If it helps, and it probably doesn't, I have that same tile in my family bathroom, from the p.o.s and it looks like it was installed during a hurricane. The sheets were not well matched up, so some tile is close to the next sheet and some have a wide divide. The black squares are twisted in many places (and not even full squares where they should be in some) and the entire surface is rippled and hilly. I cannot wait to rip it all out and it is sad because the tile itself is not at fault. They used white (at the time) grout and it did not age well either. I have bleached the heck out of it, but it still never gets fully white next to the white of the tile. The advice about charcoal grout is 100% right. I have had people suggest we DIY some of our tile work to save money and there is no way in hell I would risk using nice tile and installing it improperly. I am game to try paint and other simple things (because frankly, no one will be as careful about a smooth surface as I will). The installation with tile is more than half the outcome and there is little margin for error. I'd take a picture of Bill's floor and show it to your builder.

This thread has been so interesting to read and I love the insight that others have shared. 1)What's your biggest frustration with the design of your home? The home we just bought will be my third in less than a year and we're not yet moved in but I'll still use this one for my responses since it's on my mind the most. (Context: DH and I got married this past January so I sold the house I owned, moved into his itty bitty place for the past several months, and are now moving into a larger house we bought together.) My biggest frustration with the house so far is that it isn't my Dream Home. I didn't walk in and instantly fall in love with everything about it, but instead looked at the school district, the location and property, and what I thought its future potential could be. I'm very impatient and don't have boatloads of money to throw at it right now so I have to wait and keep envisioning what it will someday become. Plus, it's old and I've always liked new construction. :) 2)What have you tried so far that hasn't worked for you? Convincing DH of all my "must haves"? :) Really, what I think I've done in the past is either try too hard to mimic some other style because I didn't yet have a sense of my own preferences, or occasionally buy cheap disposable type furnishings because it might have the look of the moment rather than long-lasting durability and character. I'm trying to change that by looking at Craigslist to find more sturdy items that I can still afford. 3)What's your biggest fear when it comes to designing/decorating your home? Spending money and then either hating it or changing my mind a few months later. I can be kind of fickle and like to swap colors and styles occasionally so I'm trying to move toward very neutral big ticket items that allow me to easily switch out pillows or window treatments. 4)What worries you - what are you afraid will happen if you don't do something immediately? I'm terrible about this. I worry All. The. Time. When it comes to my home I want everything to look finished and perfect and I don't think that will ever realistically happen. So in the meantime, I feel like I need to point out to any visitors that they should ignore X and Y because it's only like that for now and my vision is to _________. I guess I feel like my home is a reflection of me and my personality so if things aren't just right then I get really anxious. Plus I find that the more chaotic things become in my life - marriage, moving, selling a house, buying a house, changing jobs, preparing a rental property, and so on - the more pressure I feel to control the little things like painting the bathroom. I think I mostly answered your follow-up questions too, except I'll add that I've found myself saying the word "pretty" a LOT lately. I want to surround myself in things that are pretty. Pretty things make me happy. I smile when I look at my shower curtain of all things since it has pretty little blue birds on it. I like the pretty flowers in our bedding. I want pretty little glass pulls on the guest bath vanity. I want pretty little toss pillows in a variety of colors and patterns. I don't know... maybe that stems from living in DH's little grubby bachelor pad for most of the year. :)

kudzu is right, if you are going to buy a foreclosure you have to be prepared to do significant work. In my area the bank usually asks far more than the property is worth based on its current condition. In other words, they price it high looking for someone that won't notice that it needs the back torn off because it wasn't permitted and isn't safe. How can it be safe without a foundation? I showed a foreclosure yesterday to one of my buyers and it needs absolutely everything: mold remediation, roof, HVAC, kitchen, baths, flooring, etc. The banks price is way too high for the amount of work. This is typical of many F/C'ed properties. If you are interested, do your due diligence and don't pay too much. Remember the liability for non-permitted work rides with the property. Not with the person that did the non-permitted work. That means it is up to you to cure it at your expense once you own it. Be careful here. I would rip that thing down in a heartbeat. PS As a Realtor, I see all kinds of violations and the bank sells AS IS and states that they have no idea. I was at the building department checking permits a couple of years ago on a property and the building department personnel told me about someone that had purchased a f/c in the same neighborhood, closed and then the next day the property was condemned so the buyer couldn't even move into the property. Don't rely on anything the bank may or may not tell you. Do your own research.

Here is what I suggest: (1) take some space from the kids bath for master shower - you will get a huge shower of 4' wide and over 7'6" long; (2) kids bath will be 8' long which is not spacious but totally works; (3) I don't know where you can add windows. For the master bath, ideally you can add a window at the top wall (the exterior wall); if it is not possible, add a window inside the shower; (4) if you can, I suggest you add a window in the kids bath as well. It makes a huge difference; (5) add some floating shelves next to the toilets in both baths for additional storage. Hope this helps.