I'm very sorry I did not answer the questions from the last few years... I've been out of reno mode for a while :) It's probably too late, but here are the replies: @walkin_yesindeed - the vanity finish has held up just fine. However, it's not the original paint. We sanded and re-painted with new Ben Moore bathroom paint. No issues with dampness (we do run the fan for every shower, though.) @kirkhall - I have NOT been happy with the touted un-stainable-ness of the epoxy grout on the floor. I mean, it's better than regular grout, but it didn't stay white no matter how much I cleaned it. It looks fine, since the tile is multi-toned, but it's definitely not still white. The shower grout, however, has held up extremely well. @SparklingWater - I don't recall the demo being terribly difficult, but that may be because I knew what to expect from other parts of the house. It was tile over a dense cement. @MrsD - I think the grout color is standard white. @MayaEoff - Our tub is the standard 30" size.

Lovely sense of style! Bravo! We investigated porcelain marble look-alike tile but we decided on real marble which we will have to care for without any acidic products. Beware that there is a repeating pattern in marble look-alike porcelain tile like (on wall paper which will give away the secret.) We found great deals on Amazon and at Lowes for Bianco Carrara subways, pencils, chair rails and floor and shower floor hexes (1/3 the price of tile stores). We found a gorgeous remnant for our shower bench at a marble and stone shop at an amazing price. I can't wait until it's done to post photos! But back to your house... it's gorgeous!

Your calculations are pretty close to mine. I was figuring 26 on counter depth. 42 walkway 42 island leaving about 49 to the carpet line. Looking at prints the living room is 19 deep but I'll loose 2 ft with fireplace and shelving against far wall. I still probably won't have the couch all the way back to the tile line. Still want it to look like a well defined traffic flow between these two spaces. Sometimes it's hard to tell playing around with the tape measure! Room next to dinette is walk in pantry. This could be pushed back into laundry room if need be as its non load bearing. Had it lined up with kitchen wall for aesthetics.

Honestly I think what you'll be doing is like jannicone and sophie said, over improving for your neighborhood. I don't have a good feeling about what you're getting into with what you want to upgrade. As Sophie mentioned your neighborhood is $400k houses and that's about where you want to stay. Even if you put in an expensive kitchen, it won't appraise for what you invest in it. The appraisals will come in at what the builder basic is. This is not by any means a custom house. It's a development or tract house. The builder is giving you a number of choices and as jannicone said, if you upgrade you'll pay through the nose. As she said, if you decide to go with your appliances, you'll get maybe a credit of $500-$1000 if that. Same if you upgrade anything else. Like I said earlier, it's how tract builders make their money. If you can find a house you like that works pretty much as is, I say go ahead and buy it, but don't go upgrading. It's not worth it. Or if you do upgrade, do it for things that are important such as heating and cooling. Let's take your list and explain: Blueprint Review with Builder Um you said you haven't met the builder Framing Inspection with Builder ditto Full limited Warranty Coverage What does that mean? 24-hour Plumbing & HVAC Service What kind of plumbing and HVAC service? Distinctive Kitchen Features Schrock Oak/Maple front These cabinets are probably one step above Ikea cabinets, although personally I'd probably prefer Ikea. Plus I'd prefer to design a kitchen the way I need it. My guess is if you want to change anything you'll pay a fortune for it. Cabinets w/Dove Tail, Self-Close Do they have soft close drawers or just soft close? Are they full extension drawers? Are they Blum hardware? Granite countertop with 4” Backsplash I'm guessing you are getting a bunch of level 1 granite choices most of which will be ugly. Level 1 granite nowadays is almost considered builder basic. Plus nothing about backsplashes. The 4" backsplash is only done in tract homes nowadays. Double-bowl 8” Stainless Steel Undermount Sink What brand? What gauge steel? What double bowl configuration? Delta 470 single lever faucet Not to be rude but this faucet looks like what my Mother had in her kitchen back in the 70's. Recessed Light over kitchen sink What about recessed lights in the rest of the kitchen? Over the stove, countertops, the island? What about under counter lighting? Let me guess. All are upgrades. Frigidaire FGEF3041KF Smoothtop Electric Range- S/S, Did you know this range is discontinued? And that's what he's putting in all the houses? Granted you want to upgrade to a Wolf, but this range that he has sold for under $1000. You are upgrading to something that is over 5x the price of this range, including adding gas. It's overkill for the neighborhood. A better choice to upgrade would be to go with a GE or a Bosch if you must upgrade. I am building in an area where the houses are in the high 6, low 7 figure range, and I'm not putting in a Wolf! (I'm using Bosch) Frigidaire FGMV174KF Microhood (Non-vented)- S/SFrigidaire FGBD2432KF Dishwasher-SS Both of these are also discontinued. Frigidaire FFHS2622MS Side-by- Side Refrigerator- S/S This is basically one step above an entry level Fridge. Elegant Bath Features Schrock Oak/Maple Front Cabinets w/Dove Tail, Self-Close See comments from kitchen. Ceramic Tile Bathroom Floors Porcelain is better in a bathroom Clarion Acrylic Shower/tub In other words, your tub will have a one piece acrylic surround and not be tiled. One-piece Marbleized Vanity Top We used to call them cultured marble in the 70's. Kohler ‘Wellworth’ Commode Delta 2538 Double-lever Faucets Vanity Mirror Delta Chrome Bathroom Accessories Exhaust Fans – Per Code Kohler Pedestal Sink in Half Bath Final Touch Interior Finishes Bruce Dundee 2 ¼” Hardwood Flooring in Foyer, Dining Room, Kitchen and Kitchen Nook Area Bruce Flooring is HD quality. Superior Gas Fireplace Is this a vented or unvented fireplace. Hopefully it's not unvented. (do some research) Colonial Painted Woodwork What does that mean? What size are the moldings? Crown moldings? Baseboards? What? Smooth Finish Walls and Ceilings What level smooth? Sherwin Williams ‘Dover White’ Paint throughout Living Space Sherwin Williams like all paint manufacturers makes quality paint and builder's special which is garbage. Which is he using? 6-panel Masonite Interior Doors Are they solid core doors or I'm guessing they're hollow core doors Closet Maid Shelving System Also available in HD Solid Exterior Features Viewpoint Slider – Per Plan .Viewpoint Low ‘E’ Vinyl Windows Viewpoint are considered a lower quality window and slider. Near the bottom. Windows and doors really are so important Energy Efficiency & Comfort Central Air by Lennox Lennox Gas Furnace-up to 95% Which ones? All furnace and AC companies have different grades, from bottom to top. R-21 Fiberglass Side Wall Insulation R-38 Fiberglass Ceiling Insulation I agree with Sophie that this is probably minimum insulation and again you need to really check things out. Also what will be the insulation for the basement, the attic, etc. Pressure Balancing Shower Valves Personally I would want only a thermostatic shower valve, especially in your neck of the woods. Do research. The rest is out of my wheelhouse so I'll leave it to others. I can tell you that my specification sheet before I got my final bid was even a lot more specific than what you got.