Depending on the builder, he may have a brochure, samples or design room from which you can make choices.

It would behoove you to have someone in your corner, real estate agent....designer, etc. that can help you make those 3 million decisions that need to be made!!

Why not ask the builder?

Not sure if he is going to have a brochure to look through to pick stuff out or we are suppose to have all those questions ready to be answered when he asks ???

Echoing PPF, ask your builder, so you can know what to expect and prepare for.

I would look online at homes to get an idea of exteriors and styles you prefer. Best wishes!

Contact local architects and pick one to help you design a home for you to meet your needs and fit your site. Then you take that design to the builder and they build it.

Are you meeting with the builder for preliminary discussions about building your house or are you meeting to discuss interior selections of kitchen, paint, trim, bathroom fixtures, etc?

I'm concerned about the OP's use of the word "theme" for her design choices. When one does a theme, expect instant obsolescence. Just think of all the Mediterranean-styled houses, Tuscan-styled, French Provencal-styled - all were dated and obsolete long before that mortgage was paid, even if it was a 15 year one. Industrial, Coastal Farmhouse, Farmhouse and my all-time favorite Coastal Industrial Farmhouse (for the factory built on a farm on the coast?) are in the same category.

Chose classic, timeless things, with no "theme". Choose things you like - that are pretty and pleasing to the eye. That you will enjoy looking at for years to come, even if you do think you'll be moving in 5-7 years. Who knows - you may still be in that same house 30 years later!

Designer Bunny Williams has often been asked what are the latest trends. Her response? She says she had no idea - she just designs pretty houses. Makes sense to me.

Maybe they are using the word theme to mean an overall style? Not necessarily theme as in theme park. When picking interior finishes I would imagine you’d consider the function you are hoping to achieve, the budget you are working within, the furniture you may already have and will continue to use, the exterior style of the home (are you trying to make a cohesive whole), the materials that are available to you and the sorts of things you like. Sometimes function and budget determine a good portion of the design, or at least they do for me when picking things for our home.

Not at all clear about the situation. It sounds as if the OP has contracted with a builder for a new house and is now asking about how to think about and make decisions on kitchen and bath selections offered by the builder.

Or mebbe it's something else...

Ya, here is the dilleo. We met and talked for probably 3hrs. He has budgetted amounts for each item of the house build. i.e. excavation, cement, framing, kitchen fixtures, and basement (to my suprise) was an extra price. All good though. He is a great guy , i get the feeling. Won't know of course til were all done. I have gone and talked to people he built for and they all say what a great guy he is.

I am leaving most if not all decisions about kitchen and bath fixtures to my sig other. She already has it in mind that she wants a walk in shouwer for our master bath. Said "were getting older ." She is , im not. But, ya, lots of decisions. He said as far as counter tops go , you could do 5 laminate tops for the price of a quartz or anything else. So, i guess , the laminate is the better choice. Yes, we are on a very tight budget. Home is only 1200 sq ft.

Im bringing est. to the bank and letting loan officier there look at the prices. She deals with this all the time. Hopefully.

We'll have composit flooring in kitchen and hallway. Carpet in bedrooms and sometype of waterproof flooring in bathrooms.

Here's a question for the group : Country setting so, lp gas. Question: Woodstove down the basement, or heatmore outside ??

Love the idea of a woodstove downstairs in the den for those cold winter nights. Heats the whole house. And just a cozy feeling.

Buddy has a heatmore. He loads that up and it brings hot water through a radiator in his furnace and heats his house and......... hot water

What say ye all ???

I don't know a lot about the heatmore... but since there is an age in place situation ( for your wife LOL ) you may not want to have to worry about loading that thing in the dead of winter and treking through snow to get to it...

As far as the rest, tell your wife to jump on the boards - if she dares - and we will help.... it can get a bit rough on these boards sometimes, but you will get great advice..

Best of luck!

He said as far as counter tops go , you could do 5 laminate tops for the price of a quartz or anything else. So, i guess , the laminate is the better choice. Yes, we are on a very tight budget.

For what it's worth, I actually like laminate : ) and opted for for it for our perimeter countertops; the island is marble. I didn't want stone everywhere and I like that laminate is gentler on dishes and glassware; the dishwasher, sink, and dish and glasses storage are located on the perimeter.