Forget the rosin paper. If it gets wet, it falls apart and the most commonly available rosin paper (peachy-red color) will bleed. It also slides too easily and tears, becoming a real safety hazard. Look to getting either Ram Board (Google for their website) or Fiberrock heavy paper from USG Corp. Both come in rolls and can be cut and taped to fit any room or hall. They don't stain and they are heavy enough to protect against rocks in shoes or dropped objects. The Ram Board is heavier and will provide better protection. Also, look into making sure that your appliance delivery folk will bring an air sled, instead of an appliance dolly. Air sleds slide under the appliance and, with a small blower motor, lift the appliance on a cushion of air. I've moved washing machines, clothes dryers and 60" duel-fuel Wolf ranges by myself using an air sled and never left a mark. Best of luck, Shaughnn

Either PODS/equivalent or off site storage. Period. Do NOT use the garage for storage. Reason? Where will remodeling material be stored to prevent weather damage/theft? What you are having done is messier/dirtier than building a new house. And what happens if there is rain/snow during the roof off time. Tarps/basement will not protect furniture/etc. from the resulting moisture/water. If you think you have an idea of how much dust/debris will be generated, make a visit after the demo, then one during sheet rock installation/mudding. And, if the work is done with furnace/AC operating, that dust will be EVERYWHERE. And at least the sheetrock work and painting needs to be done above 60° , so some closed temperature regulation is necessary in cold weather. I know it seems to be too much work, but think about having to replace the furniture/etc. if it is damaged. Some extra care/cost now will prevent that possibility.

Very good. Most insurers know what those policies are, they aren't rare. You don't need a specialized agent. Unless you find an agent or broker who isn't licensed to sell those types of policies. (IE you call a health insurance agent..) We used (and still use) an American Family agent. It took all of about 2 minutes to set up our policies for our build. If you're worried, call around to a few brokers and see what they say. They'll search out the best agent or company for your needs.

Lhutch, my contractor advised me to do floors last because we were removing a wall (so flooring had to be repaired there) and there was also some damage to the floors during cabinet install (little nicks etc). There was a good amount of dust from kitchen work too, so I’m glad we didn’t do the floors first. Michelle, I hadn’t even thought of that—will definitely do that. Thank you!! anglophilia, I have no problem with the baseboards, they’re fine to me. I don’t like the look of the stained trim, and have always had the white trim. Cole Man, the baseboards are definitely replaceable but again, it’s a significant cost to do so. This guy was certainly not the lowest bidder and I’ve worked with him before, he’s not a fly by night contractor or anything...and he says he doesn’t routinely remove trim or shoe molding. I didn’t even think of it until recently so didn’t think to ask other bidders. At this point just want floors sanded and stained properly and the trim to not look like garbage when it’s all done. I hate that you cannot just trust the workmanship of people anymore...you have to be 5 steps ahead and micromanage them to make sure you’re asking the right questions and getting the right results. I thought I did my due diligence, the guy wrote a detailed proposal, etc but I wouldn’t have known to ask about trim...that’s why I hired a professional. But that’s a different post. :-)