If you are working with a builder that offers customized floor plans or are building a totally custom home, there are many more decisions required of you, than if you were purchasing a basic tract home. If this is your situation, I'm sure you have dreamed about all the options and ideas you can think of. Many customers have gotten to the color stage after working with the draftsmen on floor plans and have never considered how their furniture and family lifestyles will effect some of the most basic home decisions. Getting to a finished floorplan will be time consuming and often exhausting. This is why having a good rapport with the architect or draftsmen is essential.

· Consider carefully the floorplan, traffic flow, window placements, electrical needs etc. Try to imagine your family and furnishings in the home.

· Think about the purpose and needs of each room.

· Use furniture templates of your existing or planned furniture to help determine window and electric outlet/switch placement. These are just a few of the important considerations for you to think about. ·

· Windows placed in the home for function and esthetics are essential, but consider how they are placed in the room for future treatment or dressing. So many times, I have had customers put lots of windows and fixed glass in their home, only to discover that they have to cover them for light/sun/privacy concerns. Considering these issues first will result in the best choice of window style and the appropriate amount of glass for your family's lifestyle.