spend the time (and maybe a little extra money) up front to get the details right before anyone sticks a shovel in the ground. I think you will be much happier with the finished product and could potentially avoid some cost overruns

Just my 2-cents

So we looked and looked, the best resale wise was obviously either Induction or Gas.
Induction was ridiculously expensive so we dropped that from the lineup almost immediately.

So a gas stove that was decent about the best we could find were the Kenmores, which BTW are made by various different manufacturers from Whirlpool, Electrolux, GE etc. depends on what model and you can figure out who made it by the first 3 numbers in the model number and compare it to a chart.

We looked at all the various Kenmore models and were about to buy one that was $1300 but I looked on Garden Web and saw several people talking about a NXR range.
Basically a pro style gas range for about $500 more than we were going to spend on frankly a rather cheaply made, lite duty, lite little grates, only one burner putting out decent BTUs and had a electric panel of which if it goes out the whole stove is worthless and cost several hundred to replace.

So we sprung for the NXR and did so largely because we wanted our kitchen remodel to really sell the house and the NXR looks fantastic, hell of a lot better than any of the standard sub $2000 ranges.

So glad that we did, now we are staying for probably at least another 5-6+ years and I am really enjoying cooking on this range, so much better than ANY of the Kenmores.
My wifes best friend bought a Kenmore Elite for over $1900 and it is no where close to as nice as our NXR that we got for $1799.00 delivered to the door.
It weighs in around 350# on the shipping crate which is at least 100# more than her Kenmore Elite.
It is a very solid stove with heavy grates, heavy racks in the oven, excellent very nice solid brass double stack burners same ones that come on Wolf stoves and all 4 put out 15,000BTU and also go down to a very low simmer, very solid well insulated door and 100% 304 stainless on all four sides and the top.
All in all well worth the extra few hundred that we were about to spend on a stove that was no where even close to as nice. It was a major stretch for us to spring for $1800 for the stove alone, but the NXR was soooooo much better and all the other pro style ranges you can pretty much add another $1000+ so those were not even an option for us.

If you can't do the $1800-$2000 then probably stick with the kenmore.

Here is a link that might be useful: Who makes Kenmore?

Go less expensive on things that can be changed easily --laminate countertops, lighting, maybe the carpet in the bedroom.

Keep in mind finishes -- oak is less expensive for cabinets than maple, cherry or in most cases, white. Simple knobs can be found at flea markets, clearance racks and Habitat Humanity stores.

Pedestal sinks can often be less than vanities once you add in the top and sink.

If you have a Re-Store store near you, go often. Every week --doors, sinks, lighting fixtures can be a great bargain. HD and Lowes often donate discontinued merchandise to them. My friends got a $900 Kohler farmhouse sink for $45. And architectural pieces can add a lot a pzazz to the house for very little money.

Good luck,

Cathy

Fireplace hearth with built in drawers. Even wide shallow drawers can be used to store gas matches, cards, games etc. A lot of wasted space under most standard fireplace hearths.

A few things we are considering:
* we saw this recently and it is beautiful: add large, flat-topped molding (around bedrooms, dining rooms, etc ) a few inches from the ceiling to hide rope lighting that is on a dimmer switch. It gives a warm glow all the way around the room.

* where possible, make electrical outlets recess into the wall so that plugs do not stick out from the wall.

* in a bathroom or closet use the tall, shallow space between studs as a storage area and hang a full-length mirror over the opening as a door. I use mine to hang jewelry, scarves, belts, etc.

* if the master closet is big enough, add a stacked washer/dryer so that clothes, sheets, towels are easy to wash where they are used.

* if a bedroom is next to the laundry area, add a tilting hamper in the common wall for easy laundry access.

* if you have a fireplace on a wall that has a deck or patio outside of it, add a closeable 'flu' on the outside wall so that it will act as a 'heater' for the deck on cold days when you might like to sit outside. (Especially if there is a hot-tub nearby)

* if the laundry area is downstairs from the main house, pre-planned laundry shutes in each bedroom, or a central closet, are great for easier laundry gathering.

* my friend built their house with a dedicated Christmas electical circuit. The outlet plates have covers for off-season, but one switch turns on trees, garlands, and outside lights while not taking- up the regular outlets.

* for dry climates consider whole-house humidifier.

* small, unused attic spaces can be finished over kid's rooms for playroom, study area. A ladder up the wall with a small opening in the ceiling is something most kids/teens would love!

Thank you to all who have given ideas!

Items I'd add:

Rain collection barrels/bladders - these can be placed below grade or below porches/decks and can include hose for watering garden (some can even be used for flush water in toilets).

More pantry/less cabinets. In many cases pantry space can be cheaper than buying upper and lower cabinets as well as counter top and can provide more room and more flexibility.

Allow for more than one hookup for TV in family room - I don't like to keep furniture in one location forever and it is limiting to have cable hookup on one wall only.

Include some outlets near ceilings in some rooms - we plug in projector and lights over bookshelves in our bonus room.

Consider where you are putting your AC units - wish both of ours were outside of the fenced back yard - one seems very loud when it kicks on and we're on the patio, even though it is around the corner.

Consider where you will put your large garbage and recycling cans - you may want a "pad" for them to avoid soft ground/mud and also a little fenced area to hide them.

Landscaping: for me in the south - deciduous trees on the south side are great, allowing for shade in summer and sun's heat in winter.

Consider a "package" mailbox if you get packages while at work - these have a lower section that can be used when your away instead of stopping mail, as well. stuff can drop down, but you'd need a key to remove.

Solar fan for the attic - a vent fan that comes on with sun to alleviate heat in the attic - run your AC less.

Take special care in placing your thermostats - our open-plan home has the upstairs one in a hall, open to the stairs and foyer at either end. Our bedrooms are kept closed because of pets and their temperatures are drastically different from the hall, which is subject to the heat rising from the downstairs.

Closet & Organization
- Plugs in several closets
- Make sure your closet has enough space for both double hung rods, and singles to accomadate long clothes
- Full size broom cupboard in pantry or laundry room to hide all the cleaning items away from sight.
- More closet/linen space than you think you'll need
- Cubbies in mudroom with an outlet in each one
- Motion sensor on pantry and closet lights

Bath
- Plug in master toilet closet for night light
- Outlets inside vanity cabinets (upper and lower) in bathroom for dryer etc.
- Heated towels racks
- Don't caulk the bottom of your toilet to the tile to hide potential leaks
- Make use of the pony wall in a bathroom by turning it into storage.
- Vac pans for hair
- Appliance garage on counter

Outdoor
- Run conduit under the driveway for future wiring or plumbing needs
- Prewire speakers both indoor and outdoor
- Ensure you have hose outlets and power on all 4 sides of your house, and on top of any raised areas
- Hot/cold outdoor water is good for washing pets
- Motion sensor pre-wire for selected exterior lights
- Keypad entry on garage door (Keypad entry on front door is great as well)
- Gas line to grill

Kitchen
- Plugs in kitchen pantry for charging, or for items that may end up living there
- Recess the fridge
- With wide islands put cabinets on the both sides. While they are not easy to get to, they are good for storing seldomly used items.
- Built in paper towel holder
- Custom storage organization in kitchen drawers
- Warming drawer in dining room
- Pantry entrance near both kitchen and garage
- Custom shelves and a place to plug in appliances in pantry
- Plugs above cabinets for Christmas lighting
- Set up for both gas and electric appliances
- Pantry door on swivel
- Pantry light on motion sensor
- Copper tubing for your ice maker from the freezer and until it's out of the kitchen wall
- Drawer microwave
- Knife drawer
- Pull-out garbage/recycling/laundry (for dirty dish towels/napkins/bibs!)
- Paper towel holder in drawer slot
- Drawers for all lower cabinets (more efficient use of space)
- Two soap pumps at sink (one for handsoap, one for dish soap)
- Easy-access place to store frequently used appliances
- place to hang hand towels & aprons

Electrical & Plumbing
- Prewire security system & cameras
- Run wire and prepare roof for future solar
- Run a 2" PVC pipe up from the basement to the attic for future wiring needs, some suggested double conduits.
- Seperate 20z circut with outlets at waist height in garage to plug in tools
- Seperate 20z ciructe for TV and a/v equipment
- Identify areas for low voltage can/rack
- Pre-wring for music and speakers, inside and outside
- iPad controllers in the walls to control whole house music systems
- Pre-wire for generator to essential areas
- Carbon monozide unit on the wall upstairs
- Make sure plumbing in bathrooms are done correctly. One commenter's toilet was placed too close to the tub pipes so I couldn't get the deeper tub because they didn't allow room.
- Cast iron pipes for the plumbing drops from the second floor cuts down on noise
- Take pictures of all the walls before Sheetrock went up so you knew where all the wiring was in case you needed to add or change anything.
- Include a 220V to garage (tools, future electric car etc)
- Measure the location of anything under the slab, and various utilities out in the yard.
- Run an electrical line with a few floor outlets, especially since we have very open floor plan and couch sets are not against a wall
- Plumbed for a built-in drinking fountain,

Lighting
- Light switch to the attic in the hallway (and remember lights in attic in general)
- Solar tubes in areas that don�t get natural sunlight
- In cabinet lights and outside lights on timers
- Make sure you check the cost ratings of ceiling fans
- Check all remotes for ceiling fans prior to construction completion
- 3 way switches where helpful
- Master switch from master that controls all exterior lights
- A master switch at each exit (Front, back or garage), that turns off all of the power to the switches/lights in the house, so that you can turn off all lights without going to each room and/or light switch.

Master
- 4 plug outlets near the bed in the master
- A light switch at the head of your bed so you can turn out the light once you are in bed.

Holiday
- Plugs under eaves for holiday lights, with a switch inside to turn on and off.
- Enough storage for Christmas decorations
- Seasonal closet with hangers for wreaths, and space for rubbermaid storage boxes.
- Plugs for Christmas lights: over cabinets, in stairway, in porch ceiling, under eaves

Heating, Cooling, and Vacuums
- Central Vac with vac pans, if you have hardwood floors - get a Hideahose
- Plan where furnace vents will go instead of letting the builder decide
- Hepa filtration for allegergy sufferers
- WarmFloors heating

Overall
- Read Myron Ferguson has a book out, "Better Houses, Better Living"
- Receptacles for fire extinguishers. Maybe plan some cutouts so they are flush to the wall.
- Where possible pocket doors
- Secondary dryer lint trap http://www.reversomatic.com/category/Accessories-Catalogue/Lint-Traps.html
- Soundproofing where needed
- Stairs from garage to basement
- A phone by the door leading into the garage for those pesky calls when you are getting in or out of the car
- An inside button to open and close your garage door for when guests arrive and its raining.
- Additional support during framing on the top side of windows for curtains
- Power outage flashlights and keep in outlets around around house. Recess these into the space with each fire extinguisher.
- Mailbox sensor to alert you whenever your mailbox is opened so that you're not running out of the house checking for mail when it's not there.
- Ensure builders don't "box" off spaces, where storage or shelving could go
- Make copies of manuals prior to installation and give the builder the copies so you can keep the originals.
- Minimal walls, and lots of windows.
- A laundry room. Not just a hall, or closet, a room.
- Spindles and hand rail made that can be removed for moving furniture
- Handicapped accessible.
- Plan an elevator shaft in case you want to install one later, in the meantime it will serve as storage closets.

Pets
- Plan a specific place for your dog food,
- Place for the kitty box,
- Place for dogs to be bathed
- place for dog crates
- Exhaust fan in laundry room for litterbox

Regional considerations:
- an ante-room, with coatracks and shoe storage, and a way to keep the heat in.
- An entrance to the basement from outside for salt delivery, repair men etc so they don't track thru your house.
- storm shelter to weather the threats your area faces.
- a mosquito system http://www.mistaway.com/watch-the-mistaway-video.html and http://www.mosquitonix.com/mosquitonix
- little covered niche for bear spray at/near each entry.
- Drain in the garage to get rid of the excess water quicker from vehicles after it snows
- Pest line (brand name Taexx) a small tube is run around the perimeter of the home through the framing, and then pest control can spray within it.

2. Make sure water drains away from the foundation of the house. It should be gently sloped. Make sure that under the house if there is a crawlspace that a moisture barrier is put down. Its like a giant roll of trash bag plastic (but much thicket). You can do it after the fact, but its nice to know every nook and cranny is covered, and no moisture will warp your floors from the ground below.

3. For areas of the home which are not easily accessible by attic (in the case of cathedral ceilings, tray ceilings etc) you may want to add a conduit channel or prewire for security system. I added a security camera system to my home, and the worst part is that I could not place the cameras where I wanted them because the wiring into the eves of the house was not easily accessible because there is no attic above those corners of the house.

4. Avoid landscaping that is too close to the house. Small bushes planted by a builder look great the first year, but they should be a couple feet away from the foundation, so that you can get behind them to wash windows, and make sure the foundation has air space for vents.

5. Gutter downspouts - Make sure that if your home has a gutter system that the downspouts are adequate. If the lot is heavily wooded with trees, you probably want gutter guards or similar system. Consider adding a underground cistern and connect the gutter downspouts fill the cistern. Its a great way to save water. You can put in a small pump connected to a hose that allows you to water the grass or plants without having to use city water or well water. Harness the power of rain water. If you don't want a cistern, then make sure that the downspouts connect to a french drain, or at least pipe the water far away from the foundation of the house so that it doesn't create a moisture problem for you.

6. Plumbing access for showers. Make sure that if your shower backs up to an interal wall that you cut a hole in the sheetrock and put in a plumbing access pannel. there is nothing worse than having to destroy a wall to remove the shower valve or fix a leak. You can put the panel under a bathroom cabinet to hide it, or in a closet.

7. Insulte attic openings. If you have a pull down stair case, maybe have the builder make a lightweight box to cover the pull down stair, and line it with insulation. There is a plastic model available at Home Depot / Lowes that looks like a plastic sled which sits atop pull down stairs to help seal the heat and cold out. There is a zip up model that makes an air tight seal but it was quite pricey. I made one with styrofoam insulation lining a lightweight wooden box to cover the stairs.

For attic doors that go into the eves of the house, say in a bonus room over garage, or in top floors where the celing is slanted, make sure the door shuts tightly, and is well insulated, since the attic is right behind the door and is going to be very hot/cold in seasonal temps.

8. Window tinting- in todays larger suburban homes with windows, consider a reflective mirror window tint. During the daylight, it blocks harmful UV rays that fade furniture and carpet. The mirror finish means you have extra privacy since you can see out, but others cannot see in. At night it offers little protection, since the mirror finish doesn't block the vision when there is no daylight to reflect.

9. Mister - if you have a hot patio or pool side, consider installing a misting system to cool off on a hot day.

10. Leave an extra irrigation zone or two for drip irrigation - for your deck and patio areas. If you forget, you can retrofit a timer and small drip hoses, one to each pot and planter. This keeps your flower pots looking good all summer long with hardly any manual watering. On the home's outdoor spigots, I added a battery timer to turn the water on for 15 minutes a day. The 1/4 inch hoses are cheap to buy, and the drip heads are inexpensive too, available at your local home improvement store or online at mrdrip.com.

11. Plan your irrigation zones to save water- If you have broad patches of grass, try to zone your sprinkler system so that if your city or state requires water conservation during droughts, then you can turn on the system to water only the most important beds and borders where you have made annual plants, but skip the grass, or water grass less frequently. This is something I can't fix now that my system is installed. The zones in my yard are mixed, so for each important flower border, it waters grass, so I feel like I'm wasting water.

12. Drill a well or get separate water meter for irrigation. Cities and Counties charge a lot for water meter installations, but its easier to do before your new lawn is established. Cities charge a sewer fee for each gallon of water that you use. If you separate your irrigation system from the household water meter, then you can be billed a much reduced rate on the irrigation water since they do not charge for the sewage treatement. Sewage is usually twice the price of the water itself. Wells may be more efficient and better for your pocket book long term, but they can run dry.

13. Designate an area in a detatched garage or shed for storing lawn equipment and gasoline and oils. I have seen too many house fires around town from a propane tank, gas can, or paint can exploding if it gets too hot. Don't put storage near a water heater, especially gas appliances. Keep yard storage in a shed far enough away from the main structure of the house to keep smells away and minimize fire risks.

14. Add cabinets and countertops to your garage. My neighbor has a basic set of large cabinets installed in the garage, with a cheaper formica countertop. This makes for such a clean looking garage, and a great working area for potting plants, or a small woodworking project, or car repair. Its worth buying some weatherproof cabinets and plan the garage as part of the home, so that the bill is put into the mortgage payment, and not directly out of your checking account.

15. Finish the garage floor - paint the garage floor with an expoxy seal or garage paint so that car oils don't stain your garage. Plan to mop every couple of months, or wash out the garage with soap and a light spray with the water hose. Its so nice to be able to walk into the garage and know its clean, and not worry about pets and children getting dirty in oil and leaked radiator fluid (lethal to pets and people) because I know my garage floor is cleaned regularly. It looks great too!

16. Seal your tiles! in some of the bathrooms in my house the builder used lower end tiles, and white grout. But the grout was apparently not sealed, and now its stained and dirty. A spill or two later and it just looks bad. This is a case where prevention is the key - if the grout is sealed when it is brand new it will look great for a lifetime. Let it get dirty and you will spend many hours cleaning it to try to restore that like new appearance.

Here is a link that might be useful: Counter over front load washer/dryer

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Prices include shipping.