I am so sorry, I posted my post before I saw Angela and Memo's follow up! Angela and Memo, thank you SO much for such a detailed answers. Angela, I am definitely going to make the fridge even with the counter, I can easily lose that space in the pantry, that is the best idea in the world and I never in a million years would have thought to do that on my own. Right now I have a 30" wide fridge, which is next to new (stainless, freezer bottom) but it is not as wide as many I see as my current 45 year old house couldn't accommodate any bigger. I am wondering, I guess I should plan for a 36" deep space because in the future, I will want a bigger fridge, I do know that. I will have to make my fridge area extra large and have a smaller fridge for the moment (but this fridge could last 15 years!!). I'll try and figure that out. Re: stacking washer dryers - I am actually making 2 laundry areas - one in the garage for business (see previous post) and the other on the second level (see below my second level floor plans - original and changed). I will think about the stacking though at either location. But having a laundry and utility sink in the garage kind of solves memo's thoughts about muddy kids. In a pinch I could have them strip down there and keep some extra clothes in that room. Memo, my region is really not a farming area at all. There are no farms around for at least 30 min away, and even then only a couple of high end "heirloom variety and herb" crop farms. We are in the mountains, no room for farms! There may be hobby farms, but the community is not really a farming community. It's more of a tourist village, it's a skiing community in the winter. In the summer, there are lakes all around. Not saying kids won't find messes in the country, oh they will! But my garage laundry and sink should take care of that in a pinch. I am still debating your garage mud room though! Angela, I will def. think about a pocket door for the mud area, but I don't think company (except my kid's friends) will come through the back (garage) way. And that's why I want the bathroom out of the mud room, to keep people out as much as possible! Angela, I really like your idea about reducing the pantry size to accommodate a closet or storage area of some sort on the north wall of the pantry. Thank you for that. I had a feeling the pantry was a bit spacious, but I just thought it's be a great place to put things like a vaccuum, brooms etc in the middle. But that does make getting to the pantry items more difficult. I think your plan is more efficient. Re: Garage space. I reduced it to 2 bay partially because of the laundry room, but also I NEED to have an exterior pedestrian door enter on the same east side as the garage doors. They left NO room in the plan for an exterior door on that side! I can't put an exterior door facing the front house side, looks bad and confuses people as to which door to enter (hate that). I can't do it on the south (backyard) wall either as that is just too far to walk to the back and then walk back across the whole garage again to enter the house, crazy. Plus snow may be there in the winter. So hence, 2 bays + a pedestrian 3 ft entrance door. I know they sell garage doors with a entry door in them, and I may look at that option for the single 3rd bay, but since I am "ruining" the 3 car garage anyway with laundry and workshop/storage, I just thought I'd eliminate the garage door as well. Our ATV can scoot in there from the the 2 door garage. Plus, a 3 bay is not common in my area, just 2 bays or even one bay. The development where we are moving to (42 homes) is pretty diverse and we all have our own builders, people have different styles - no cookie cutter homes here. RE: Double pocket doors with glass for the office. I have a single pocket door with glass that is SUPER HEAVY to push open and closed. I struggle to open it, and it was a new high quality track. I think it is the sheer weight of the pine door and the glass. I don't know if that is typical, but I just wanted to avoid all of that by having regular swing doors. If I can be reassured that there is a way to do this without that heavy pull, I would be into it. I know they sell frosted fake glass (I have that too) that is lighter, but the look is very fake and light doesn't seem to come through it normally. I am open to suggestions. I was also "thinking" of installing glass on either side of the french doors for an even more open look, and I couldn't do that with a pocket door. I am going to work through that idea about using that space by the stairs where the window is to add to the bathroom, great idea again, I will draw it out. I hate loosing that window though, I like windows everywhere! I don't think I want to add a door on the sunroom side though, I personally don't like jack and jill bathrooms and I really plan the sunroom to be a very occasional use bedroom if at all on the main level as I already will have a guest bedroom upstairs. It's really just more to have a full bath on the main level. Love the idea of the ??? as a linen nook!! Problem solved! Or I tuck linens in the foyer closet in a tupperware bin and make a nice niche out of the ???. I really want this to be an occasional use "emergency" full bathroom... But time will tell, you never know about things until you really live in a house. Here is my second floor plan and the original. I will try and darken it in the next day or so.

About a 20 - 25% no show rate has been our experience on multiple house sales, with another 25%+ spending OTOH, we've been the buyers who cancelled on short notice or zipped in and out in two minutes because our agent failed to take our list of requirements seriously (yes, we found a new agent, but that's happened multiple times.) RE agents justify showing properties that don't meet their buyers' wishes by falling back on the old saw: "buyers are liars." We tried to review the MLS sheets/web listings before touring, but when relocating that hasn't always been feasible. You'd think RE agents would realize they're wasting everyone's time, including their own, but I guess they sell enough properties that aren't what buyers initially said they wanted that it's worth the gamble. Anyway, I agree with the suggestion to freshen the listing regularly. Maybe your agent needs to reword the info about the condo fees and elevator. Offering a bonus to the selling agent can help; at least it worked for us on one house. Prepaying the buyers' condo fees for 6 - 12 mos. is a good idea, too. How would you feel about not leaving the condo until the agent and buyers arrive? You could greet them at the door, say you were just on your way out, and leave. I did that when we sold one house, and was able to park on a nearby street from where I could see the agent's car. If they stayed over 5 mins. then odds were good they'd be a while, so I'd go run errands. This reduced my frustration because I wasn't inconvenienced by no-shows.

That note things is a good idea. When DS was in 1st his teacher had us leave a note at open house (a no-kids thing at that school) for our child to read the next day. I don't know if DS remembers anything he made for that night, but he remember the note (It started an inside thing of me telling him "may the force be with you" whenever he has to do something challenging). You could even just give it to DH to give the boys that night. Really, they'll probably be just fine, harder on you than on them no doubt. But if you want to make sure they remember something good about the night and not bad, make something good happen. Like the note, the guys night, how cool for dad to go with you (not as many dads go to those things, that will probably make your kids feel very special). I know the feeling though, DH offered to go the parents' night at DSs schools a couple weeks ago so I wouldnt' have to take the baby (breastfed, ya know, he goes where I go for now), he thought it would be easier for me. But I just couldn't stand the thought of not being there myself. I might miss something! So I really think this is harder on you than on them. You're a great mom, don't beat yourself up!

Golly - I better worry - a couple of weeks ago I drove over 60 mi. (one way) to a fowl supper at a church where I was minister over 30 years ago (1980 was over 30 years ago, wasn't it?). A guy who was on the Board then told me that he wanted to talk to me before I left ... ... and said that they're celebrating their hundredth anniversary next summer and want me to be there - on the second Sunday in June. Where do I write that down? Does anyone know where I can find a 2012 calendar (preferably a free one)? Oh, I know - my garage. I've had a bit of trouble getting the car to start recently, but got it going on the second try. Last night on arrival home I did a couple of other things, then opened the garage door - and the car refused to start, even after several tries ... so I pushed it into the garage. Today, when I tried to start it ... no dice. I tried to push it out of the garage, for there's a slight incline near the door and I expected that I could start it then. I'd installed a line of bricks along the doorway to stop the rain getting in, and could just barely not quite get it to move over the bricks. Fortunately, the landlord was in his shop and he and son gave me a push, thinking that we could let it run downhill ... but just as they were pushing it beyond the door, it was in gear and it started when I let the clutch out. So I visited the garage and was to go in on Monday, as there wasn't time to order parts today. Car quit a few miles from there (en route to the library to access a computer) and I had to get CAA to tow me back to the garage. A loaner car to be available in the morning ... to return at the end of today, so instead of hitchhiking home and back in the morning ... I waited, and now have replacement wheels. And ... the little yellow light on the dash with the outline of a gas pump is showing ... I wonder what that means? Will have to ask them, I guess. So - instead of being a "no-show" at the garage today (and without an appointment, yet) ... it appears that I was a double show. Oh, yes - their calendars for next year are out on the counter. In the confusion over plans, etc. - I neglected to pick one up! ole joyful