First of all, I'm not a landscaping pro or any type of expert, just a homeowner who likes maps and plans. So I'm wondering about the actual usable amount of space in your front yard. I see a distance of 24'6" (maybe 24'8"?) from the front of the lot to the corner of the window on the right. Is the front property line the location of the curb? Will there be a sidewalk along the street in front of the house? Will it be right along the street, or will there be a parking strip (grass area) between the street and sidewalk? One of the lines in the front yard is labelled "ACHD easement." That's your county's Highway Division. It's 8' from the front property line, so it's 16'6" from the front of the house. My county doesn't allow trees -- or even tallish shrubs -- in the easement, so ask before you plant. The other line -- 12' from the property line, so only 12' 6" from the corner of the window on the right -- is the utility easement. That's another area where planting large shrubs or trees might be restricted, if power lines/pipes are underground. And hopefully they won't put any unsightly boxes in front of the house. But in any case, there may be significantly less space in front of the house where you're free to landscape as you wish, than you expect. Boise's snowfall averages only 19" per year, but you might want to ask the neighbors how much of the street snow will be dumped in your yard.

Thanks tigerdunes. From reading many of your responses to other threads, I was ready to hear you ask if other brands were available. Our builder is a custom home builder but I know he has a pricing agreement with the contractor for all of his homes. I will inquire about the possibility of a different contractor regardless. Elite series on all components - condensers and furnaces? I admit I like the idea of getting to the better components in the Elite level but the upgrade costs seem excessive to get there. In previous threads, I have found recommendations against spending $1k to upgrade from the ACX series to the XC series due to the prohibitive pricing. The structure will be a 1 1/2 story with a basement. Both furnaces will be in the basement. Main floor unit will have all ductwork in the basement feeding up to main level. Second floor unit will have ductwork running up to attic above second floor living area with ductwork running in unconditioned space. An additional question - what about the possibility of consolidating to a single system using zoning vs two systems? I imagine this would allow you to have a very nice staged system inside and out for the same pricing. Since this is a new build, we could do whatever it required for ducting from the get go.

First congrats on a nicely laid out house. It's going to be light and bright with windows on two sides in almost every room I think the kitchen layout is fine as it is! You go from getting food out of the fridge, to bringing it to the sink to wash, to prepping between cooktop and sink. It works! In fact my first house had this exact layout and it was absolutely the best setup I ever had for cooking. So much so, that I'm repeating it in my new build. One question to you. You said foundation is set. Are windows set? I ask because if it were me in your master bedroom I'd switch the two sets of windows so you could put the bed on the wall at top. I say that so one person is not walking around the side of the bed in the middle of the night. Also one other suggestion if it's not built on a slab? I'm looking at your laundry room and I think it would be better if you could rearrange the room so the door to the laundry room opened into the hallway and not the foyers. I'm wondering if you moved the washer/dryer under the windows and the dog washing area where the washer is now, if it might be doable? Not sure.

I knew two houses, growing up, with master suites I liked. These are "squared bubble diagrams", no dimensions are given, this is just rough placements. The first, I like that there is a dressing area so you can "finish up" before/after dressing without getting your stocking feet wet. I'm pretty sure there was a door to the bath at the open area, which may have been more to the left, away from the wet area. This next one, I liked how there was a short "entry" to the whole suite; as I recall the door was arched. The closets were to the right, they were reach-ins so it was basically a walk-in but with doors in front of the clothes. Tidy. And at the end was a door to the bathroom. The bathroom also had a door to the master bedroom, so you could do a circle. But you could also use the bathroom in the night without a long trek, and could also get ready for the day or for bed without disturbing a sleeper. Neither required a long hallway. And remember, no dimensions are given, these are just placement.