dcolilla - these are vertical wells. We have too many trees (and a creek) for horizontal loops. cards89 - I agree this system is probably somewhat over sized. The contractor expects to run the variable speed units on low speed most of the time. I would also like to eventually tie a pool heater into the field as well and thought they field would handle it better if it were over sized. NOTE: I didn't specify it to be over sized, this is the way the contractor calculated the tonnage - I just didn't argue (that much). There was no way we were going to put in geo. The cost was not in our budget. But, then the stimulus bill was passed which (effectively) significantly reduced the costs. So, we took a quick re-look at the numbers and decided to move forward.

Thank you. Here is the floor plans of our new house. It's a colonial farmhouse style with white siding and black shutters. We are in Northeast Ohio. We wanted to do a William Poole or Donald Gardner design but just couldn't afford the details. Here is a picture of the model home. We're not getting the bonus room in the upper right hand corner.

I think the decision is pretty obvious. When a business strings you along like that, I say move on. It is not professional. If he was over-booked, he should have just said something in the first place. I am sure their are many other businesses you can go through. If he can' t even START the project, once he starts it is likely he wont finish.

Momx9, chill. :) You won't need months of rumination or hundreds of plans to pull this together. Given a limited budget and family of 11 always in flux, the typical "perfect plan" goal is not only not attainable but also specifically undesirable since the kind of "perfection" some people manage to achieve for themselves is for one person at one specific time of life. That has nothing to do with you guys! You just need to open up your kitchen and improve its function. You need flexibility. That's before even mentioning budget. I'm sure you guys have any number of worthy ways to allocate your money, so keeping budget at the top of your list of priorities will simplify your decision-making tremendously. Flexibility saves money because it means not building in everything possible everywhere you can find a place for something. So, 2 main goals here so far 1. Opening up the kitchen on both sides. 2. Improving function. Anything else? One thing that's not been properly explored is...what's WRONG with your current layout? What does not work for you guys? Given your budget, and ALL THE FEATURES YOU LIKE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE AND WANT TO KEEP, if possible, by far the best course would be to tweak what you have, and the answers to the what's-wrong question will determine what can be kept and what has to be changed. Stove wall: To start, you can keep the stove and dishwasher where they are, keep the SS counters, keep the stove hood, AND open the kitchen to the family room safely IF you settle for opening that wall on the right and left sides of the stove and keeping the wall right behind the stove (and the hood) in place. The wall on each side could be opened right down to the counter and deepened toward the family room if you like. This compromise would accomplish probably 90% of what you want: Both areas would feel more spacious and open. People in the two rooms could see and communicate with each other. If you wanted stools on the family room side, you could place some safely enough at one or both of the open stretches of counter if you deepened them toward the family room. Those counters, with or without stools, would offer extra places for people to work, cooking or schoolwork, as needed. The wall behind the stove could be an attractive display area that multifunctioned by hiding some kitchen mess. If you deepened the counter beyond the depth of the wall the two ends count be connected across the wall as a display shelf. OR, you could open the whole wall, leaving it raised above the work counter to provide some protection from flying grease, boiling water, etc. This is not optimal but is doable, especially if you do not have seating there. You can display art projects on the raised ledge instead. :) Breakfast/mudroom side: If you can improve your kitchen nicely essentially in its current footprint (again, contingent on being able to solve dysfunctions), there will be no need to decide about developing a mudroom right now. Why do you NEED to remove the U counter on that side? Or do you? You want to open the kitchen to the breakfast area, but removing the counter on that end is not necessary to do that. Leaving it in place would allow you to deepen the counter on that side for stools, multifunctioning, etc., etc. So far I'm not seeing a good reason to go to an island in this case, i.e., nothing of real value gained because of your space limitations. What would you hope to gain from one? If the U isn't working well enough, would a wider U be the answer? Mudroom functions: You need a mudroom but need the breakfast space for other uses right now. Have you considered simply enclosing your covered porch as an entry vestibule, not heating it, just creating a sheltered spot with walls for bench/shelves/hooks/closets?