You can google "house design checklist" and come up with probably hundreds of these. That's where I recommend starting. However, if you haven't built a house before, I recommend getting an architect on board. It will save your bacon in the end.

Our builder had a timeline of what needed to be chosen when and meeting list. Also if they have a Realtor representative or customer rep they can give you a list. It's overwhelming for sure. I got a call one day that I had to get there THAT DAY to pick out shower drain covers, lol.

If you haven't bought the lot, there is a separate check list for that.

For building a home, first, pay attention to your lot.

Know the size and shape and what utilities, if any, are or will be buried and where. Get a copy of the local building codes and read them.

You will want water to drain away from the house so any slope on the property matters. If grading is to be done, do the major stuff before you begin the build.

You need to know the orientation to the sun of your new home site -- which side of the house will be getting the morning sun, afternoon sun, etc.

As to hinges specifically -- buy stainless steel, especially for doors at the kitchen and bath and laundry where there is moisture. Hinges can begin to discolor/rust -- the finish can even begin to pucker. I've changed all but two of my door hinges and the only reason I haven't changed those two is because I haven't found any stainless steel ones at a local hardware store that is in their odd shape yet.

If the kitchen is actually going to be used, choose the deepest double quality built stainless steel kitchen sink you can find. Pay attention to the kitchen triangle -- make the kitchen work friendly.

Try to make children's bedrooms and closets all the same size - less conflict, especially during their teen years, that way. Seriously consider a jack&jill bath for between the children's bedrooms.

An open or screened covered breezeway between kitchen and garage or carport can help keep auto smells out of the house -- avoid downstairs garages.

If there is any chance this will be your forever home:

Even if you decide on a two story home, create a master bedroom suite for the downstairs -- even if you use it as a den until your arthritic knees tell you to stop climbing the stairs.

Choose the higher toilets for all bathrooms -- your arthritic knees will thank you later.

Well...there a couple of strategies:

--Look for a checklist from who knows where and hope it's completely applicable to your project, or;

--Wirk with an architect or someone of experience who has done this successfully many time.

Good luck on your project.

Electric outlet by toilets. Toilets are getting smarter and you want to be able to take advantage of this in the future.

Electrical outlets for hairdryers and curlers

My makeup mirror has a cord also.

Just how smart is a smart toilet?

Can they answer the phone or the front door when the bell rings and the homeowner is...occupied?

Asking for a not so bright friend...

IMO there are many things that do not need to be decided right now but in order for us to help we need a lot more info from you, like are you working with an architect, a designer, a kitchen designer all of whom will hve criteria that need to be met in the bulilding process.

Your architect will work with you on a checklist.

Or your builder will.

Lots of threads on this which I read before my build (which is almost finished). Search for "what would you do differently?" These are very informative and fun.

"Toilets are getting smarter"

Who thought we would ever hear this???

Hopefully the first thing on every checklist is, "Hire a competent architect."

"Toilets are getting smarter"

Who thought we would ever hear this???

Y'all let me know when they get smart enough to clean themselves.

Ive become completely impatient with my "dumb" toilet!

When I was building my home I made a excel spread sheet. It got added to during the entire build. It was my own personal "punch list"

I recommend you educate yourself first on the order of everything that gets done on a new build from Purchase of lot to design of home to construction of home etc. Is this a custom build or are you building in a production neighborhood? your check list will vary greatly depending on which.

Over the years they sure have taken a lot of sh . . . . .

(I can't say it)

But the alternatives were outhouses or under bed "thunder jugs".

You mention "all the decisions" which covers a lot of territory. To find a good checklist you need to tell us what your role will be and what others will be involved.

Will you be designing or reviewing someone's design or just selecting fixtures, appliances and finishes? Perhaps you will be building it too?

Add Marriage Counselor

localeater hahahaha. Right?

Lowe’s has some handy forms for all the basics on their website in the pro section...Here’s a link since it’s a little tough to find:
https://www.lowesforpros.com/l/project-worksheets.html?int_cmp=BusinessToolsAndServices:A6:NoDivision:Other:project_worksheets

I got a call one day that I had to get there THAT DAY to pick out shower drain covers, lol.

Honestly, I think I'd be okay with the plumber making that decision on his own.

As to hinges specifically -- buy stainless steel, especially for doors at the kitchen and bath and laundry where there is moisture. Hinges can begin to discolor/rust -- the finish can even begin to pucker.

I think the real message here is, Decide how much you're gonna sweat the small stuff. My house is 50 years old, and all the hinges are original. Sitting here in my chair, I cannot describe them to you. So decide how much you care about these things -- and make your level of concern clear to the builder.

Electric outlet by toilets.

Yes to this!

Electrical outlets for hairdryers and curlers

In general, put in more electrical outlets than you think you need. The cost isn't all that substantial, and you don't have to use them. As I said, my house is 50 years old, and I only have two electrical outlets (ignoring the dedicated range and dishwasher plugs) ... and one of them is a single plug!

Lots of threads on this which I read before my build (which is almost finished). Search for "what would you do differently?" These are very informative and fun.

I was going to suggest just that. I think that's really the question the OP is asking.

Over the years they sure have taken a lot of sh . . . . .

We were all thinking it.

Decide on everything you can possibly think of BEFORE construction begins from big to little. It's the little things that sneak up on a person and deciding on the fly doesn't usually end up in a very thoughtful decision and subs sure don't like to be left hanging while you make your decision.

That being said, does your builder have a timetable or checklist of when to decide things?

OK...if you can find some checklists they will be a bit of a help.

But, let's face it. If this is your first, or even your second, home build--especially a custom home build--no checklist is going to cover every single situation which will arise during construction.

That's why working with someone who has done hundreds of custom homes will take the pressure off you and make the effort much more enjoyable.

Good luck!

I started my organizing subs. For example:

HVAC - humidifier? Zoning, thermostat location, AC condenser location...

Electrical - outlet locations (exterior, closets, mantles), 220v outlets (electric car, air compressor, welder), exterior lighting strategy

Plumbing - roughed in bathroom downstairs? garage drains? exterior spigots/foot bath? Utility sink?

What were all of my hopes and dreams for each "category"

Organizing needs/wants took a lot of time and attempts. Beware of someone claiming to "know it all" and "oh yeah we do everything perfect you'll get all that and everything will be fine". You need to "beat a dead horse" and make sure you get it right. Will you want a lit mirror in your bathroom? Heated tile floor? Hardwired data connections where you need them? Some things can be solved after the fact, but not every "I wish I would have" is a cheap fix

A broader check list for most construction is more like:

Framing, rough openings, door heights, window size/location

Electrical (security, data, low voltage) outlet locations etc. Decide what light fixtures you want or recessed lights

Roofing starts - pick your shingle color... that will depend on your siding color and bricks/stone and hardscapes...

Plumbing rough-ins, including all floor drains, water locations

Central vac, radon mitigation, future chases, misc PVC

Insulation goes in and covers all that ^ up...

Brick/stone and siding start, hope you have those colors correct

You go light fixture shopping then start to second-guess your decisions on Electrical from #3

Sheet rock starts, decide on wall/ceiling paint colors

etc... your builder should provide you with a gantt chart or something similar for these though

Or I could just tell you to go ask your architect and be super duper helpful

To deal with the huge amount of information needed to design and build a house, I use an old specification for a similar project as a guide as I develop the design with the owner and use sections from other projects for special features. I try to get as much of the owner's selections into the spec as possible. The owners would then be able to use the notes in the contract specifications identifying what they need to select or provide during the construction phase.

Specifications are usually organized by sections in an outline format so its easy to locate information.

Here's a spec where the owner supplied so many materials it was necessary to highlight them.

I can't find a good spec outline right now but this is the basic idea:

A receptacle in the back of a drawer with power supplied by a flexible cord is a safety hazard. If this feature is important to you, use a device designed for that purpose.

I recommend adding the interlock box.