Thanks for all your responses. We looked at it again with older, wiser folks ;) and there were some issues that they pointed out. Issues that we don't want to tackle. Also, I decided that if I would ever do a renovation to an older home, it should be on an older home with some sort of character or charm. There's really no point in dumping money into this particular home. There's no architectural charm whatsoever. One thing that I was "right" about, however, is that renovations in areas such as this can be profitable since the homes range from 250K to over a million. With that being said though, I was NOT looking to profit. I just want to be in a good location in a house that I like. The example given by an agent is if the land alone will sell for 250K - 290K, then the land with a 2300 sf house all updated nicely can sell for well over 400K. Baton Rouge doesn't follow the usual "rules" in certain locations. Another example, sort of, is there's a mid century modern house that I really want (husband doesn't like it) for 525K, but they purchased it 6 months ago for 319K, and haven't done a thing to it. Agent expects it to sell for 375-400K according to comps, but wouldn't be surprised if they got closer to what they are asking due to location. Someone may come along and buy it for what they are asking then drive up the price per square foot in the neighborhood. This seems to be a trend over here. Location really talks since the city is running out of IN CITY property. @ Artichokey, yes we have large life insurance policies on both of us etc etc. My husband is an insurance nut. He gets it on EVERYTHING. It's annoying, really. Also, if anything ever happened to my husband and I needed to go back to work, I could and would. KickyMarcia, we took a tour of the house you posted, but the pool is an issue and there were a lot of things that I would want to update and or change. I'm the problem. I'm too picky. So, we will just wait until the right house comes up. Livewireoak, public schools in Baton Rouge are a mess right now. It's a political debate not suitable for here. But trust me, they're nothing like the schools in Tennessee. Either way, we LOVE the Catholic school they are currently attending. It's a great school, Church, and Community that makes the drive just something I have to do. Hopefully, however, we will find a home soon that gets us closer to the school. In the meantime, NancyinMich, I will check out those coolers. :) Again, thanks for all of your opinions and advice! Take care!

joy20, all your appliances will have spec sheets and your contractor/cabinet builder should be fully aware of the specs(measurements for depth and width) and if you are having inset doors, they need to accommodate for the doors shutting flush within the cabinet box by building the cabinet box deeper...this is so simple, but critical if they screw it up. Most spec sheets only allow for "overlay doors" - doors that close on the outside of the box, not into it...make sure your carpenter takes this into account! labradoodlemom, benjamin moore's coppermine is the red cabinet...the white cabs are custom to match our trim, but very close to Sherwin Williams Navajo white 6126 Good luck!

aprilneverends and mama goose: I like the slab doors better, although I'm not ruling shaker out. And I went through a bunch of pictures and surprisingly like the lighter or even white cabinets better than the dark. Maybe because the darker ones are often more ornate (and with a small space I also worry that darker cabs will make the room look smaller). I also like the kitchens with some cabinets white and some with a blond stain, and the ones with white cabinets and a blond butcher block counter. Sayde's kitchen is too vintage for me, but it could still give me some ideas.

So I know you've got a couple of posts going...you asked about flow over on your other one and it got me thinking. Do you think it would help to take a breath and visualize the things that will make a real difference in the day to day livability of your house? For example, I'm looking at your mudroom and keeping in mind the facts that you farm and you have kids (and maybe nieces/nephews, since it's a family farm). We farm too; when I planned our mudroom (which was one of the first rooms I planned, after the kitchen) I thought about where are we most likely to come in off the farm? And what will we do when that happens? So I placed our mudroom at the back, by the fields, and I put a washer, dryer, and big utility sink in it. So when we come in dripping with mud we can strip down and throw our clothes straight into the wash or the farm hamper. We can do a cursory scrub in the utility sink and my bathroom sinks stay so much cleaner now and we're no longer bumping into each other at the sink. My husband can carry in the bucket of milk, bottle it, tuck the bottles into the fridge outside on the lanai, wash his pail in the utility sink and my kitchen stays cleaner. There is a door from the front porch at that end of the house too, for the times we drive to work so we don't have to come through the "nice" parts of the house when we're gross. We can pop through the less public and always untidy playroom and head straight to the mudroom. Where do you usually come from when you're coming home after farming? Do you walk out to your fields, or drive? Do kids run in and out all day? Will your kids store their school bags there, or at the front door? (hint: there is no place for them to store that stuff at the front, in your plan) What about when they have been playing outside? Would it be nice for them to be able to access a sink and maybe even toilet before coming into the main part of the house? As drawn unless they come through the front door they will arrive in all their glory right in the middle of the dining room. Do you, like us, have Farm Coats, Town Coats, Rain Coats, Coveralls, Snow pants, Rain pants, Winter Boots, Farm gumboots, Town gumboots...you get my point. You mentioned that your first draft mudroom was too big, but my feeling is that with a young farming family that room is a pivotal choice in the function of the entire house. When you come in for lunch can you easily get your hands scrubbed, grab your sandwich, and get back at it? Without getting in the way of whomever is simultaneously feeding the kids their lunch and possibly prepping supper? Or if it's one of Those Days, still trying to get cleaned up from breakfast?? I don't know what your customs are there; here when we are haying or doing other things that require a big crew the farm that is being worked at provides lunch and/or supper. If that is your custom too does your kitchen allow for all your helpers to get those meals out efficiently? What about when Johnny from down the road needs your bathroom. Does he use the master or the kids'? Where can he wash his hands before he eats? Just some things to think about when you're making these tough choices. You've made the decision to farm with all its accompanying joys and challenges. Your job will be a heck of a lot easier if your house is working with that choice and I'm not sure either this plan or your current reno-ready home will do that (haven't seen the floorplan of the other but I have serious doubts about this one). Please know I realize this is a lot of words. If I'm out of line you can tell me (or not lol) and I'll back off. Sorry if I sound patronizing, I truly mean it with care. Maybe you've thought of these things already. I know so many people (sadly, mostly women) for whom the "dream" couldn't be reconciled with the lifestyle and it has made things so tough for them and their families. Not saying this is you, I mention it so you have some background about where I'm coming from.