Glenda, I can 'bush-hog' under most of my fence - bottom strand is at 18-20 inches - and with electrified HT, T-posts are at ~100 ft spacings, wood posts only at ends/corners, or major changes in direction of pull. Guess I could probably do an even better job mowing under the fence with a sicklebar mower, but I don't have one. A couple of trips along the fence on a yearly basis to spot-spray the boxelder, elm, and other woody weeds keeps things pretty clean. There's close to a mile of HT fence running along the top side of the pastures, set back 40 ft into the woods. Lots of dips & rises in this run, but with HT wire - and I did put tensioner springs in the top strand - if a tree or branch falls on it, it's a simple matter of just cutting the tree off the fence, and it pops right back into place. I have to replace an insulator here and there on a regular basis, where the deer run into it and break the pin or the insulator itself, but maintenance is quick, easy, and a whole lot less intensive than the barbed wire fences I grew up with. Requirements for perimeter fencing differ from state to state, with some having no requirements whatsoever(I suspect KY is one of those. There are cattle here inside the city limits, on property adjacent to and surrounding the lab where I work - and the city soccer & baseball fields & tennis courts. One strand of electrified HT barbed wire - and they're never out, unless we have a flood that washes out a section of fence - and believe me, net wire &/or multiple-strand barbed would be gone just as fast, if not sooner, in that situation. I'm sure neither my two-strand HT or the single-strand barbed wire perimeter fence would meet the standards in some states. For a number of years, I kept my cows & horses contained in the creekbottom field with a single strand of electrified HT(smooth) wire; floods never damaged it, but my neighbor downstream would have to replace his entire fenceline every time the creek got out of its bank; all I'd have to do was walk along and 'strum' mine to shake the leaves & grass off. Sheep & goats would require more - and more maintenance to keep weeds/grass off the wire, but with cattle & horses, I've found that 2 strands are plenty - and when I start doing semi-permanent pasture divisions, I suspect they'll probably be done with a single strand of HT wire at 30". Yes, little calves may go under, but they're not going far from mom. Some good tips on fence construction, pasture watering systems, etc. at the site linked below: Here is a link that might be useful: PastureManagement.com

Much of the second floor is going to be difficult to keep warm in the the winter even if it is well-insulated, since it is over the garage, work shop, or air space. You'd have to have an excellent, really reliable insulation sub (can be hard to find) who sealed everything really well with 1" of spray foam plus additional good quality insulation--all of which would add to your cost. If it were me, I'd nix this plan. But . . . since you'd really like to have a 4th bedroom, why not add one over the great room instead of having the vaulted ceiling? Ask your DH if he really wants to pay extra to heat that large great room space now and in the future with energy costs being a big unknown. Since you have a tight budget, it seems to me there are lots of better, more energy efficient plans available. Anne

Agree with remodelfla about the budget. They say add an additional 10% but if you really want to be safe (and if something wonderful catches your eye that isn't in budget) plan on up to 20%. If you don't use it, then you can get that wonderful piece of furniture later on. As for what to look for? Neighborhood is a big factor. For example, both my place in Fl and my place in NY are selling for about the same price, but I'm going more high end in Fl. Why? Because in our Fl place it's expected to have the better appliances, cabinets, etc for what our place would sell for. In NY similar houses do not have top of the line, etc so we didn't put them in. How long you plan to stay is another. If this is your forever house, I say go for what you want and what will make you happy in the kitchen. Within reason of course. You're not going to put a $50k kitchen in a house that will only sell for $100k of course. After that, I'd look at quality of cabinets. Plywood boxes are best, dovetail drawers are best on wood cabinets. But for ex, Merillat makes a great product and they should last for many years. And mdf nowadays is not what it was 10 years ago. See how the product is put together? Stapled is not good. How are edges finished? All wood doors are best. However, that doesn't mean a door with laminated wood won't stand up to years of abuse. As for granite, I love it, but if you dislike the cold, then I'd opt for corian. Again though, if this is not a granite neighborhood, why not look at the new formica options which are far above what they were even 10 years ago? Start with a budget with the 20% added in. Don't forget the cost of what it will take to have gc do your kitchens and be sure to do your homework when interviewing them. (lots of good info on the net about questions to ask and what to search for with a gc. I'm glad we did. One we were briefly considering didn't have his own license. It was in his wife's name. When we checked further, we found out it was because he was on his state's sex offender's list. Obviously we didn't hire him.) After you have your Kitchen designed, go to a KD or draftsman and have it drawn up exactly so that you can get price bids. And finally realize that Mr. Murphy will be moving in with you while you remodel. (Seems I can't get rid of him. Anyone want to give him a room?)

I don't know how to edit the title- we've been here a week and this is the midway point. We will have spent about $350 when all is done. H is doing all the work himself. I tried to do a concrete treatment on the countertop, and messed up the sink section- clearance ikea counter and sink to the rescue! So we will paint (SW Sea salt), change hardware to antique bronze, update lighting, add molding to the vinyl bead board, and add art. I don't love the concrete counter treatment, and if I'd known I'd be adding the butcher block I'd have removed the strip of backsplash around the whole kitchen instead of having to concrete that part too.... But I can live with it for 5 ish years until we do a proper remodel. Yes there are dirty dishes in the sink, always, lol. Feedback welcome before it's too late to turn back! I wish I could have ikea counters for the whole kitchen but DH doesn't trust himself to get the cuts right