First, I have to agree with the above poster who says you're trying too hard to build for a hypothetical future buyer. While I agree that you need to walk a fine line between "what most people want" and your individual desires, you're overplaying the "gotta haves". I agree that you do need to build three bedrooms /2 baths (especially because if you're financing any of the build, the bank probably won't lend on less than a 3/2). It's also true that we don't know what the market will do in 10-20 years. On the one hand, I think there's a lot of "one upmanship" in house building; on the other hand, a whole lot of people are looking to downsize, to tie up less money in real estate, to decrease their monthly expenses and maintenance. Remember, too, everyone knows that age-old advice about buying the smallest house in the nicest neighborhood; if you build without these "bells and whistles", your house will be more affordable to a future buyer, and that buyer will be able to add on a keeping room or an additional garage at his or her convenience. One last thought on resale: If you're really doing all these things to keep your house up to the neighborhood standards, are you in the right neighborhood? Having made those philosophical comments, here's what I think of the plan: - The rooms aren't particularly large, so I'm at a bit of a loss to figure out where 2320 sf have gone. The one big space hog is the triangle-shaped back hallway. This isn't an area that's going to enhance your life, so I'd cut it down. - If you're looking to cut size and costs, I'd look at going with a standard sized garage. I especially would not build that tandem garage thing. It's cutting off a whopping amount of natural light that could be making the house nicer, and I personally would hate to back my car out of that dark cave . . . and I'd hate worse to see my teenaged daughter doing it. - Next I'd chop the Keeping Room. It's not an ideal room: You have to squeeze by the table to reach it, then it has no visual or acoustical privacy. I'm sure it'd be a pretty room with the fireplace and windows, but it's not a practical room. - I'd reduce the kitchen size. I know, I know, NOT THE KITCHEN. This kitchen is large, but it isn't laid out to function well: The middle island is blocking the way, the refrigerator door will block an aisle, and this kitchen will require many extra steps each day. You have a long cabinet run against the wall. I'd reduce the width and stick with just one island. You'll still have a large kitchen, and it'll actually be a better plan. It'll also mean you can skip the prep sink in the island, which is a pretty expensive single-line item. You can also downsize to standard appliances for some pretty significant savings. - A money-saver: Move your washer/dryer and your laundry sink to the same wall; this means you'll only need ONE thicker wall containing water. And since it butts up against the secondary bathroom, you'll be doing double duty there. - Thinking of water and going back to the kitchen, look at how your water is strung across the kitchen: You'll need water lines for the refrigerator, in the island and on the main sink island -- and possibly a pot filler above the stove. Things like this end up driving up the price. Consolidate these things closer together, and you save not only square footage, but also your plumbing bill. - Finally, though this has nothing to do with saving square footage or money, I'd look at flipping the master bath and master closet. If you move the bath to the back of the house, you can have nicer windows, and that'll bring the closet (which doesn't need natural light anyway) in between.

Yes that's what I mean. It's exasperating! They waltz right past the bathroom and wash their grubby hands and then flick the water all over. Gah. I have been working on that issue for years and they aren't clueing in. Yesterday dh backed me up when again there they were at the sink and I said THAT MEANS YOU TOO. His jaw dropped, lol. My sink, MY SINK for food prep people. Get outta my space with those dirty hands! I think your long counter is in a perfect spot. It's close enough to be useful but it's not IN the kitchen per se. Thumbs up to that! Mine is more in the back entry and it's not as convenient. You certainly can put a utility sink in the garage - but I don't know about winter time if there would be a span of weather that you couldn't use it - here that would be the case unless there is a way to insulate it. Definitely would want it on an inside wall at the least. I think you need to evaluate what exactly you plan to use that W/D for and if you will be doing a lot of soaking or if that stuff would go upstairs to the other W/D and how frequently you'll be using this one. I have a utility sink by my W/D - had to fight for it as our bath is near and hubby thought it wasteful but when you have someone sick in the night or stains that need extra soaking it's 100% worth it to me. That is my humble opinion. That one time one of them had the flu in my mind made it worth the extra cost. I don't want that soaking in my sink - and they aren't deep enough anyway.

Hmmm. Good thoughts all. Many thanks. This is a perfect example of the usefulness of this forum, because even though I thought we'd collected all possible alternatives, you all offered two quick new ones I hadn't considered. I don't think moving the steps into the garage will work, because of space & cost. The roll-up door seems crazy at first, but I sort of see where you're going, since it would seal off the garage but avoid possible conflict between the swing of the two doors in the alcove. At this point, I'm leaning toward just putting a solid door in the same spot it used to be: on the left side of the photo, with a swing into the alcove. That will keep vermin out of the garage. We can live there for a while and see how we use the entrance post-renovation. Since not much else is dependent on this door, we can make adjustments in a year or two when we're more informed. Thanks everyone!

I read your kitchen should be on the east for morning light and bedroom on west for evening Usually, especially if on enough mornings you like to sleep in... It's what I am doing. If you are usually early birds, the sun helps get you up, and the kitchen/dining on the west can make sense... and depending on the lay of the land, and lake, you may get to share good sunsets with guests. But there are other factors, too. Views to east and west, And since you are lake front, I think what you want to do is something to accentuate the views of lake, whatever that takes. You are the ones who know if you like to wake up and see the lake first thing, and how you want to "share" the lake to visitors - presumably, you do! With this lot, I do think your architect's thoughts will be paramount, and if he thinks you'd do best without an angled garage, listen. You have a house to the north of you blocking view from the road, so I think the "rules" about front facing garages fall to the side. Ahem as it were.