Hi Katie! Just a comment on the Jack and Jill layout -- I'd propose no closet and you put in open-shelving or putting in open built-in shelving to eliminate the door. Having a place for linens is very functional in the bathroom but it doesn't have to be a closet. Enjoy your new house!! -Myra

I don't like the covered living where stock plan originally had it. The original plan places it in an ideal space: just off the great room and the master. I wouldn't change it. Changing the topic a bit: The "covered living" is practical in its original position because it'll simplify the roof /cost less. Should I bump the "nook" area out in order to give it a little dimension? We plan to put a round table that can accommodate 4-5 for casual eating. I don't see why that's a "nook". It isn't nook-ish in any way. No, I think you have space for something like a 42" (3 1/2') round table, which is what I have, and it's perfect for a family of four ... round is practical because it allows for good circulation, and with this much space /a table that size, you'll be able to reach the door comfortably. Completely different note: Inswing doors are more practical, especially if the area into which an outswing would open is not covered. Jack and jill bath upstairs seems a little congested to me. Would you change this? Definitely change the two upstairs secondary bathrooms. Both of them have the same problem: By dividing the bathroom /setting the sinks into their own little rooms, you won't be able to close the door once you're in the "back half" of the bathroom. Dividing bathrooms isn't a great idea, and it really doesn't work in small bathrooms. Simplify /go with a plain 3-piece bath in each spot. The DR makes no sense where it is a walk in pantry 6 miles away from the actual kitchen so many things wrong . Agreed. The pantry is also pretty far from the garage entrance. "Flipping" the garage will result int he entire exterior being redesigned. I vote yes to a redesign. I find the exterior overly busy and complicated for the sake of complicated. Too many jigs and jogs, too many bump-outs. Choosing a stock plan that mainly works for my family and having the architect make some changes will cost be 1/3 of what it would cost to have them design from scratch. I'm not as quick to jump on the "get thee to an architect!" bandwagon as most people here ... but you're making too many changes to this plan. I read somewhere that if you're making more than 10 changes, you're changing too much. Of course, this is a silly guideline because some changes (for example, you say you want a make-up area between two sinks -- that's just a matter of cabinetry) are not big changes at all ... whereas other changes alter their surroundings significantly (such as moving the covered patio, which alters the roofline and foundation). I think you've passed the point of reasonable changes with this plan -- that is, you aren't starting with something that "mainly works for your family" -- you'd be better off to choose something that "starts closer" to your idea. Other thoughts: - I don't love the kitchen. You can have too many cabinets; I'd give up a bunch of them /allow for larger aisles /a larger and better located pantry. It could be a whole lot more functional. - Consider furniture placement in the great room ... you have something on every wall, so furniture will have to "float", and your actual furniture space will be pretty small. Where's the TV? - You're talking about a guest bedroom that won't be used often ... why not lop off the bedroom entirely ... and make the den do double duty? You already have a half-bath there ... make it a full bath ... put a sleeper sofa or Murphy bed here, and you'll have a functional room. - How will the dryer vent from its interior upstairs location?

Jessica P, we are building your third house plan's bigger sister: https://www.architecturaldesigns.com/house-plans/country-home-plan-with-marvelous-porches-4122wm We felt that the extra 300 sq ft to make the room sizes slighty larger was worth the minimal cost increase, which is why we choose the larger plan. It has better size bedrooms, and a larger kitchen and living area. With this open floor plan, remember you need room for pathways between rooms which takes up usable space, and makes the dining room/living room become smaller. One major criticism of this house is the covered porches, however this was a selling point to me. We spend so much time outside, that we felt it was okay to lose some natural light for awesome outdoor spaces. If you have any questions about this plan, let me know!!

Have you already chosen the architect? We've now had two custom homes built, but before that, we lived in a (nice) tract home for a long time. We were new to custom homes too, when we started! Continue doing what you have been doing, look at pictures of houses, house plans, visit open houses of new houses and resales, to get ideas of things you like (or don't like). A good architect will meet with you and have you talk about what you like and don't like. You could show the architect "sample" house plans, but only as a way to show things or spaces you like. Visit houses your architect has designed, make sure their style is what you want and like. In terms of having a house that's impressive, you might end up having a house that's right-sized for your needs, but be able to spend money on high-end finishes or appliances instead of unusable space and/or a huge roof. To me, that's much more impressive. Another thing to think about is what you want to "spend" your space on. If you're going to use a dirty kitchen only for frying fish, then maybe a cart outside makes more sense. It sounds like you've put this kind of thought into your coffee/bar area. Though for there, you might want to include a sink in that area. I would hate if our espresso machine wasn't near a sink. In terms of designs that work well for hotter parts of the country, look at U shaped house plans.