See there. Learn something everyday. This proprietary jargon is getting ahead of me. Good deal. You are getting one fine system that should give you years of good service as well as comfort and savings compared to that oversized system you have now. A little knowledge goes a long way. IMO Here is a link that might be useful: Evolution Connex Controller

I haven't scalped the lawn, just got it shorter in preparation for the aeration. The reason why I'm aerating is because it hasn't been done in a while judging by the soil - the thatch alone after a quick rake was enough to build another lawn from the dead material! The question is more directed towards seeding - Temps have been steadily dropping in the evening and I want to make sure I have the right plan (both financially and logically) before the frost comes. Since seeding after core aeration is a standard practice, I was wondering the best course of action while in a water ban.

I believe that GC's will add value in excess of their cost for most people, however, that does not mean they are either required or sufficient to create value. This idea that hiring a builder is suddenly going to get you access to higher quality subs is based on a couple of assumptions that are really just not correct. First, there is this idea that only a builder will have access to quality subs, but the truth of the matter is that quality subs work directly for homeowners on a fairly regular basis. Go to the supply house and ask some employees which plumbers they would hire. Odds are you are going to get referrals and if you name drop the supply house you are likely to get a response from the sub. You will have to be more flexible, but a willingness to work around their schedule has value to any sub. That is not the most problematic assumption, though. Just because a builder will know of the best subs doesn't mean he is going to use them. Your builder is going to have the best relationships with subs who are beneficial to HIS BUSINESS whether or not they are beneficial to your project. A GC is not a fiduciary and there is no requirement that they act in your best interest. They are a case study in the principle-agent problem and goal misalignment. One of the big values of a GC is a single point of contact for errors and mistakes. GC's have a duty to oversee construction and correct mistakes that they let happen, but they have a vested interest in not correcting those mistakes, even if a sub is responsible. The relationship between a sub and a GC has value to the GC and it is in his best interest to protect that relationship even over your home. Of course, someone who is not knowledgeable may not catch the mistake in the first place, but is far more likely to go to subs to correct once the mistake is found. If you have been on these forums for any amount of time you have seen GC's make clients eat mistakes that were not the client's fault many times over. You should also consider comparable value here, the OP is unlikely to be in the market for a high end custom builder given the information that was provided about price. Let's not pretend that all GC's at all price points provide the same value. --- The assertion that a homeowner might fall off a roof and delay or derail the project ignores the hundreds of ways that a GC might delay or derail the project. The construction industry is woefully undercapitalized and we constantly hear about a contractor refusing to do work they have already been paid to do. Or any one of a dozen different problems that make your house not a priority for them. -------- Again, this is not to say that GC's don't have value, they do. Take the money you save from being an owner-builder and divide it by the time you spent doing it and see if you even managed to get minimum wage. At that point you will learn how valuable contractors are, but still if you have the time and want to do it...

1. Your builder may have an interior designer on staff that will help with all of the interior decisions. This, of course, comes with a pricetag (maybe not a line item, but it would be included). If your builder doesn't have one on staff, your best bet would be to hire someone. When we got bids on our house, we spec'd out generals: windows, floor type, cabinet type, shower material, counter material, etc. We didn't pick the EXACT material - those were included in an allowance. When it actually came to picking WHAT floor or cabinet style, we would have used the interior designer. 2. Your stairs are narrow. 3'0" is code minimum, but that is not comfortable, especially for stairs that will be used all the time. Ours are 40" and widen to 44". You'll be going up and down them a lot so you may want something a bit roomier. 3. I agree with others about all the 2 level rooms. I would close that up in an instant. 4. You walk into your master straight into a wall. Or a closet. Consider if that's the look you want. Plus I am not a fan of double doors. One will never get used. Where is your light switch? 5. You don't have room for a freestanding tub in your master bath. Toilet room is too small for an inswing door. 10' is a HUGE vanity. 6. You'll be hauling 3 kids' laundry upstairs to do it. Consider either adding a 2nd laundry space on the main level - and teaching your kids how to share laundry machines - and/or putting in an elevator. You will not have an entirely private level unless you plan on doing all of your kids' laundry forever. 7. Having the powder room right off the kitchen may make that bath really uncomfortable for guests to use. 8. Get rid of the pocket door into the shared bath and flip that bath around so the toilet is up against the closet. That bathroom is just about the worst of a jack and jill. Consider adding a tub/shower combo in that room for resale (anyone with kids under 5 or planned kids won't want to buy your house because they'll have to have their kids bathe in the master bath and truck up and down stairs with all that goes with that). 9. Any deck that you want to use for anything other than a couple chairs needs to be at least 10'. For dining, you need at least that width for a dining table. For comfortable living room type seating, 12'-14'. 10. Do you plan to watch TV in your living room? If so, consider flipping the living and dining room, and put the TV on the bar wall. And insulate that wall. 11. Kid in the middle bedroom gets screwed. Smallest room, no direct bathroom access, and toilets on both shared walls. 12. Reconsider pantry window. Typically food should be stored in a dark place. 13. Consider having seating on the edges of your island as well - this will make for easier conversation if you actually plan on eating there. 14. 3'-6" is pretty tight between a fridge and island. This probably doesn't include fridge handles or counter overhang, either. We have 4' between ours, and it only works because it's a french door fridge.