The standard backset distances are 2 3/8 and 2 3/4. and have been since long before 1989. That is the distance from the center of the hole to the door edge. Exterior door hardware is almost always 2 3/4 setback. There is however no standard distance between the hole for the latch and the hole for the deadbolt. I have some that are 3 5/8 and 5 1/2 both from emtek. other manufacturers will be different. The hole for the lock and latch are generaly 2 1/8" dia. Sometimes a deadbolt hole is as small as 1 3/4" Small holes can always be drilled larger. If you can't find a handle set that matches the center distance of your drilled holes, There are many sets available that have the deadbolt completely separate from the handle, and can be installed at any distance. A lot of times the phrase "they don't make that any more" means "Home Depot doesn't sell that type and I'm to lazy/stupid to look on the internet". If you don't want your house to look exactly like your neighbor's, you have to shop on the web.

We have used Emtek on our last 2 homes, interior and exterior, and love the quality. We did use a cheaper brand (don't remember what) on the side door, and it's a keypad. Like Tibbrix said, the best of both worlds. I wouldn't like a keypad on the front door. We ordered from Simpson's both times. Wonderful company! We just had a problem with a couple of missing parts on our front handle set we purchased at least 6 months ago, but we're just installing, and Mr. Simpson took care of it without batting an eye. I think that company Handlesets is part of that online conglomeration like "Faucets", with whom I had an order go wrong multiple times, involving order and return 5 times, for ONE faucet.

Lever, handle (thumb latch), or knob? Your definition of reasonable, like mine, is probably different than anyone else which reads this. If you chime in with some more information, I'm sure you'll get more answers.

This is great advice, BUT...what if you and your spouse aren't on same page or timetable. My husband is all about the nuts and bolts of construction, but I am trying to be proactive and get some other decisions made about what he deems more "decorator/cosmetic" type stuff...i.e., cabinetry and interior trim/casing, etc. I tried to tell him the cabinets could have a lengthy lead time depending on what we pick, and that BEFORE we can decide on cabinetry, we have to make a decision on appliances. In other words, we can't plan cabinetry around the 25 year old refrigerator he doesn't want to get rid of until it croaks... We should "plan" for the refrigerator we "want" rather than what we "have". I also want a 36 inch rangetop instead of a 30 inch gas cooktop, and that too has go into the planning. I know he's thinking we'll take a wait and see approach - meaning what we have left $$$-wise and then make appliance decisions, but in the real world it doesn't work that way. I've just run into the same issue with the siding on the house - the plans were drawn with hardie board & batten siding to give the project a fresher mountain farmhouse look. Our GC assumed that meant we wanted to paint the siding after installation because my husband really didn't listen to me when I talked about using a rustic prefinished hardie siding. He thought the "rustic" could just be painted on afterwards, and now is crazed because the GC is telling him the local company that prefinishes the hardie has a 3 month lead time due to their volumes, and the other company that does that type of prefinishing is in Canada and the Pacific Northwest and we'll have high(er) freight charges. It goes back to thinking that "painting" is just "painting" and is a cosmetic thing...