Wow OP, you have WAY more guts than me. I would've hightailed it out of there so fast you could see skid marks lol!! Worthy, your link brought back a scary memory for me too on the same issue. Remember the "Flood of the Century" that hit Winnipeg in '97? I was living in a basement apartment at the time that sucker was coming. I kept my cool having our city taken over by military, I kept my cool helping DH (BF at the time) sandbagging all their houses to 10' heights, I even kept my cool when pictures of the flood hitting Grand Forks, ND and literally obliterating it hit the news - knowing this was coming our way. I TOTALLY lost my cool, it was quite simply my breaking point, when they issued an "advisory" that water levels were too high and rats were coming out of the sewers rather than drown. Up until that point, my home was my "getaway" from all the madness. It was "safe" and would not be underwater if the floodway caved. I am sooooooooo terrified of rats!!! My parents wanted me to come home (Sask.), but I actually moved to DH's place - which was ON the river's edge lol - rather than deal with rats biting my butt or getting in my apartment. DH graciously duct-taped my toilet lid down and covered all drains so they couldn't get in. But with an unusable toilet, I preferred the risk of living at DH's rather than RATS. *shudder* What's really funny? DH only recently told me my risk of butt biting was just as big at his place lol. I HATE RATS (and snakes, and bugs, and pretty much anything reptillian). I'll stick with cats & dogs thank you very much lol.

Thanks again everyone for the replies. I have to say my uneasy feeling is not going away. Here's the latest. So please chime in if this appears to be red flags. At this point we are thinking of canceling the order. I had only talked to the fabricator once. This was when she set up the appt for the template. I went to the granite warehouse (2 hrs away) and only saw 2 slabs that were not really to my liking. I did tag one as the warehouse wasn't sure when they would get more slabs in. They said I could tag one and wait so I did that. I was told by the warehouse that more granite would come in. First it was a few days, then they said no, its more like a week, then its 2 weeks. So I have called every few days to see if more granite is in. I can tell they are getting annoyed with me and now have been told "they will call when they get a truck." At this point, I have no idea when they will get more granite. I put in a call to the fabricator to find out what happens if no more granite comes in and if they could work around an undesirable spot on the slab I did put on hold. No return call. After 3 days Im getting peeved. Each time I call it always goes to voicemail. On the 3rd day I left a message stating I really wanted to hear back. When no call came my husband called HD to complain. HD manager said she would contact the rep. So the installer comes to do the template. I ask him about my concerns with the slabs and the one I have on hold that has an undesirable spot and if it can be worked around. He said I need to talk to the fabricator. He just installs. Okay fine. He said he had to take my sink with him. After he left, then it dawned on me. I just gave my new sink to someone that I don't even know where he is from. I say this because he mentioned he works for so and so which is a different name than the fabricator. So it appears so far there are 3 separate companies involved in this process. The granite warehouse, the fabricator and the installer. Fabricator calls me early this morning. She sounded nervous and a bit frazzled. Im sure she got a phone call from HD or the rep from her company. She apologized and said its been extremely busy and she has had some family issues to take care of. I told her my concerns about everything. She asked me to text a pic of the slab to her phone so she can see it. She said if the undesirable spot is in the middle of the slab, it could be a problem trying to fabricate around it. She didnt sound too encouraging that the undesirable spot would be left out. She said I can come and see it templated on the slab. I don't even know if I want that slab anymore. I feel like I don't have a choice. Not that she didnt say that but if the granite warehouse can't tell me when they will get more it bothers me. The fabricator told me I chose a popular stone, it could be a while before more comes in. I got the feeling she was trying to rush me off the phone. I could hear maybe some kids in the background and then a car horn beeping. Could be just a neighbor or whatever but I got the vibe someone was honking for her because of how fast she was talking especially after the horn beep. She said she would contact the production manager about the undesirable spot. She hopes she can call me back today. I told her that we were thinking of canceling and I wanted to know where my sink was. She said the guy that did the template works for her but he is located in such and such city which is pretty far away. (Great) So I hung up with her and now its back to the waiting game. Now I feel its all just a hassle. I am really leaning toward canceling all of this but now I have track down my sink and more than likely go drive to get it. Well so it happens my husband has to go to that particular area for work tomorrow (a complete fluke) and he said he could swing by where that installer is located and get our sink. He is leaving it up to me to cancel and I am on the verge. If this is how its gonna go before I even have the work done, what happens if we end up with a problem? What you do think? Red flags? Is this how it goes? I mean I understand its a process but I got a bad feeling. Thoughts?

It sounds like you've got a project on your hands. I'm remembering the first house I almost bought. Fifteen or so years ago, though it seems like yesterday, a coworker at my job in Ohio mentioned casually that his brother wanted to sell a house nearby. The brother lived in Texas, and had been renting out this urban house, with no supervision or maintenance whatsoever, for over 10 years. The place was a real pit -- roof leaking, plaster falling off the walls, backyard of oil-soaked gravel, but I was poor and hated my landlord. The thought of a place of my own was intoxicating. Somehow, my lack of tools or any substantial knowledge about houses are put together failed to quench my enthusiasm. I agreed to live in the house for free while the purchase arrangements were made. I had a crowbar, and began by bashing and prying all the plaster and lath off the walls of a second-floor bedroom... and there I got stuck. I had a room full of shockingly heavy, nail-riddled plaster chunks, no dumpster to put it in, no understanding of drywall and carpentry, no truck to transport materials and little money to buy either, very few tools and no internet to help me figure out what I didn't know. Ahh, those were the days. Looking back, it's amazing how clueless I was. The deal to buy the house fell through; it was bought, instead, by my co-worker, the seller's brother (who happened to have been a carpenter in a former life), to be rehabbed as a rental property. I lived there through a summer, working off my rent by helping the new owner with the rehab. The first thing we did was to build a plywood chute from the bedroom window, over the porch roof and into a dumpster we'd parked in the front yard. The broken plaster went out, new drywall came in and the transformation was magical. Then I learned to sweat copper, and proceeded to replumb whole house by myself. I learned quite a bit that summer. I realize this isn't the most uplifting story, but I do empathize with your feeling that you might be in over your head. You will learn more than you can imagine. A local friend who understands basic construction will be invaluable. Ask lots and lots of questions. Figure out what is and isn't worth doing to this house, and figure out the right sequence of events. Don't get wrapped up in fixing windowsills if there's a chance you'll be taking down plaster. Don't pretend you can make the sort of rapid progress a seasoned remodeller could; you'll learn more by doing a small job carefully and well than by trying to bite off too much and doing it badly. Accept your ignorance, and chip away at it. Take care of yourself and your family in the meantime.

There are lots of technologies: X10, Insteon, Z-wave, UPB. Most of these use some form of wireless technology. I'm not sure I'd want to do a hardwired system. You really need to plan really well. If you have good vision to know where you want controls and remote switches, I guess it has benefits. I don't expect to know how we will use lighting controls until we are living in the house. Do I want to be able to turn lights off from my smartphone in bed. Dim them. Close the garage door. All questions I think you have to be living in the house to learn the answer. I plan on doing standard switches and replace them later with smart switches and controls. Hardwiring also binds you to that company. Our family got an Amazon Echo for Christmas. This thing has great home automation possibilities. It's a voice activated device (similar to smartphone Siri) that can be connected to a smart home. Say "Alexa, turn living room lights on" and voila they are turned on. Home automation can be overwhelming. So many possibilities and decisions. My plan is to pull wire and figure it out later. CAT5 is cheap by the box. Pull plenty of cable. A cable to a blank plate for a future audio distribution control or alarm panel. Pull speaker wire to each room ceiling, mark it and let sheetrockers do their thing and I can cut speakers later. Once the house is built and we are living in it, I'll research switches and controllers and pick a technology and replace the switches. Read that document. It has LOTS of ideas. Such as running a dedicated circuit to a home theatre or an exercise room to power treadmills etc. eg: Interesting Electrical Options These are items that you might want to consider in preparation for future projects. Some are not really HA/HT related, but just nice to have. Of course, making your home more enjoyable is the reason for HA, so maybe they are HA related. Holiday lighting Put switched outlets under the eaves and in a few places at ground level around the outside of the house for decoration. If you have a large Christmas tree, or use lots of lights, consider a dedicated circuit for it. If you have a large room, also consider putting receptacles in the middle in the floor. These can provide power for a tree or lamps in the middle of the room, without having to run extension cords. Make sure there is an outlet (preferably switched) near the front door for a wreath, or similar lighted options. Be sure to include spare outlets in attics for an ultrasonic pest repeller and such. It also allows you to plug in a fan when working up there. Consider switched attic lighting, so when you go up there you can flip a switch and see. Code requires a minimal number of outside outlets on the house. You might want to have an outlet on each side of the house so you don’t have to run an extension cord all over the place to power the hedge clippers. If you plan on having security cameras, consider the power needs for the type of camera you intend to install. Some units require power at the end destination, while other will require it at the camera location. Do you intend to have a fishpond, fountain, or other outside water attraction? You might need power for pumps, lights, etc. How about a birdbath heater? Note: There are extra code requirements whenever you mix water and electricity (or more accurately, whenever you DON’T want to mix them). Make sure you do things correctly. If you plan to have decorative yard lighting (either LV or HV), you will need power for them, and some way to control them. If you plan one controlling them from a plug-in module, try to locate the module someplace protected from the elements. If you have a larger yard, consider running power to other spots on the property. These additional outlets can be used for decorations, yard work, or someplace for the kids to plug in their boom box. Plan for task lighting/floodlights outside. These lights should be mounted high on the sides of the house, and can be either halogen or regular spotlights. If you plan to control them remotely, make you stay within the switches power limits. Spotlights, especially halogens, add up quickly. Look around for places that you MIGHT want electricity in the future, either for electrical appliances, or lighting. Some suggestions that require either a switch, or receptacle are; Lighting for picture frames or artwork Lighting for cabinets holding collectables Bannister lights In the kitchen * Under cabinet lighting * In cabinet lighting * Above cabinet lighting * Kick-space lighting * Decorations * Do you want a fan over the kitchen table? On the deck/patio * Lights on/under the railing * Accent lighting * Task lighting over the grill * Decorations In the bedroom * Do you want a ceiling fan? * Up lighting in a tray ceiling * Task lighting around the mirror In the living/great room * An outlet near the fireplace mantle for decorations or lights * Spotlights on the mantle * If you have a “stone” chimney, consider putting lights on the ceiling, around a foot from the chimney. These lights will bring out the texture of the chimney * Ceiling fan(s) Consider putting lights in the closets. There are in-expensive switches that can be put in the doorjambs that will automatically turn the light on and off Depending on how much you plan on installing automation, you can wire the house without 3-way (or 4-way, etc) switches. Then install the loads in out of the way locations and put multi-button remote control at the locations where you normally would have had switches. When you do this, it eliminates the "switch banks" that normally crop up around the doorways, especially exterior doors. Very versatile, and it removes a lot of visual clutter. In some locations, increase the size of the box by one space (i.e. 1 single gang is replaced by a 2-gange, a 2-gange by a 2-gang, etc.). The extra space can be used for a multi-button remote control. Plan for future LCD/Plasma installations. If you know where they would go, you should power for them now. Don’t forget the LV connections either. If it’s a large house, consider installing power for a high-speed hot water recycling pump, such as THIS (gothotwater.com). This will provide hot water --Russ