Just stay away from the cruddy saddle valves that clamp on a pipe and punch a hole through. they are not allowed in most areas, and have a horrible problem closing if you even need to shut off the water. I prefer copper lines over plastic. A few extra turns of copper behind the unit allows it to pull out and slide back in without kinking or breaking.

I would add: This list presumes you checked the structural elements of the room before the kitchen went in....but make sure they all remained in good working order following the kitchen installation...windows open and close, doors open and shut (back stops installed), light switches still turn the lights turn on and off, all molding still properly installed and intact. On the cabinet doors I would add to check that they open and close properly and stay fully closed. On the countertops, I would add to check for gashes, dings, cracks and chips and to particularly check where the countertop meets the sink. If intended to be "child proof" check that all locks etc are installed and working. Floor molding properly installed? Where is your fire extinguisher? Have you added its expiration date to your calendar? If installing a range make sure it was anchored so that it cannot flip forward. Are all appliances properly leveled? Save all of your manuals, warranty and any required proof of purchase into a location where you can find them, such as hole punched and put in a three ring binder...look at the warranties to make sure that there is not something unexpected in them that you should be aware of....like required cleaning or maintenance. If there is any, put it on your calendar NOW. Also put in the name and phone numbers of the subs so you know who to call.

Mrsshanye, I’m a retired architectural draftsman, and quirks like that naturally would really bother me, but not be noticeable by others. You’ve not been bothered by it for 9 years, so shouldn’t stress about it too much now. The reason all of this probably happened is because the builder used two different newel posts at the base of your stairs. As you can see by the photo, the post on the right is slightly different than the one on the left. They look similar, but aren’t - the squared off section at the base is higher on the right post than it is on the left post. In order to get the handrail slope to meet the left hand post at the necessary height for a handrail, (between 34-38”), the builder had to bring out the left post several inches. Had he just used two identical newel posts, this wouldn’t have happened. You mentioned that the heights were different and were above 40”, that’s okay, the newel posts can be that high, but the handrails that go up the stair shouldn’t be higher than 38”, and I imagine yours fall within those guidelines - although different heights. Since the mistake was duplicated in another house - it may be that that homeowner has the matching newel to yours, and you have theirs! They may have both been built at the same time, and gotten mixed up. And just because it was duplicated at another house doesn’t make it “normal” - it’s still incorrectly done.

So, will it bother you a lot if it is slightly out of square? I used scrap lumber leftover from other projects to build ladders to serve as tomato cages (I like indeterminate tomatoes; they can get 5' tall). My ladders are not square, straight, or pleasing to look at - but they were cheap, they fold up for winter storage, and the tomatoes don't care one bit. You'll be covering this frame with chicken wire - which is not the easiest thing to work with. Unless you are very meticulous, the chicken wire will not be perfectly straight and square, so any misalignment in the frame will be masked. Do you plan to left the whole frame off the bed to weed and harvest? How will the frame be attached to the bed? I am really fussy about things I build in the house, but outside I am more willing to accept "ugly but effective".