I’m at the same crossroads in the same region. Looking closely at the marvin elevate. I have some oversized windows that I would need to scale back with the elevate line. The ultimate line goes bigger but is just too $$$ to do all of the windows. I am trying to fit in ultimate doors instead. Also looking at kolbe, weather shield and Andersen. Curious what you guys think. Going for the black metal window look.

There are a lot of variables that will affect the cost of a build. So just having a size and even a floor plan doesn't give you everything you will need to know, unfortunately. Like others have mentioned, costs can vary widely for - location and availability/demand of labor and materials - foundation (how much excavation work needs to be done? does it require blasting hard rock? does it require deep or complex footings to stabilize on clay soil?) - well (how deep does the driller have to go? does he have to bore multiple holes to get an adequate flow?) - septic (how far does the primary field have to go for good leaching soil?) - materials and finish choices We are currently in the design phase with our architect and some of the things he is being especially mindful of in design to keep us in line with our budget is a simple roof and minimizing extra corners (i.e. bump outs, angles, etc). These are two of the primary design areas where cost can be controlled. Square footage is another, but not all square footage is created equal. So, use any cost per sq. foot numbers with a grain of salt. The way we approached the process was to determine our absolute max budget that we wanted to spend on structures, well, septic, landscaping and driveway. Then we made "must haves," "really want," and "would be nice to have" lists. We brought these to the architect we chose and he also had an in-depth worksheet for us to fill out. We chose a builder and very early on let him know our budget and what we were thinking of for the end result. He let us know we were in the right ballpark and could go forward with such a design. Next, the architect developed a very rough site map of how a house could sit on the lot, using the land survey we'd had done (similar to a bubble diagram but superimposed on our exact lot). From there, we had a rough idea of size, shape, orientation, roof line, ceilings vaulted or not, number of stories, etc. We ran that by the builder again and with his input, felt confident we'd be able to work with that design within our budget. So now the architect is developing the actual floor plan. Our builder will take that and get an initial round of estimates. If we are off with design and budget, we'll make any changes needed before a set of construction plans is developed. It's a lot of steps that require a lot of input from a team of professionals, but it has been invaluable for feeling confident about taking the leap. We will still have unknowns that will certainly create shifts in the budget (hence, always having a reserve for when things will go over budget). For example, our lot is next to another that has a seam of granite running through it, which complicated our neighbor's build. But our lots are both over 3 acres each, so there is some distance. Our excavation could be complicated and more expensive because of rock, or not. There's a LOT of uncertainties, but I think the best way to manage them all is (1) design such that you're not already pushing the ceiling of your budget and (2) gather a strong team who can work with you through the inevitable bumps in the road. Good luck! I hope you get all the pieces you need together to move forward to creating a home you love.

We have All Weather windows in our house. They are probably original, from the 70s. Still looking beautiful and everything works. They are single pane tho and we are doing a big remodel … so they need to go … going to replace them with All Weather double pane, they also meet title 24 compliance which is great!

@fnmroberts that’s a lovely space! Mine is much smaller. I’m just looking for a 48-54 inch round dining table and 4-5 chairs. I have a bluestone patio, kind of modern looking but also New England looking. My biggest issue is creating privacy against too close neighbors. @kandrewspa interesting about the wind! My husband liked the “Bazza” cafe set from Telescope Casual. Aluminum, MGP, and sling. And stackable. It was comfortable and stackable but we didn’t like the color that was stocked in the store and it wasn’t at all what I’d been imagining but I’m still thinking about it. I have maples, Japanese maples, redbud, and will plant maybe a flowering cherry tree like they have in Washington DC. A ton of helicopters fall from the neighbor’s huge maples. A patio store guy suggested the Kingsley Bate Milano chair to me. I haven’t sat on it. Anyone out there know this chair? And following is the Bazza set that seems to match (although not the one from the store and I’d get a round 48-54” table.) To me it looks better from behind than most sling sets. This is important both because the yard is so small and the backs of the chairs is what I see from the house and from both entrances to the garden.