che1sea, From your posted images, it looks to me like you're using a Punch! program. Right? If so, it should not be freezing up on you and you should be able to get perfectly fine elevation renditions from any angle you want, as well as interior "slice" renditions if you want them. I used Punch! 5-in-1 to do my initial drawings and was able to create some fairly complicated floor plans and got great elevations and fantastic 3d images. I did have a freeze-up issue once very early on in using the program and a fellow by the name of Lyle at a Punch! users forum (see the link below) was able to tell me how to change one of the settings on my computer to make the freeze up problem go away. It was really simple to do and hasn't affected my computer otherwise in any way that I can tell. I can't remember what the fix was tho since it was about 4 or 5 years ago and I haven't thought about it since! Eventually I "graduated" to Punch! 3000 and it too did a great job and was able to handle some of the more complicated things I wanted to do (like roof dormers and a shed roof over my wrap-around porch, etc.) It looks like the Punch! site got hacked badly sometime in the past couple of years - I tried to look for the archive from when Lyle answered my question and found that I had to rejoin and that there were a lot fewer members and less activity than there used to be - but the same person is moderating it and I'm sure that, if you can get a message to Lyle, he could help you get your program working at its best. Or, maybe someone else on that site remembers the "fix". Properly set up, all the Punch! programs should do perfectly fine elevations and gorgeous 3-d renderings. BTW - be forewarned that the Punch! users site can be nearly as addictive as this forum. Here is a link that might be useful: Punch! users forum

Sorry for the hiatus. Moving and working and kids - well it's a bit inconvenient. Hahaha! Appraisal today. Now the only thing left is the health department to check the drain field and water. I hope we have a closing date soon. momtoblondie-*LOVE* my doodle. :) She by the way is having the hardest time out of everyone with all of the house showing/packing/routine changing upheaval. ;) We are not fans of that funny little angle by the front door either. We will be addressing that and the windows when we meet again on Monday. I am still trying to figure out the front laundry closet area with the windows pushed together-it is a struggle. I am also pondering the kitchen layout. The mudroom however, we like. I asked for a place for lockers, a separate closet, a small 'pocket' office and to be able to close the dog in. This is what we got and I do like it: The doorway off to the right by the closet goes outside where we will have a covered porch for grilling and also where we will let the dog in and out. The doorway by the 1/2 bath leads into the kitchen area. The square footage - hmmm. It is about 300 sq foot over what we were hoping for. So we need to look at that. Likely the mudroom is a little big because I don't feel like the actual rooms are too large. But we don't have any 'extra' rooms that I feel we could ditch. We are not including the screened porch (to be finished later) and the basement (also to be finished way later) in our sq. footage 'wants'. It's about 1700 on the main floor and 550 in the upstairs. I also need to having things figured out - this has been driving me nuts. I wouldn't say you are starting to soon but yes I concur it is overwhelming and sanity breaks are needed (chocolate also helps). We didn't think our house would sell so early. Happy it did so we can start this fall BUT the plans aren't ready and so now I feel rushed which is not what I wanted at this stage. :/ I too like watching every size build. It sometimes causes my eyes (dreams) to be larger than our budget but it is exciting to watch nonetheless! I can't wait to watch your build progress as well. When are you hoping to list your home? It kind of sneaks up on you so hang on to your hat! Thank you for your kind words and blessings - right back at you. There are a few kindred police/fire spirits on here. :)

I'd be tempted to make the corner closet in the mudroom the pantry. There doesn't appear to be enough room in the corner of the kitchen for a pantry closet. Mine is 4x4, and is just about as small as you'd want to go (for good shelving depth, etc, might get away with 3.5 x 3.5). In the mudroom--are those cubbies or counter? If counter top, I think I'd be tempted to switch the locations of the laundry stuff and the counter... And, then also switch the door swing of the garage, unless it rests against that kitchen wall fully and without sticking into the opening between the 2 rooms when all the way open (right now, it looks like it might stick out into the dining-mudrooom door opening.) On the kitchen layout-- yes, go to the kitchens forum, but also consider switching the general location of the fridge and stove wall... I like having my fridge near the dining area and in a place that people don't have to walk through my space between dining area and fridge. If the fridge went on the far end (even further than the cabinets currently run) along the mudroom wall, it would be accessible easily from the dining area, and people wouldn't need to walk behind the island coming from the LR to get to it. Also, putting the cooktop on the hall wall protects it a little more from through traffic. Finally, moving it from directly behind the sink/DW solves the issue of dueling doors (if it is infact a range and not just a cooktop). The dining area sounds large enough, until there is the walkway. Here, the kitchen forum will be great help in helping you to understand what is needed in terms of size for a traffic area with dining space. How long is the island?

-to keep the main floor den open, or close it off as an office space Close it off as an office space. Definitely. French doors or double pocket doors would be wonderful. Why? Because the majority of your floorplan is wide open ... and a smaller, closed-off space is a good compliment to that wide open plan. The smaller, closed-off space gives you a spot for someone to escape the noise of TV, children, cooking ... or it gives a person a spot to go and be noisy; that is, to practice a musical instrument or watch the game alone. For most families, a large open space paired with a smaller private space is a good balance. -great room fireplace along wall, or double-sided fireplace between great room and patio area I like the fireplace where it is now. If I understand where North is, this means the fireplace would be largely facing North ... so that's not a prime window wall (though I'd still want small transom windows above built-ins flanking the fireplace). Before you decide on a double-sided fireplace, check the incredibly high price. -main floor bathroom is super small but do I really need bigger? The main floor bathroom is wonky as well as small. At the same time, the pantry is poorly located (imagine entering the house through the garage, walking the length of the kitchen, then turning and walking the same path again ... that's your garage-to-pantry route). I'd flip-flop the pantry and the half bath ... but open the half bath into the mud room /laundry room. Visualize yourself walking into these bathrooms. Is your path clear? (Not in the half bath ... you're squeezing by the sink to reach the toilet.) Do you have storage? Space for a hamper? Does the door swing work? Do you have a space to hang towels? Is it weird that it's so close to the dining area? It's less than ideal. None of your bathrooms work. You don't have a good understanding of the proper scale of bathroom fixtures and circulation. You have enough space in the master ... but with things arranged like this, you're giving up unnecessary space to walking area. Consider a more compact floorplan that places everything neatly against the two walls and allows one nice walking aisle down the middle ... you can also have a door into the closet (though I'd widen the closet so it could have hanging space on both sides ... double your storage space with only 2' more width). This is a very large shower; you could cut this down and add a 2' linen closet. (I have a skimpy little 2' linen closet, and it's enough.) The secondary upstairs bath doesn't work because it just isn't wide enough. A builder basic tub will be 30" wide, and you don't have that width on either side. You could do a simple three-piece straight-line bathroom ... but you'd have to have a very small vanity to fit it in. On the subject of vanities, there's no point in double sinks in kids' bathrooms ... no point in adult bathrooms either, but REALLY no point in kids' bathrooms ... and when you go with duplicate sinks, you don't have room for drawer storage at the sink. Storage trumps repetitive sinks every time. Realistically, if you want this to be a comfortable bath, you need a bit more space. Be careful, too, about placing a bathroom against the master bedroom ... you don't want to listen to toilets flushing. As far as your lot, you will get all the headlights shining right at your house. This won't bother the garage, and it won't be a huge deal in the office ... and since the kids' rooms are on the second floor, the lights will be below their window level. Please be sure to understand where the house will receive sunlight so that the more active places in the house get the most sunlight. Yes, as it's drawn now -- if I understand correctly where North is -- the nicest sunlight from the South is going to the garage. This is not something to underestimate. This is a step in the right direction. Things still to consider: - Your first kitchen was quite small, making me think you don't cook much ... this kitchen is much larger. This makes me think you're just drawing things in without a lot of thought as to what you really need /want. If you want your house to work out optimally, you must examine function in every space. - The mudroom /laundry needs to be wider. - Consider that you need to vent your dryer to the outside ... this is easiest /most fire-safe if the dryer is on an exterior wall. Where the dryer is placed now, cleaning the dryer vent will be a real issue. - You'll still have to carry groceries the length of the kitchen ... I'd try to open the pantry to BOTH the kitchen and the garage ... you know, a cut-through pantry. - Try to get a window into this mudroom /laundry room ... a bit of natural light will make a difference. - Since this room's door will likely stay open most of the time, this is an ideal spot for a pocket door. - I like the bump-out dining room, but consider that once you place a table in this space, you won't be able to easily use the only door to the back yard. You'd be better off to place the backyard door in the living room ... and if it were a slider, you wouldn't need to concern yourself with the door's swing. - A half bath cannot be 3.5' wide. Literally cannot per code and per common sense; a toilet tends to be 30" deep, and I think you're required by code to have 2' in front of a toilet ... and you should never go minimal on a bathroom.