I'm still in the pre-construction phase, but I have a large 3-ring binder with zipper, add'l pockets and handle on the spine that's my construction bible. It has big pockets on the outside for pens, a calculator and odd items I pick up like samples. Inside, I have large file pockets to hold odd items like folded-up plans. In the binder section, right on top is a business card holder and contact sheet. Then, individual tabs for major items like "plumbing," "lighting," "legal," etc. I keep everything from docs to spec sheets to bids to renderings to key inspiration pics I need to show to the more artistic subs like the trim carpenter. Electronically, I keep all the emails sorted and I can access them from any computer or on my blackberry. I also have a spreadsheet which is my spec list. It's divided up much like the notebook -- by TYPE of item. After all, I don't bid a room, I bid a type of product. The plumbing house isn't going to bid my kitchen cabinets. So for example, on the plumbing page I have all plumbing-related stuff, sorted by floor and room, and then all the items I will need to buy or spec out. Each line item contains a description, specification, model number, source, and estimated cost. It goes on to include cost, tax, and total cost for those items I have already purchased, and is subtotaled at the bottom. A final spreadsheet tab contains misc. items I have purchased for the transaction, like software, money paid to have plans drawn and so forth. If there were two of me directly involved in the build, I'd only make two smaller notebooks with duplicates of important items (like the legal papers and any "hot" topics.) Then divvy up items by responsibility. Maybe one party is in charge of the kitchen, bath and utility and the other is on charge of windows, doors and landscaping. Although I'm a computer programmer, I personally am more comfortable with having a paper based notebook for this kind of thing. There's something creatively visceral about being able to flip back and forth to look at items. But, if it were essential to have two parties with access to ALL information, I'd buy two netbooks and configure a central repository like Google Docs that you both access concurrently to avoid sync issues. Keeping two paper notebooks sync'd could be very difficult, especially if one party is not as organized or as invested in the notebooks as the other. By the way, all parties involved seem a little taken aback that I can grab a tab and flip the book open to the current topic. Except my GC, who seems delighted.

Bma, I'm sorry I didn't mean that you thought my solution was an eyesore. Though I'm sure at times ours was. Especially in winter with snow pants, hats and gloves added to the mix! I wish it were easier to know expressions here without using html. I've tried, but it makes everything italic or bold. Thanks for the pictures Saruna. In the picture of yours I've linked to below I see that you could easily do both of the ideas I did in our home only just down the hall a bit from the door itself. I'm so glad I asked for pictures. I'd move your bencdh across to the opposite wall under the lightswitch and put the shelf above where you have the bench now or even get a narrow hall tree. We now have one at our back entry that I got at Hobby Lobby. I had just bought it and plopped some things on it that happened to be close by. I don't have a current picture of it, but actually you can see it better in this pix. I think you'd have plenty of room to have one like this where your bench is now. You could add your own hooks to the sides low enough for your children to hang their coats and be out of the way of the sitting area. I now have basket in the cubbies where shoes can be tucked and just measured to make a cushion. The cushion will be sixteen inches deep by twenty nine inches wide so that gives you an idea of the size.

Having a spreadsheet of the info is great for you, but if you are sharing the info with the GC, you need a hard copy format. I'd recommend that you have all the contracts and contact info for yourself, GC and subs organized in one place-- either a binder or folder or file box. We needed the plumber's number asap when we sprang a leak, and we (GC and I) didn't have it handy. Nasty. Put it in a defined place, make sure the GC knows it's there, make sure they're copies, not originals (or they'll get lost). Also, I can't tell you how hard it is to make subs look at your notes/postings. You basically have to hand it to them and get them to acknowledge that they'll look at it. I stapled up the stove installation diagram right over the place where it was to be installed, and the electricians still ignored it and put the plug in the wrong place. The GC fixed it, but really, people, why do you think it was flapping away there? I don't know how to remedy this, but I offer it as a way of saying, you can't assume they'll look at your notes unless you tell them to. That goes for GC and subs too. I would also recommend that you post your work phone, cell phone and alternate contact info in large type somewhere permanent (so they know where to look) so that no one can say "I did it this way because I couldn't reach you." That's averted a few disasters at my house, and has provided me with ammo when things weren't done right. I can go back and say "Why didn't you call if you couldn't find something or figure something out?" Finally, try to establish a regular place where you leave notes for the GC and the GC leaves notes for you, either in a notebook left in a permanent place, or a clipboard or whatever. This has been really important in helping me to understand what's happening when I'm not around. Leave plenty of paper and pens -- they never seem to have them, and I get notes written on pieces of 2x4. Cute, but not what you want to take the HOme Depot when you need to buy a part. I kept all my printed purchase orders, confirmations, etc. in a binder for the kitchen. Make sure to mark old plans as old, or throw them out. Otherwise, you can end up relying on an old version of the cabinet plan. And keep checking up on the communication area - because the documents can walk away and get lost. This leads to tiny disasters where the cabinets get installed without the crucial 3" filler that makes them line up. Leading to cabinet installation take 2, take 3 . . .etc.

Well, I have that continuous age old battle within myself. Evil: STAY OUT of my kitchen Good: I need to teach them how to cook so that when they go out into the world their potential spouses won't think that I raised a total kitchen imbecile. Self-serving: What in the world makes you think that I am your servant who needs to serve you every single morsel of food that you need to put in your mouth? But really, I have been known to get them out of bed at night when I discover that they've made a mess that they walked away from. Really. My saying is "I am Mom, not Maid, not Mule" (I don't make it a habit to carry their items to them, either, hence, not Mule). Every since they were old enough, we've taught them to be self-sufficient and clean up after themselves. However, somehow it just doesn't happen and I come out in the morning to bowls and cups and peanut and sunflower seed shells. And I know they know how, because when they stay at someone elses house, the parents tell me how courteous they are and they pick up after themselves, yadda yadda. One thing that has been effective: they get a monthly allowance -- not to do jobs around the house, but mainly to learn to budget. If their chores don't get done, or if they leave messes, or I have to bug them too many times to get stuff done, they have to give me moneyy at the end of the month. They hate giving me money. Rant over.