Hi thanks everyone for the comments. No I dont see the need for the stairs either. I love the idea of an enclosed deck since I have a toddler. The design with the stairs was just recommended by our deck guy in one his quotes. Thanks kiko for the links, it does give me a better idea. @arcy_gw...yes I do like the idea of an enclosed deck with entry from inside only. @4Heideisgn...I agree the stairs takes up too much space if I go with a patio and then the usable space is used up by the stairs and the AC unit if I cant get it moved. But if I can get it moved then I get more space since I can go all the way upto the property line with a fence and/or patio. So the options I am considering are: 1) Enclosed deck with no stairs 2) Fence with enclosed patio with stairs coming down from the doors. I will get back to you guys on this, once the HOA approval or non-approval comes through, thanks, Cooks.

We "built" the house we live in now, tract home in new neighborhood, with some customization. House conversations with friends and neighbors always have regrets in there. Bump-outs, boneheaded designs we should have caught, upgrades that should have been made, upgrades that aren't worth it... the list goes on. Based on our experiences here, I already know there will be design / decor issues that will have D'oh! moments. It's impossible to think about EVERYthing. I think we've hit all the major points, and have enough flexibility to change in the future. Our lives changed quite a bit in the 6 years since building (the once large pantry is now crammed because I now do the majority of grocery shopping at Costco and that not change for at least 15 years for example). I can't see into the future, but we learned from this build, and kept the evolution of our family in mind with our design. 1) The architect/draftsman is only as good as the information provided. They don't know us, or live our lives, ( I wonder if there'd be a benefit to having separate design consultations with the clients, much like relationship counseling, to get a really clear picture, lol), which is why we rely on their education and expertise. 2) The reason copy editors exist: to catch the technical mistakes writers make, and can no longer "see" due to closeness to the project. Same reason med errors occur. I think when we originally like a design, then look at it, dream about it, obsess over it, we can't "see" the flaws or potential problems that others might. Hence all the floor plan critique posts here. I think too, that online and builder plans lull us into a false sense of security- "they design and build houses all the time, they're experts, hundreds of people have bought the design, what could go wrong?!" We found that customizing our builders plan threw them for a loop, and didn't realize it would do so, until after the house was built, and weird things weren't right; towel bar location, depth o linen closet, outlets, etc. 3) We are often playing on tilt. We're all living SOMEwhere, right now, and designing a new place to live, with many features that we love (or would love to have) or without the ones we loathe, those HTOD, that we obsess over in our current or past homes. Finally, the same way any artist of any medium does, we aren't always satisfied with the end result of a project. Sometimes you just have to be DONE, even if to your artists eye, you could have kept going. Having said all that, I know there's going to be some regrets, but hopefully -I believe- the joy will outweigh them!

NHbabs, the design for the deck hasn’t been worked on yet, that’s what I need help with. We’re talking with our builder in 2 weeks about deck design. The fence on the patio doors were put on the elevation papers for permitting process. Right now I’m thinking it’ll be a trex deck, about 16’ x 16’ with a couple wide steps down to a platform for the hot tub. From that 10’ x 10’ platform we can step down to the yard. Make sense? Not sure if I’m missing something, feels like it. Not sure if that layout makes sense, or there’s something I’m missing.

The easiest option: eliminate the dormers. You say they're for a future bonus room, which may or may not ever happen. Yes, they look nice, but they're not something you'll appreciate on a daily basis from inside the house. Along that same line: Are you building the bonus space flooring NOW so that it can support a room? What about a staircase to reach this future bonus space? Those things may add to your build now. Things you could cut to try to reach 25K -- you'll have to sacrifice multiple items to reach your goal: - I can't read any dimensions, so I can't consider the size of the spaces. - How many kids do you have? If the answer isn't 2+, reconsider the two secondary bedrooms. Keep that room that I assume is a study. Your living space is relatively small, and I think you'll want that "away space". - Eliminate the half bath. Your secondary bedroom wing's hall bath is available to guests. - Downsize the garage to two cars. The garage is somewhat oversized for the size of the house. A carport would be less expensive ... though it would then eliminate the garage and the dormers with them. - Eliminate the garage altogether now ... and add it later as a detached garage, which could enter though the back porch. - Switch the French doors to the back porch to a slider. The newer "gliders" do not look like the sliding doors of the 1970s. - Simplify the layout of the master bath /closet, which are a bit over-the-top anyway. Eliminate the toilet-in-a-closet and downsize to one sink. I would definitely keep the tub ... ours is used every day. That custom shower will be a budget-buster; a nice, simple 5x3' shower is plenty nice. - Simplify the kids' bathroom to a simple 3-piece bathroom with all the water in one wall. Downsize to one sink. - Downsize the island; a slab that large will cost $$$ for your countertop. - Your kitchen cabinets are already going to be pretty simple, but skip fancies like pull-out spice racks. Stay middle-of-the-road in terms of cabinet quality. - Go with standard appliances -- forget the large stove I think I see in the plans. - Eliminate the fire place -- throwing out ideas; personally, I would not trade these for dormers. - Alternately, what kind of fireplace are you considering? An insert is less expensive than a full-fledged masonry fireplace. To-the-ceiling masonry is more expensive than brick or tile just around the firebox itself. - Eliminate the porches -- again, personally I would not trade these for dormers. - Is the porch to be screened? Eliminate the screen. I have a large back porch similar to the one you propose (it's probably the best part of my house); mine is un-screened and I have never once wished for screens. - Downsize the large windows in the bedrooms -- again, not something I'd trade for dormers. - Where I would NOT try to save: quality of the exterior build, quality of the windows, quality of the plumbing, or similar items. Also, I would keep the metal roof; it will be more expensive now, but you probably won't replace it ... and that probably means you won't encounter water damage in the future either. - This isn't a money-saver, but look over your mudroom /laundry room plans again. This is a heavy-use space, and it looks kinda scrunchy-small. I'd also open a door between the laundry and the master closet ... so many steps could be saved.