Bit late but this brief description maybe of use: To combat mould first arm yourself with a mask and eye shield so that you can remove as much as you can physically without getting to heavy a dose of the spores whilst doing so. After removing as much as possible wash to area several times with first soap and water and then either a commercial mildew remover/cleaner and/or one gallon of water mixed with ¼ of a cup of chlorine bleach. Obviously depending upon the level of damage any damaged materials will have to be replaced and unless you solve the original moisture problem it will most likely need replacing again from further damage. It may well be worth purchasing a humidity meter ($15) which if it shows a reading of more than 50 then you should really look into buying a dehumidifier. There are a wide range of home dehumidifiers available suitable for home use and they usually range from the $100 and upwards mark. Here are a few pointers to remember when selecting a dehumidifier: If you require a dehumidifier in more than one room then consider buying a whole house dehumidifier rather than a single room dehumidifier. It will do the job more efficiently and last longer than running several smaller dehumidifiers continuously which will incur more maintenance costs. Also donÂt forget that if you will be running your dehumidifier in particularly cold places that it has an auto-switch off when it starts to freeze. If it doesnÂt have one then it will become damaged if you run it and it starts to freeze. Also check that the noise level is not too high in the shop before you make a purchase particularly if it is to be used near your bedroom. Further more it may well be worth getting a trusted builder/contractor to take a look at the area to check for possible causes and remedies of the moisture problem. Also having a word with your family doctor about any allergic symptoms and further dangers it may pose should also be done in order to consider how seriously you need to take into account the mold problem. Hope that helps. More comprehensive info available on the link below: Here is a link that might be useful: air dehumidifier, home dehumidifier

I've done that, and it would have to be something far more dire than overlapping mortgage/rent payments to compel me to do it again. All points already made are true... it's nice to eliminate the rent; it's nice to not have to travel to/from; it's nice to have all your stuff right there. It's not nice to try to stay out of the way of subs; it's not nice to have strangers [workmen] among your personal stuff; it's not nice to endure the smells of the various finishes and materials; and it is very, very easy to say mañana to the last of the things that remain to be done. As most OBs discover, DIY projects have to be balanced along with the rest of your life, but the urgency to "get moved in" will weigh heavily to getting the house done, whether it's roofing or plumbing. However, there will come a point where one can move in even though there are many major and minor things still to be done. That's when finances and/or family matters will assume more weight which can activate the "mañana" button. And mañana can take its sweet own time to get here. Things that could have been finished within weeks if the move hadn't occurred, will take two or more years to finish because once you have actually moved in there is always something else that matters more. OBs don't have a punch list to present to the GC, but the same theory seems to apply... once you are moved into the house there is no more urgency to finish whatever is left to be done. And it's a lot harder to nag yourself than it is to nag a GC.

I am curious about the same thing except that I wanted them in kitchen. Anyone know of a good quality source for unfinished cabinets? Will they be cost effective against low end Home Depot cabinets?

Yeah, no, they don't allow any interior wall moves. If that were the case, we would have jumped *all over* removing those angles and making the rooms more usable!!! :-D And because the toilet has its own door, we're actually taking the bathroom's double doors completely off, to help light bounce around in there (we didn't have a door separating our master bed/bath -- just an arched opening -- in the old house, and we liked it). Oh, and I have to ask the GC/supervisor/whomever if I can flip the hall closet doorway, to swing out into the hall, rather than it hitting the Laundry room door. I had asked the sales person, as well as the design center chick, and they both said I'd have to talk to the super ("just in case it interferes with Code"). Seriously, something so minor as a *door swing* is apparently a big thing. "Code" my rear end. This has been a good experience for me, so far, though. Lots of compromises to humble me. Good character building. ;-) And yeah, PG, we totally jumped the gun and went out to visit an empty lot last weekend, hoping to be on top of progress. Well, we're so on top of it, that we noticed the place had been staked with lot line markers and little flags, lol. This will be our second tract build, so we know a few things. This time, though, I'm gonna get the window manufacturer/make/model info (again, only the Super knows this), so that I can make sure the windows are installed properly. I didn't have any problems in the first house, but we didn't live there long enough to find out, and I don't want to take any chances in rain-heavy central TX.