My truck is at the shop today with the brochures so don't have the brands handy. We have been carefully checking the low e and qualifications. I'm checking out the softlite company now. I'm not sure if they offer that color match deal on the interior color or not. It seems most all vinyl manufactures offer white or beige on the inside. My interior trim is almond color (same exact match as a standard almond electrical wall plate) and I'm suprised they are not making windows in that color. Most all new houses now seem to use almond on trim rather than stark white. That seems to be why most custom decorated houses utilize a printable window. The beige color just looks really tan/ dark. Is a fiberglass window comparable to vinyl or better? Climate here is up to 110 degrees F in the summer and down to 0 degrees F in the winter.

Most windows are better than Andersen. They're overpriced garbage living off of their name. I've been installing Softlite windows for over 20 years. I have also installed Marvin, Simonton, Thermal (now out of business), Crestline, Alside and a few other of brand windows. I personally use Alside windows for my business but mainly subcontract for a company that uses Softlite. Softlite would be my second choice out of all of them. Marvin's are probably the best windows of the bunch but definitely not worth the extra cost. Especially if you plan to move in 15 years. New construction type windows are great but can cause a world id issues if not installed 100%correctly. It also adds a major headache and a lot of expense in the future for the new owners or you if you end up staying. If it were me, I would save some cash and have the builders build buck frames and use replacement type windows. Since you're starting with a clean slate you can usually get a better fit and better insulated opening doing it that way.

I think the takeaway here is to not put all your eggs in one basket. Each material has it's pluses and minuses. I like a variety of materials and the following is a quick rundown of what I use and a brief observation of them. SS for induction is great because it's reasonably responsive with an aluminum or copper core. Getting as much of that core material as possible will make the induction really shine when a recipe calls for rapid temp changes. One of my favorite things is that they can go in the dishwasher and you can use some heavy duty cleaners in case of an oops. I've had one warp on me, but the others are nice and flat. You'll also be looking at clad base vs fully clad. What and how you're cooking will enter into the decision making. Skillets and sauciers really use the heat that radiates up the sides. A stock pot doesn't, and the big ones are usually clad-base, only, anyway. Cast iron is great for maintaining a temperature. Braising, frying in oil, and such. Wonderful for stovetop to oven cooking and searing. It doesn't heat evenly and is not responsive at all. Whether enameled or seasoned metal, it's a good tool. Carbon steel needs seasoning and reapplying it is a given. Metal tools will scrape it off. Great for high heat cooking. You'll find very reasonably priced woks at an Asian market. Lots of cooks will use this material in place of non-stick. They do warp, and that can be a pain on glass when they start spinning. Cast iron and carbon steel are at their best when they're used regularly to maintain their seasoning. Acid in food will wear on seasoning, so simmering something like tomato based dishes isn't advised. They are hand wash only. Non-stick is awesome for scrambled eggs, fish, and other delicate preparations. It's best for low to med-low cooking. The coating will wear over time and the dishwasher speeds that up. I would get an inexpensive one.

Honestly I think what you'll be doing is like jannicone and sophie said, over improving for your neighborhood. I don't have a good feeling about what you're getting into with what you want to upgrade. As Sophie mentioned your neighborhood is $400k houses and that's about where you want to stay. Even if you put in an expensive kitchen, it won't appraise for what you invest in it. The appraisals will come in at what the builder basic is. This is not by any means a custom house. It's a development or tract house. The builder is giving you a number of choices and as jannicone said, if you upgrade you'll pay through the nose. As she said, if you decide to go with your appliances, you'll get maybe a credit of $500-$1000 if that. Same if you upgrade anything else. Like I said earlier, it's how tract builders make their money. If you can find a house you like that works pretty much as is, I say go ahead and buy it, but don't go upgrading. It's not worth it. Or if you do upgrade, do it for things that are important such as heating and cooling. Let's take your list and explain: Blueprint Review with Builder Um you said you haven't met the builder Framing Inspection with Builder ditto Full limited Warranty Coverage What does that mean? 24-hour Plumbing & HVAC Service What kind of plumbing and HVAC service? Distinctive Kitchen Features Schrock Oak/Maple front These cabinets are probably one step above Ikea cabinets, although personally I'd probably prefer Ikea. Plus I'd prefer to design a kitchen the way I need it. My guess is if you want to change anything you'll pay a fortune for it. Cabinets w/Dove Tail, Self-Close Do they have soft close drawers or just soft close? Are they full extension drawers? Are they Blum hardware? Granite countertop with 4” Backsplash I'm guessing you are getting a bunch of level 1 granite choices most of which will be ugly. Level 1 granite nowadays is almost considered builder basic. Plus nothing about backsplashes. The 4" backsplash is only done in tract homes nowadays. Double-bowl 8” Stainless Steel Undermount Sink What brand? What gauge steel? What double bowl configuration? Delta 470 single lever faucet Not to be rude but this faucet looks like what my Mother had in her kitchen back in the 70's. Recessed Light over kitchen sink What about recessed lights in the rest of the kitchen? Over the stove, countertops, the island? What about under counter lighting? Let me guess. All are upgrades. Frigidaire FGEF3041KF Smoothtop Electric Range- S/S, Did you know this range is discontinued? And that's what he's putting in all the houses? Granted you want to upgrade to a Wolf, but this range that he has sold for under $1000. You are upgrading to something that is over 5x the price of this range, including adding gas. It's overkill for the neighborhood. A better choice to upgrade would be to go with a GE or a Bosch if you must upgrade. I am building in an area where the houses are in the high 6, low 7 figure range, and I'm not putting in a Wolf! (I'm using Bosch) Frigidaire FGMV174KF Microhood (Non-vented)- S/SFrigidaire FGBD2432KF Dishwasher-SS Both of these are also discontinued. Frigidaire FFHS2622MS Side-by- Side Refrigerator- S/S This is basically one step above an entry level Fridge. Elegant Bath Features Schrock Oak/Maple Front Cabinets w/Dove Tail, Self-Close See comments from kitchen. Ceramic Tile Bathroom Floors Porcelain is better in a bathroom Clarion Acrylic Shower/tub In other words, your tub will have a one piece acrylic surround and not be tiled. One-piece Marbleized Vanity Top We used to call them cultured marble in the 70's. Kohler ‘Wellworth’ Commode Delta 2538 Double-lever Faucets Vanity Mirror Delta Chrome Bathroom Accessories Exhaust Fans – Per Code Kohler Pedestal Sink in Half Bath Final Touch Interior Finishes Bruce Dundee 2 ¼” Hardwood Flooring in Foyer, Dining Room, Kitchen and Kitchen Nook Area Bruce Flooring is HD quality. Superior Gas Fireplace Is this a vented or unvented fireplace. Hopefully it's not unvented. (do some research) Colonial Painted Woodwork What does that mean? What size are the moldings? Crown moldings? Baseboards? What? Smooth Finish Walls and Ceilings What level smooth? Sherwin Williams ‘Dover White’ Paint throughout Living Space Sherwin Williams like all paint manufacturers makes quality paint and builder's special which is garbage. Which is he using? 6-panel Masonite Interior Doors Are they solid core doors or I'm guessing they're hollow core doors Closet Maid Shelving System Also available in HD Solid Exterior Features Viewpoint Slider – Per Plan .Viewpoint Low ‘E’ Vinyl Windows Viewpoint are considered a lower quality window and slider. Near the bottom. Windows and doors really are so important Energy Efficiency & Comfort Central Air by Lennox Lennox Gas Furnace-up to 95% Which ones? All furnace and AC companies have different grades, from bottom to top. R-21 Fiberglass Side Wall Insulation R-38 Fiberglass Ceiling Insulation I agree with Sophie that this is probably minimum insulation and again you need to really check things out. Also what will be the insulation for the basement, the attic, etc. Pressure Balancing Shower Valves Personally I would want only a thermostatic shower valve, especially in your neck of the woods. Do research. The rest is out of my wheelhouse so I'll leave it to others. I can tell you that my specification sheet before I got my final bid was even a lot more specific than what you got.