OK--
I really hope I didn't hurt your feelings with my personal comments
Our current house probably seems sort of ill-advised too
We bought a larger house (4/4.5/3 and paid cash) when we moved and there are just the two of us
our kids asked why we didn't buy this house when they were at home and could enjoy all the space--
my answer: we couldn't afford it because we spent it on your college educations so you graduated w/o any debt...
But we could not really remodel our Bedford home the way we wanted, putting lot of money into it would have been bad financial choice cause we never would have gotten it back on resale...
so we all have our reasons for our choices--
just try to make the choices that are good for you short and long-term...
If you are really going to be spending some time before you jump into the whirlpool then read some Sarah Susanka books about design--if you are not familiar with her...
Sarah Susanka
while lot of her focus is about "smaller footprints", favoring remodel vs rebuild, constraint vs excess
she is really insightful about the aesthetics that often go into what make a home truly liveable/pleasant that we don't even realize are at work when we go into a home -- of any size...
She emphasized the use of natural light, the underscored pleasure from having small and large areas in home, the use of variety/contrast to create harmonious effects
Issues/concepts like line-of-sight can make or break a home's design and most people don't know what that is really or how to avoid problems in designing a home...
Just because a house is large does not mean there can't be line-of-sight problems...
Someone mentioned having powder room opening off main hall/under stairs--that could be something that a large home might see as positive design feature--personally I think that is design flaw if there is any other location...
our house in Bedford had problem with line-of-sight--
when you walk from front hall into main living area and look left--you can look right into the shower of the master bath--
we were in hurry when we bought that house and the market was incredibly competitive--not that many houses for sale in the elementary school zone we wanted...
house was not finished-- and we really did not realize the problem until we had moved in and were living in it--
and the only way to correct the problem was really to keep door to master shut all the time
IF you think you know the builder you want to use--ask who the architects are that he uses--
most builders use 1, maybe 2 designers--some don't use architects--although in your price point they probably have both types available--depending on if you are rebuilding design he has already done..
Remember that ANY changes to design that involves more than changing the color or hardware--say enlarging a room or moving a staircase or bath can make big changes in issues like roofline/plumbing runs/load-bearing walls/traffic patterns--
so one "small" change can result in big cost increase or reworking other aspects of design/floorplan that you don't really like to make that change--
designing a home is a 3D process--and most people have trouble thinking in 3D
personally if you are spending the money to build this home, you should get an architect to design it...especially if the lot is going to be anything but straightforward...
if there are trees on it you want to try to keep, if the shape is irregular, if you have design feature that you know you want incorporated into the house--
then using an architect who is able to think around problems is better than a less-expensive person who will draw up plans based on designs that come from a plan book...
it is not so much knowing code although that too is important--but just being flexible and able to translate YOUR vision into a 3-d concept and viable design...and while you look at blueprints most of the time that are 2-dimensional, remember that this house will definitely be 3D--and you should consider what you will see from inside your windows in every room...
We wasted months of time when we thought we were going to build house in neighborhood we live in now in Hurst--the builder was good one but he was trying to save us money by using someone who was designer-not architect...
the lot was pie-shaped culdesac one that needed a CUSTOM plan to get what we wanted--
the designer was more intent on getting us to accept his pov about things like not putting a pool table on the second floor because of joist stress--which is really a non-existant problem anyway
or making us start by revising one of the plans he had in his myriad portfolios vs take the features we wanted on first/second floors and start from scratch...
Was just bad choice all around--but we did not really have much experience at that point in our journey and did not want to come across as "hard nosed"...it just dragged on and on until we said no way...
That was really blessing in disguise because the house we finally bought is on same culdesac but better lot...
Irony is the people who recently bought that lot and built a house on it screwed up because they "loved" a house plan for a rectangular lot--they needed to put it on a basically triangular lot--they would not redesign the house even after their builder tried to get them to reconsider
they skewed the foundation to fit within the building covenants and it sits crooked on the lot--
the house's front door does not face into the culdesac but right into the double door garage of the house next door...
Most front windows looking into neighbor's driveway/garage area vs into the front yard/culdesac--the garage's windows have the best views really...
but they said they did not care because they spend their time in the back of the house...
they may not--but those of us on the culdesac do--anyone who drives past and looks into the street sees the house is whop-jawed and out of balance
I just think it will be difficult to resell--ultimately it affects OUR values...
Anyway
go through other houses in your price point in the area--
you are going to see so many homes using the same types of designs/"looks"--
custom builders who do spec homes rarely build anything really "custom" in some ways--
you won't see any mid-century modern layouts even though those are some of the most desired homes in resale market in older parts of FTW and Dallas and a ranch is generally considered the most "liveable" type of floor plan
and you won't see anything like California modern--our weather does not really lend itself to that design nor does our building environment
you won't see a Victorian farmhouse either...
if you were definitely intent on building either one you likely could not get permission from the neighborhood HOA/developer since they would be too different from the "look" of the subdivision...
Go through homes that are up and open--builder's spec probably--there are plenty around here--
take your camera and make photos--a video camera is even better because it tracks your movement and shows the flow of the design
since this house is going to be so much larger than where you live now you won't really have point of reference for comparing how you live now with what you expect/need
one thing--people never have enough storage--
and if you plan on having children you will need more storage than you think possible
even people with good intentions buy their kids too many toys/clothes
build larger garages that let you get in big cars like Tahoes and bikes and garden stuff
you will probably wind up with a yard crew but you are still going to get lawnmover and other yard stuff
it's inevitable...
personally I also think that designing a large home often means adding rooms you don't really need just to justify the increased space--
think larger rooms maybe for things like utility room or garages or study
the "media room" really came into existance because builders needed to justify higher costs for land prices and people wouldn't pay it without more sq footage--a media room w/o windows is one of the cheaper ways to add sq ft to less-expensive house..
it is hard to build more bedrooms w/o also adding more baths--and bathrooms are one of the most expensive factors in building a home..
discuss how your builder designs for HVAC/electrical -- some builders in larger homes are designing rooms that hold the "brain" of the house...vs just having HVAC and water heaters stuck in attics and really uninsulated and often difficult to get to...
if you are comfortable with technology there are plenty of systems out there now that let you monitor all your home's system from your smart phone or laptop
you can check cameras when you are away or set the thermostate to go up if cold front comes through unexpectedly...
some people are intimidated by that and some see it as wave of future
put your money into quality foundation/framing/windows/insulation/plumbing/electrical--
those things are terrifically expensive to change out/fix later so even though they are behind the walls and you can't see what you paid for like the triple crown molding in the downstairs, the expansive wood floors, or the expensive window treatments in the dining room--they really do add longevity to your home and help with your ongoing utility costs
consider using in-floor heating and other "new" concepts that have been around in other parts of the country/world and just not that familiar here
because of the water shortages that are going to be part of future I would suggest you consider using landscape design that is adapted to our local eco zone and low water--that probably means you should also consider how that works with the exterior design of the house...and the plumbing--maybe incorporate some underground water storage/recycling for rain water
would also say that you might like a "spool" vs a large pool--something that looks natural and is smaller than most conventional pools...
hope you keep us updated as to what you decide to do
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