It can take a lot of time to learn about the choices available, and then make the choice. Then order, wait for delivery, sometimes wait for the installation. Right there is one reason for knowing what you want before the build begins -- if you want an item x in mocha, it's better to know in advance that it might take 3 months before it can be delivered. Unfortunately, even in the best of plans, there can be totally unforeseen delays from late delivery, unexpected weather, unavailable work crews, or even theft [which can take time to replace the stolen material]. But with pre-planning, at least the crew won't be sitting around waiting for you say which faucet you want. You will have last minute decisions in approving the color/size/cut of stone or brick should you be using those items, for the reason that samples are always approximations and you won't know what you get until you get it. However, stone/brick is just about the only category that has a last-minute decision built into it. The next reason for getting specific in advance is that it can be difficult at best and overwhelming at worst to make a lot of important decisions in a very short period of time. Unless one is already a professional designer /builder /carpenter /tiler /plumber /electrician / decorator /et cetera, one is going to have make choices and decisions about things we just have never even thought about! It's an exhausting process, and that's a major reason for stress for the builder. Another reason for making as many decisions as possible in advance is actually the simplest: budget. And there is no way to have a budget without knowing what numbers are in it, and what those numbers represent. Unless you have an endless supply of money, there will be a limit as to how much can be spent. A pre-computed budget lets you know that if you spent $30,000 on kitchen counters then you won't have $20,000 for lighting. It gives you a chance to determine which is most important to you -- waiting to the last minute decision might find the counters installed but leave only $1000 for lights when in real life you don't cook much and it is the lighting that's important. Keep in mind that every time the owner changes his/her mind *during* the build, it is money wasted. Cosmetic changes [such as finding the "blue" paint is really brown when on the wall] can usually be fixed at once and during the build. However, changing the placement of a window or door is in the same category as changing a ceiling height or where the staircase is located -- the structural integrity of the whole house can be affected, and changes from blueprint shouldn't be done without approval of a structural engineer (ahem: $ and time), and the change may require re-inspection to be sure codes are still being met (ahem: lost time -- and $ while the crews wait). And another page of the budget is simply that there is difference between what the average GC thinks you'll be satisfied with and what you actually are satisfied with, in terms of quality, uniqueness, and customizing. Sometimes the difference is even more -- I've seen kitchens put together from the local discount-mass produced store and I've seen kitchens where every detail from crown molding to toe-step was handmade by a craftsman. Not going to say that one is better than the other, but IMO the wallet-holder should know -in advance- that there really can be tens of thousands of dollars difference in the final bill. The same is true of almost every detail on a home: you can get mass-produced in all levels of quality as well as getting custom-made or handcrafted. But if you didn't get specific on the contract, the odds are pretty good that you will be getting the least expensive whatever. On this same page is simply that item A can be the same or very little difference from item B, except in the price tag. Many builders are going to use the less expensive because they have figured a set price which includes their [or the subs] labor -- and the cheaper item will give them a bit more profit. And the last thing is, if it isn't written in detail in the contact, you shouldn't expect to automatically get what *you* want. The builder must make a profit -- and that's fair. But there is flat-out no way to reasonably expect the builder to know what you want if you don't already know, and finding out during the build is the most expensive way to go -in terms of time and money and stress-building.

I really really like your new plan! I've always loved center hall homes anyway. On a floor plan, it looks like wasted space, but in reality it often can create much better traffic flow. Especially with little ones who are growing so fast they don't know how big they are! Also a fun place to scooter from front to back. Or have matchbox car races. Be prepared! Comments below: First: I think the window seat is wonderful and that space can be used apart from eating... bird watching, reading, photos, all sorts of things. My kids LOVE to play legos and cars in window seats too. And I love them for any kind of fine print reading or needlework. So your dining space can be multifunctional! Unless you don't want that. In which case, just ignore me. Second: Although the walkway spaces in the kitchen might not be roomy by modern standards, I personally love the cozy feel of a kitchen with a table in it (and chairs all the way around). I've been in kitchens smaller than this one with huge tables. Yes there is a little scurrying around, but I think those rooms tend to be happy and fun... more of a gathering spot. I'm thinking of changing out the island for a table in our new build for this very reason. It doesn't work on paper, but in real life I think it's wonderful. You can always fiddle with the size of the table and chairs later too, since your main dining space is just across the way. Third: The family entrance/mud room/bath is a super great use of space. I guess I'm in the minority here, but I'd rather have the mess in that mud room hall than on the counters and floors in my kitchen. That may still happen I suppose. But at least the mud room will take the worst of it. :) Fourth: My only concern is the study looks a bit smaller and you mentioned a number of people gathering in that space. But there IS a bathroom downstairs if needed for those visitors, and I think that will be appreciated even more. Fifth: All those doors. Are those pocket doors? I'm the rare person who is a huge fan of pocket doors, as long as they are properly installed. It's so much easier to place furniture. I think you should keep all those doors. It's nice to be able to block off a room to watch a game or have a phone call where it's quiet (er). ;) Is the laundry upstairs? Overall I think you accomplished a great deal without adding alot of square footage.

It's definitely not too late to consider this plan-- however, I'm still not entirely convinced it's the right plan for us. a) This pantry is a fantastic idea-- in theory. However, DH and I feel we lack the DIY skills necessary to pull it off. We'd have to be very careful to bring it out close enough to the garage door that we have room for a bi-fold pantry door. Also, it would be very, very difficult to get the measurements just right so that the rest of the cabinets line up correctly with the window and wall. It would also be very difficult to find a reliable professional who would come out for such a small job! Once I pay someone to put in that pantry, the money from less cabinets is no longer saved. (And that's IF I can find someone to do it.) b)It still doesn't really allow me to have my pull out pantry near the stove-- it's in laxsupermom's drawing next to the 24" pantry, which I would no longer need with the drywall pantry. I don't think I'd want to put a pull-out pantry next to the wall so it pulls out in front of the garage door. I suppose I could do a short one on either side of the stove. I have no idea how to set up the other wall/base cabinets... This: vs. This (only withOUT the short pullout): c)I don't think it would be nicer to look at from the living room. In fact, all you can see is the dining area from the living room, but when you walk in the front door and head for the kitchen, there is a hallway on the left (not portrayed in my drawings). If you're walking directly into the kitchen from the living room or hallway, the first thing you'll see is the wall directly across from you, which is where the fridge is in laxsupermom's drawing. I don't think that's nearly as attractive to look at as the wine wall with the glass cabinets... This would be the view walking in: vs. This: d)I lose some of the functionality I wanted, which is even more important to me than the counterspace by the stove and the pathway from the garage. I would lose my pet center and my peninsula drawers would be narrower (because of the lazy susan), and the peninsula is where I wanted to store my plates/bowls. Argh, I feel like my head is going to explode!! :)

RNmomof2zone5 - Currently we have a kitchen island just big enough for two bar stools. We usually have breakfast here on the weekends (It’s just two of us). We have a dining room table for dinners and company, but we often eat our dinner on the couch (bad habit I know!). But I love only having one dining table. I hate the idea of having a dining room that’s only a handful of times each year. I love homes where every space is utilized. We moved from a 1200sqft home to a 2250sqft home and there are two rooms that we never use, so I think our next home we can scale it back just a touch, make the kitchen a bit larger, and we will end up around 1800-2000sqft with no “dead space.”