Soccergoof makes a lot of good points. I also designed my own house - every single square inch, except the foundation plan. I spent probably 2 years on it. I started with the Better Homes & Gardens Interior Designer (yes, you really can design a house with it, but it can be very limiting when you get into more complex roof designs - and it doesn't take much for it to become complex). I eventually purchased the Pro version, which is still a "dumbed down" version of Chief Architect, but it was sufficient for me. I built a 1 1/2 story home (bonus room over the garage, but no 2nd floor). I agree with soccergoof that a 2nd story increases the complexity significantly. Assuming you don't plan to build in the very near future and have the time, I suggest you get a tool - I'm not familiar with Google sketch-up, but either that or maybe the BH&G Interior Designer (about $50-$60) and work with it first. The BH&G tool allows you to import materials so you can envision how different selections (flooring, etc.) will look. It also allows you to do "walk throughs," which can be very valuable in helping you design how you will actually LIVE in your home. You always have an option to go to a professional, but at least if you do, you will have a more sold idea of what you want. If you go it on your own, be prepared to do a tremendous amount of research - not just in your finishes, but in building codes, methods, etc. You don't need to be an engineer, but you need to know enough to know when an engineer is needed. Look at stock plans and see what you like/don't like about them. Keep in mind that the farther you get from the "rectangle box," the more it will cost -- and it will become more likely that you will need to bring in engineering help. I had my land, so I already knew where I would place the house and what the lot was like, but if you don't, you may either need to make adjustments later or wait for the right lot. If you like a lot of windows, pay attention to the sun angles too. I've never actually counted the number of versions I did, but it felt like 2,000. I would have been willing to go with a stock plan, but I just couldn't find one that met all my requirements -- I wanted a "versatile" plan that would allow for an eventual inlaw suite, but where that space could be used in different ways until then. Most of the plans I drew turned out to be larger than I wanted. I was really trying to keep the house around 2500 sq. ft. I finally got it to 2571, and it was no small task. I imagine that can be another pitfall of designing your own home. To your original question on how to put the rooms together, you will need to consider what you want in terms of style & formality, traffic flows, the number of people living there (and the need for privacy). If you like to cook and/or entertain, give a lot of consideration to your kitchen layout and placement within the house. Also, draw your furniture into your plan to make sure you're allowing enough space and to make sure it t will function like you want. I've been living in my house for a year now, and not only am I very proud of it, it still is exactly what I want. No matter how you decide to get there, you will find this forum to be very helpful and supportive throughout the process. Good luck to you!

Too early to tell but the one piece of advice I have clung to, I got it out of some kitchen magazine, is that less expensive materials can look much more expensive when they are installed well. I always remember this kitchen (see link) not for its' soapstone counters or beautiful lacquer\painted off-white cabinets which are lovely (and important to the overall effect of the room) but for that composite vinyl tile floor. The custom pattern, the great colours it's fantastic and I am sure many have spent more than 20 times as much on their floor to not achieve 1\2 the impact. What I take from that is while $$$ dictate that you may have to compromise on materials to stay on budget you don't have to lower your standards in terms of the quality of the design and workmanship that goes into the kitchen your working on. One of the reason I chose the box store I did is because the installer is excellent and he gets paid the same to install my stock "Instant Kitchen" as he does someone elses Kraftmaid semi-custom "Venicia" kitchen that cost 4 times as much. So I suppose you could say that I saved on the cabs and splurged on the labour. Time will tell if it was a smart trade off or not. Here is a link that might be useful: pics of mjsmama's kitchen

The answer to your question changes with the changing design of lamps [manufacturers call light bulbs "lamps"] therefore it is best to ask the electrical supply house staff instead of guessing. Avoid all CFL's; look for warm (2700K to 3000K, lower is warmer) LEDs that do not cast too harsh a shadow (most do and it can be disorienting). Many enclosed fixtures cannot use LEDs but some LED manufacturers say their lamps can be enclosed so that's another question for the supply house staff. And not all lamps can be dimmed. I have found that every time I go to buy a lamp they are different so you can waste a lot of time looking for what you need at Home Depot and not be sure you have found the right one. And then there are accent light fixtures that take line voltage GU10 or low voltage MR16 lamps. Some people prefer the softer wider spread light from a PAR 20 lamp especially with a frosted face which are difficult to find. Without knowing the fixture and where it is located it is impossible to tell you what lamp to use. HERE is a good resource.

Well...we only run the heat at a warmer level 65-68 during the morning while we get ready for work and the evening before we settle down for the night. The rest of the time, the thermostat is either at 60 or off. To be honest, we also avoided buying a house that faces east/west to avoid the heat in summer or with high cathedral ceilings so we could better control our utility costs. It’s just the two of us, so the dishwasher is only used once maybe twice a week, our washer is also a European front loader and laundry is done during off peak times. We have well water so no bill there. Our windows are old and leaky as well, so new windows are on our to do list as well adding thicker insulation in the attic. Our gas bill during peak winter months has been fairly consistent from year to year and low when compared with others in the neighborhood. I’ve heard of the cellophane window coverings but haven’t ever considered using them; maybe we should! ETA: I forgot to say that I agree with 3Katz in that during the summer months, I’m less willing to sacrafice comfort over cost. BUT as crazy as it sounds, we like to sleep in colder conditions so during summer months, we turn the a/c way down at night (during the off peak hours). And because we face north/south we get limited sun from the windows which keeps the house cool for a larger part of the day. On the weekends, we usually don’t turn the a/c back on until mid afternoon and the house will stay incredibly cool until then. The only exception is when it’s very humid. Then the ac will go on whenever we need it to.