Are you doing this on your own? Do you have an architect, interior designer, or friendly contractor?

No, we aren't doing this on our own. We are about to meet with our top four GC choices for a first meeting. I am planning on trying to get referrals and recommendations for local architects from the contractors......I need help with changing the plan I love that has a few things I want reworked (or possibly use as inspiration for a custom plan).

You can learn a lot and get bids on each part of the build. But it takes time. You get rewarded for your efforts. It takes time. So it depends on how much time you have. Start with one part and see how you do.

I have some time.....we are living with family until the build is complete. We are currently in the process of dividing family land legally between my inlaw and their sibling. Once it is divided, then my inlaws will be gifting us 5 acres. So, we will have to have all that surveyed and deeded again. So.......I do have some time to gather quotes. I just don't know what is most important to focus on. I am realistic in realizing that with 2 small children and us living in a hectic environment with family, that I don't have endless amounts of time/mental energy to price every last item. I want to focus on the top things that are most beneficial to get right from the beginning.

For us, our chosen builder was invaluable at guiding us through the bid process. He knew where we wanted to be price wise and he also knew we wanted everything decided before we committed. He met us at the custom cabinet maker, the lumberyard to pick out things like siding and doors, the flooring store, etc. He did all this with us in the bid process—which eliminated the ‘can we afford this‘ factor.

Once everything was chosen, then he made a bid and we moved forward. A lot of work on his end before he landed the job. The bid process took about two months with all the selections. From the first draft of plans to the day we broke ground was about a year. Time well spent in my opinion.

We too are on family land and needed to get it right. We talked to three contractors initially but only moved to selection and bids with our builder. He was the right fit for us and we knew that right away. Good luck with your build!

Set all of your specifications for a base bid (for example specify xyz laminate floor). But have breakout bids especially for things that would be difficult to upgrade later.

I would definitely get bids on an option to upgrade floors to hardwood and word it so this would be $ on top of base bid. Reserve the right to accept or reject any of the options for upgrades.

I would choose better floors even it means going with less expensive countertops for now.

Discuss options with contractors before getting bids. They can suggest ideas to value engineer within price points, but your specifications must be identical for all bids.

The most money that can be saved on a build occurs during the design phase. A relatively simple and classic plan, with fewer foundation and roof jogs, stretches your dollar further than any picking laminate over hardwood ever can.

The total cost of downgrading finishes is never enough to overcome a complex and poorly designed home. If you want an economical build, look at something like a center hall Colonial or classic ranch for inspiration. Not all 3000 sf home plans are equal in cost to build. Some can very easily be double, even with “the same” called out amenities.

Start with the budget in mind during the planning. All stages of planning. But especially during your inspiration phase. Just dicipline yourself against complexity on the front end.

If your inspiration plan is a complex and expensive home, now would be the best time to detach yourself from that emotional attachment. Don’t wait until you have invested emotional energy, as well as actual spent funds, and get back bids that are double what you want to spend.

Before you hire, get out and view new homes. You'll meet builders along the way, and begin to understand the size, complexity and level of finish works with your budget. You will also need to understand the "extras" involved with site development on acreage (utilities vs well/septic, access, permitting, etc).

Once you get to that point, identify the special selections you want and get some pricing info so you understand. Don't rule out trips to flooring and/or counter specialty shops to get those questions understood.

"...How do I make decisions before getting a bid?..."

Well...like most rather complex situations, decisions require experience. If you have the needed experience, then decision-making is much easier.

If you don't have the needed experiece, have you considered getting the necessary design and construction expertise to help you?

It will make life much easier.

Good luck on your project.

Two young children. I assume they DO sleep at night! The wonderful thing today is that you can do so much shopping via the internet! Sinks, faucets, toilets, tubs, faucets, tile - you name it - it's online and and has prices. Choose what you like and put it out for bid; if the bid comes in too high, move to your 2nd, 3rd, 4th choice (yes, make those at the same time). It's really not all that hard.

Of if you are indecisive or don't have any idea what you actually want/like, hire a designer to do this for you. Lots of people do this - no shame!

Thanks.....I have picked certain items that are able to be easily priced (lighting, faucets, toilets, sinks, etc.) I am just more unsure of things like the cost of brick vs hardiplank chimney, cost of installation of real hardwoods vs vinyl, cost of custom cabinetry, pricing of tile master shower vs insert, etc.

Thank you Charles Ross Homes. I would love to go that route. I guess it is just hard for me to put all my trust and hope in one builder. I have heard too many horror stories around where we live. But I am waiting to actually pick my plan until meeting with our prospective builders. I have several plans that I am considering.....and want their input on the most economical structure to build. Thanks for the suggestions.

Do 'allot' of research on your own for pricing. Find what prices you can on your own for wood floors(I've learned over the past few years(flip or flop shows and others) that laminate can look 'exactly' like wood and is much less expensive and more durable. Wood floors scratch more easily.....especially if you have pets. They install these on houses over 800k. Also, ck prices for counter tops, if you have a local cabinet maker, find out what their prices are. Do NOT go to the big box stores and get prices!!!!!! Go directly to the dealers that specializes in what you're looking for.

I’ve had pets and site-finished hardwood floor since 1966. Thesehave ranged from asmall apt, our first house ($27,500 in 1968), to a large house in LA that we rented, to the house I’ve lived in for over 34 years. Multiple dogs, multiple cats, sometimes both at once. Nothing wears better, plus they can be sanded and refinished. Laminate is NOT more durable.

I disagree - Laminate is more durable (or maybe I should say maintenance free). We sold our house last year that we built and 8 years of a big dog left its mark on the floors. Not the basement laminate however. Current house just had the foyer redone before we bought it. Prior owners had dogs. The dining room they didn't do and we almost redid it but decided against it. $1200 was the estimate - for 1 room - sanded and refinished. So yes you can do it but......

Cats do not equal small dogs and small dogs do not equal big dogs. There is a difference by order of magnitude. To even mention cats is crazy when it comes to hardwood floors.

I also disagree that you do laminate on houses over 800k (in NC). You might do it in a basement or rec room (like we did) but it would be completely unacceptable at anything over $500k in the Raleigh market as a primary flooring.

Jessica - it would be helpful if you gave your general location and budget. I had a long post that basically showed that design/shape is not the primary driver of cost. But that depends on the level of house you are expecting. The math I did showed a 5% difference between simple and complex construction. I number for sure but not as high as people think. Expected masonry/stone/countertops is a much higher number in my market.

Anglo.......laminate has come a loooooooooooong way in the last 50 years!!!!!!!!!!! You must not watch those house shows I watch. It's been proven over and over again. I love hardwood floors but things have changed dramatically in 50yrs!!!

I am near Athens, GA in the suburbs/rural area. We are trying to do around $120 a sq ft for a 2000 sq ft house. We know that is realistic in our area by talking with people who have recently built. The problem is that we get conflicting information from even local people who are involved with building or contracting. One person will say that the complexity and "jigs and jogs" of the plan will be the biggest cost factor. One person said that the roof line and pitch/complexity of that will make a huge difference in cost. And then another professional said that its mostly based off of finishes and your selections like cabinets, flooring, faucets, lighting, etc. I am getting conflicting opinions from pros on here also. Some say I should focus on the structure itself....and that the finishes don't matter as much. Then others say I can choose more budget options on finishes and save that way. I don't want to regret going too cheap on finishes. But I CAN have the option to upgrade in the future. If I skimp on my porches, chimney, size, etc.....I am stuck with my choices. I know everyone says that porches add alot of cost to a build and to cut down on those....but we love the outdoors (and living in the south....shade from the porch vs a patio means we can enjoy time outside when the sun is relentless). We love swinging on the front porch, eating dinners/grilling on the back porch, etc. All of our family get togethers are held on the back porch, not inside. So I truly think I will regret skimping on porches to get costs down. I have never had a fireplace, so we rally want a wood burning fireplace. The lot will require minimal grading and no clearing. We will be on county water (no well required) and cost to get power will be minimal. Also, we will be having a gravel driveway because paying for and looking at a concrete driveway for a house 225 ft off the road in a pasture is ridiculous to us (it will also ruin the natural/country feeling we want). So we might be saving in those areas. Thanks for all the input. I just wish I was getting the same feedback from everyone, so I had a more clear direction to go, haha. But thank you to everyone for the input.

Also, we don't and will never have pets inside....so that doesn't make an impact on my decision making for what type of flooring to go with. I do have allergies to dust. That is why I want no carpet and all hardwoods or vinyl.

Jessica, we are also in the same boat as I am sure a lot of people are. Every build is going to be different, but for my situation I have realized that everything factors in. Yes, some upgrades may be minor $1000-$2000 but they really add up. Construction is a big cost, jigs/jogs, roof lines, gables, roof pitch if you can lower that that will save money according to our builder. Transom windows are also an added cost when extra large windows can be installed and save you quite a bit. We are also building back quite a bit from the road but even gravel might cost more than you may think. Do you have a well dug? Depending on how deep they have to go that can be a big cost. Septic? We have to have a mound system per County code, $22k. We are leaning towards LVT throughout the house vs. hardwood. The flooring company our builder recommended came in at $12/sq ft. I am sure there are less expensive and probably less quality elsewhere. Large walk in tiled shower? Depending on the tile and fixtures ours is estimated $9k. If push comes to shove I might have to go with a drop in, as a shower isn't high on my list. Once we get our plans finalized I am going to pick out and get quotes for all the allowances, that way no major surprises on that end. Again, every build is different and cost varies greatly depending on the area and level of finishes. Good luck with you build!

You must not watch those house shows I watch

I am confident that Anglophilia is getting her information about materials from a source more reliable than HGTV. Consider that "those house shows" may not be tha reliable source and may not have your best interests at heart in making their endorsements (laminate floor producers sponsor products and pay for ads; real hardwood is not "brand name" and so rarely does).

Kristin S - yes!!!! Always consider the source and do your own reseach! I quit watching the design shows long ago because of the mis-information and glut of barely disguised advertising during renovations.

Lots of things are personal, but hard wood floors (site finished) would be a must for me. Who wants to have that mess later? It is easier to upgrade counters, light fixtures or appliances later.
You can save yourself a lot of time, heartache and money if you hire a good architect/designer up front to guide you. (I am not a professional, but I have worked on multiple houses.)

Here is one way to figure things. Ask builders to give you a copy of a typical draw schedule for a new build. Give him/her your budget and ask how that budget would be allocated across the line items. You will see where the costs are. What you are hearing here is the cost is in the first 50% of the build. The rest is in the finishes and so you are probably focusing on the wrong end of the process. I have a New Build Checklist i have developed that could be of benefit to you in your efforts. If you email me at manganflo@gmail.com i would be happy to send it to you. Big adventure ahead so best to arm yourself with as much info as possible. Wishing you the best.

David, I agree about NC for the most part. I did go to an open house a number of years here in NC, just outside Charlotte that had laminate. House was priced at 1.2m. waterfront. These shows are made in CA which is on it's planet out there.

Laminate flooring? Really? The worst decision you can make. I'm continually fascinated by homeowners who turn up their noses at laminate counter tops but install laminate flooring.

It is plastic--looks like plastic, sounds like plastic, will chip and scratch, and when it gets wet, will warp and cannot be refinished. So it goes in the landfill.

Site-finished hardwood is tried and true. Oak is very durable and hard, can be stained exactly to your liking, and can be refinished over and over. A good hardwood floor can last for decades. The floors in my home are over 90 years old and look brand new. No matter what the Property Brothers, the Gaines', or the Love it or List it people say.

I do not want vinyl....I WANT real hardwoods. But I'm not sure I want to give up everything else to get it. To me, getting the cheapo cabinets, countertops, etc will be a pain and expensive to replace in the future also. My budget may not allow the real thing. I will just have to see. But I assure you, I do not think they are equal.

and I don't even watch any house shows.....we don't have cable. lol

Well...there's simply no comparison between real wood floors and vinyl floors. But if one wants (or can only afford) vinyl floors, then check the various depths of the "wear level". Some are very thin and some are rather thick. Thick is longer wearing.

It’s best to have your chimney on the interior of your house for draft reasons ( it stays warm) and then this avoids having to brick or stone an exterior chimney. Also Hardiplank/board is pretty expensive.