Double your budget and timeline. And hope it comes in that cheap and quick. HGTV is nothing but lies.

What is the Scope of Work, and your general location in the country?

I will check into that

You picked a BAD time to move to Houston. ..........................really bad. My bet is you will have LOTS of time to think about your budget, and your chances for a contractor or design build firm at reasonable pricing has gone way down as of recently. Get in line for a long wait would be my bet.

150K + to ++++ now.

cWright,

First off I think you are coming to the right place by posting questions and asking. I have been a part of Gardenweb and Houzz for years. I have some ideas of what I did with my past house and now working on my recent relocation house. This is what I did and maybe you can borrow some ideas... I happen to love Zen Cabinetry's comments. Very helpful. I am using them myself.

1) Take it slow...Deep breath it is going to be a long wonderful journey.

2) Write down everything you would like to do. A list going room by room. Later you can take it off your to do list if it doesn't fit your budget. Lets say you want to start with the Living room... List the floors, walls etc.. and then the next room Kitchen... Floors, tile backsplash, countertop, New Window, appliances, island or not..

3) List WANT vs NEED .. For example you might want White Calcutta Marble but the reality is you can afford Laminate. (OKay that is extreme but you get the idea) You want a built in Coffeemaker but the reality is a second sink is a better need. For me I wanted soapstone years ago but found a great Granite called Jet Mist that worked beautifully for me and fit my budget better. A good designer will help you make your want a reality.

4) Collect examples of everything you love..Houzz is a great place. Pinterest is a fun place to get ideas too.

5) ASK ASK ASK.. Search, Search, Search and read up on everything you can. I know you said you are new.. I have relocated many times. I asked people at church, shoppers at Homegoods, strangers at the library, dog walkers on the street, moms at the kids school bus stop, Bunco friends, my realtor who sold me the house,.. I asked everyone in my neighborhood. And got a list of who to call for wood floors, who to call for tile, who to call for paint...I received a wealth of information of who NOT to use and who was loved. Which Granite guru to use and who to avoid for plumbing. I let everyone know I needed help in return people were generous with their time, information and ideas. And one day you will pay it forward by sharing your ideas and clever solutions to another in need.

6) Keep in mind you just moved in and it takes time to make your paradise a home. In the midst of Harvey recovery I imagine life is hectic in Texas. It will all come together with time, effort and yes some money.

7) Meet with a few design teams etc and see what they say. Don't feel pressured. You decide. It is your wallet and walk away early if things seem odd or not to your liking. Sometimes it is better to act as your own General Contractor than to hire a dud.

I will be interested to see how your home journey unfolds. I would bet you create a wonderful place to live.

~Boxerpal

And as per Sophie.......that too!

It's a bad time because of all the flood remediation work that will keep contractors busy for the next year or so. Jan's right. You'll have lots of time to research exactly what you want and get smart about all of your choices.