Sorry, my internet service is down at home so I couldn't respond yesterday evening. I would assume that the architect is going to go over exterior materials with you such as siding and roofing choices. He/she may not go over window and door options and the various quality levels, features and cost. If not, then I would start there and make some decisions about what you want for the windows and doors. I would also hope that the architect will go over interior molding choices and the differences as this will affect price.

While identifying items, you may not want to get too tied to a specific supplier/dealer as the GC you ultimately select will have their own established relationships. But you need to educate yourself enough about what you want and what a reasonable cost range is for those items. This way you can provide detail to the GC's you ask to bid and you will know if you get a $2,000.00 appliance allowance that it probably will not cover what you want. Also understand that you will be gathering MSRP data (if you look online) or retail pricing if you shop locally. The GC you select will get different pricing than you when you get down to making the ultimate final selections. Also remember that anywhere you go, the job of those folks is to sell you something and to upsell if possible so have your budget in mind before things get out of hand.

It would be helpful to have good ideas about the following and be prepared to give this information to all GC's bidding the project:

HVAC - do you want a heat pump, gas/propane system or geothermal. Huge differences in cost of each option and in cost between a standard system and an energy efficient system (such as a 16+ SEER system). Make sure you do some research on good ventilation systems for the various bathrooms. The efficiency and results vary greatly between options, along with the price. This is another area that people skimp on and are later sorry.

Flooring - at least identify what type (carpet, hardwoods- prefinished or site finished, tile, cork) for each space.

Cabinetry- what features and quality do you want. Are you looking for custom cabinetry or for stock cabinetry. Visit several shops with a rough sketch of your kitchen area and get some ideas priced by various people so you have a handle on the cost range for what you want.

Appliances - identify what features you want and start to research reviews. Get some idea of pricing. Remember to look at ventilation carefully, this is one place that most people don't pay enough attention to and significantly undersize the ventilation.

Plumbing - what type features do you want for plumbing fixtures. Comfort height toilets or toilet/bidet combination or specialized sinks or faucets. Will there be tubs in the bath rooms. Do you want cast iron or will you be comfortable with acrylic. Do you want a high end tile shower with lots of features for the master bath. Do you want pot fillers in the kitchen or a second sink for prep. All of these make a huge difference in cost. Go to a plumbing supply house and look around. We use Ferguson Enterprises - don't know if they are in your area.

Lighting - this is another area that get ignored and it is more expensive than most people think. This is an area where you can look online and get an idea of what you like and the cost. Again, just to make sure that you don't get a $500 lighting allowance when you already know that you want a $1,200.00 chandelier in your dining room.

Interior doors - what style and kind. Have a picture of what you want, you can get this online and know whether you're okay with hollow core doors (standard) or solid core doors (upgrade) or do you want stainable solid mahogany doors.

Countertops - what do you want in each space. Do you like natural stone products, manmade quartz or are you thinking of laminate and cultured marble.

The list goes on and you don't have to make any final decisions, but educate yourself about what you really like and want and what that will cost. You will be FAR ahead of the game when you start to look at pricing the construction of your home. Keep really good organized files and notes through this process and lots of pictures.

Sorry to get so long winded. Have a great time, it is exciting to build a home.