Second floor

It's a 800K-1KM "snout house" with the garage in the front. What does your lot look like, and why does the garage have to be on the front like that? You've got bathrooms on the exterior instead of the bedrooms that could use the windows? Not only is that poor design, but it's poor plumbing design. The kitchen is poorly laid out with the space in the wrong spots. The circular stair may not pass code and is atrocious for actual usage. You cannot get furniture up it, and it's a nightmare of expense to get wrong by someone who doesn't know what they are doing. Even if you get an expert, it's horribly expensive to do for not a lot of functional gain.

Overall, this is a large, expensive, poorly thought out space. It has poor flow and organization. Something this expensive will be difficult to owner build unless you are a construction professional already with your own construction company and a lot of past experience. And, banks will not really be all that enthusiastic about lending money for it either without a huge down payment. As fas as a pay as you go build? How many years will your location allow a building permit to be open? Lumber and other building materials have a time limit to be exposed to the weather, and even with a professional crew, this will be a long build. Pay as you go will take 4x as much time, rendering the final result suspect from a structural standpoint.

Our lot is a 4.7 acre piece of farm land, we were originally going to use that as a down payment for the bank. We've got financing secured, but are really second guessing borrowing from the bank. We could have the funds for an owner build just as quickly as funding from the bank, so that wouldn't be a problem.

The bathrooms- I don't really see what you are talking about with them. They all have plenty of windows, and I made it a point with the architect to put windows in the bathrooms. In the first set of blueprints the bathrooms were close to each other but did not have any windows. (Hate any room in the house without windows).

I do agree about the kitchen, I posted that in the kitchen forum as well.

I've seen the circular stairs twice in other homes we've toured in Columbus,so I don't think it would be a problem concerning code. My father grew up in a home with circular stairs as well, so we know ways about navigating it/ and whatnot. The builder and engineer we have both haven't brought anything up about it but I will double check with them.

We have another two car garage across from the one in the picture shown, so that's the reason the garage comes out like that.

"The bathrooms- I don't really see what you are talking about with them. They all have plenty of windows, and I made it a point with the architect to put windows in the bathrooms. "

Totally missed the point!

hollysprings said: "You've got bathrooms on the exterior instead of the bedrooms that could use the windows"
She did not say the bathrooms lack windows. She said that the bathrooms are taking windows that would better serve the bedrooms.
And I agree!

You put in your other thread that you were approved for a 600K loan. There is NO WAY that this home can be built for that. Have you come up with another 400-500K? Because that's what you will need to be able to move forward and have even a small contingency fund.

But, this plan isn't really worth moving forward with. It's like someone took a small home and just put it on the copy machine and enlarged it and then threw in a few "upscale features". And forgot that the original before the enlargement was for a small suburban lot jammed up against it's neighbors. There's too much wasted space, and it doesn't have good flow. It's awkward to move through the space, and the human dimension in all of it seems to be forgotten. It's not a home. It's a mausoleum.

I'd really recommend that you engage an architect yourself to create something better, smaller, and cheaper. Even if you had the funding to construct a 6000 square foot house. This isn't really the one that would be a wise expenditure of that 1M.

Samjal, can you upload bigger pictures? I have difficulty seeing text and details.

Also, I wouldn't worry to much about negative comments here, larger designs tend to provoke.

Hi samjal,

I was reading the comments as folks just wanting to be sure you understand that this will be an expensive and complicated house to build. It is difficult for people to give you other meaningful advice without information on your family's needs/wants.

It looks like a lot of thought has gone into the plan, which incorporates many, many details. Although it's not my style preference, and I couldn't see the room sizes, I think the general layout could work well for multigenerational living -- I could see grandparents in the first floor master suite and parents upstairs with the kids, with all the big open first floor space leading to the outdoors for hosting regular big gatherings, fundraisers, if you do that kind of thing.

So, just a couple of things --
1. The stairs to the raised loft appear to jut out into the hallway, might this be a trip hazard? You might consider putting the stairs into the loft even if that makes the loft a couple of feet smaller.
2. The floorplan shows your driveway and walks to the family entry and guest suite, but no walk to the front door. Have you figured out what that will look like?

Good luck.

I mean, $136k for framing, but only $45k is the actual price of the wood.

Yes, it's going to take $90K of labor to frame that house's elaborate outline ... look at all the nooks, niches, crannies and corners and probably droppedand/or raised cielings (plans are hard to read)

Your design is a personal fantasy house, not designed for ease and economy of building, so expect to pay fantastic prices for it.

I personally think the construction costs start at 1.5 and this is closer to 2 million to build. No way you can build this for 1 million even with builder grade finishes.

Your layout reminds me of a beautiful home in my city owned by a lovely couple who hosts wonderful events with lavish spreads on their long and grand dining table. It's so nice that they're able to comfortably entertain large crowds in their home (from charity fundraisers to their son's wedding last summer) as a fresh alternative to holding events in more sterile banquet facilities. Their parties and small gatherings are the best. They also have twin garages opposite each other like you'll have, but they also have an indoor pool wing that runs along one side of the home with several doors that open up to the beach. Add that to your plan and really watch the comments fly! :)

In the master bedroom, I'd add a door from the bathroom to the walk in closet. What are the squares on the left across from the master WIC?

I would definitely enlarge the second floor laundry room considerably, taking from the second loft/study area as needed. How do you see both loft spaces on the second floor being used?

All that said, your quotes don't sound outrageous. How many bids have you received on the foundation? Do you have a lower level?

You may very well have unrealistic price expectations as this is well over a $1M build.

This post was edited by jujubean71 on Mon, Oct 14, 13 at 14:19

I'm in agreement with the previous posters. This is an excessive, over-the-top house that's impractical on several levels. It's oversized, it has a complicated and expensive footprint, and it will require a massive and expensive roof. You said you're getting "bad vibes" from the builders to whom you've spoken. It may be that they're experiencing the same reaction we all are, but they're not willing face-to-face to say it to you.

For the size and complicated plan, I don't think the numbers you've quoted are out-of-the-water crazy.

I don't understand your comment about using a portion of your 4.7 acre lot as a "downpayment". Are you selling a part of the lot to get the downpayment? Or are you using it as collateral for a loan? I'd expect that a person building a house of this size and expense would be putting down a considerable chunk of money.

First thing I notice:

On the first floor you have several "public rooms" -- the great room, the sitting area and the hearth room. Yet they run together; thus, none of them have any privacy. They can see each other, and they can hear each other. This problem is made worse by the open ceiling -- not only will you have no privacy downstairs; people upstairs in the multiple lofts will hear the TV or conversation too! You cannot have multiple groups using these areas at the same time.

PLUS you have the study (which does make sense because it can be closed off entirely) AND the sitting area in the master AND an oversized foyer.

What you DON'T have is a cozy, quiet spot for 1-2 people to sit together. Oversized rooms are nice for entertaining, but they aren't comfortable for everyday life.

The dining room is large enough for two oversized dining tables.

How do you imagine laying out furniture in the study? Typically a study has banks of bookshelves on the walls, but you've used three of the four walls for large doors.

Ditto for the great room. With the sides made up of the foyer, the dining room and the sitting room, how will you arrange furniture in this "room"?

The master bath is far, far from the bed. It'll be a lengthy walk in the night.

You have three windows in the master closet, which makes no sense given that sunlight fades clothing. In contrast, you have only one set of windows above the tub in the master bath. If you switch the two, you'll have better light in the bathroom. Your bathroom has lots of empty space in the middle -- wasted.

A couple previous posters commented on the bathrooms being on the exterior. Here's what they meant: In a good house plan, stairways, closets and bathrooms are kept to the interior of the house. Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, etc. typically are placed on the exterior, so that they can enjoy the better-placed windows. Anytime you can have windows on two sides of the room, the room will feel more inviting. This makes a huge difference and is really something to focus upon.

To give an example: Look at your guest room. If you flip-flop the bathroom/closet with the bedroom, a number of positive things happen: You get windows on two walls of the guest room, a very nice thing, PLUS you move your plumbing closer to the kitchen (reducing your plumbing bill because you're not running water as far, speeding up your hot water, and reducing the chances of a plumbing leak in the future) and providing a sound barrier between the guest bedroom and the Hearth Room. This is what people meant by the suggestion to move your bathrooms to the interior.

Speaking of light, your Great Room, which has no windows of its own and has only trickled-in light from the sitting room, which is located under a covered terrace, will be dark.

Still on the subject of light, which genuinely is a make-or-break item, which way is North? You seem to have placed windows willy-nilly without concern about the quality of light.

Aside from the Hearth Room and the master bedroom closet, none of your rooms are particularly well lit.

Is that long narrow room that shares a wall with the garage a pantry? If so, it's too far from the kitchen. I'd switch it with the laundry.

The kitchen island is ridiculously oversized, and if you're going with granite or marble you'll have to have multiple seams, which means multiple opportunities for trouble. The kitchen is so large that you'll constantly be taking extra steps. In spite of the oversized kitchen, your refrigerator is squeezed against a wall, which means that the door won't open all the way.

The laundry is not convenient to either the master bedroom, nor the guest bedroom.

Upstairs

Why are you putting two balconies on the BACK of the house?

How many families will share this upstairs? Each bedroom is big enough to house several people. Seriously, will people live in these bedrooms full-time? They're all master-bedroom sized.

I vote back to the drawing board.

This post was edited by MrsPete on Mon, Oct 14, 13 at 14:34

I also wanted to address your main question.

Do you have any construction management experience? Have you ever had a home built for you?

We're on our third build, have renovated three homes and my husband owns a commercial construction company. I'm a research queen, have a pretty good knack for decor and design and know every detail of every fixture I want in every space. Even with our experience and knowledge, we hired a builder who is also construction manager, handling all the subs. We simply don't have the time nor desire to take on that large task. And our house is much smaller and simpler than yours.

Since you had to ask the question of IF you should manage this project and you are already bickering about the plans, I strongly urge you not to manage it. You'll have enough on your plate simply choosing all your fixtures and finishes. There are so many choices to be made.

The thing about bathrooms being on outside walls means that in many cases it eliminates the ability to have windows on 2 or more walls in the bedrooms (for cross breezes, additional natural light, etc.) In addition, longer plumbing runs are more costly to build so it generally can save some money to cluster plumbing rather than spread it out.

With your acreage I would definitely want a plan that puts the garage toward the rear of the house. It looks like this will be a grand house and the prominent garage at the front will detract from that.

You have 3 loft areas on the second floor but a tiny laundry room up there. I would steal some space from the loft/study for a bigger laundry room with space for a long counter for folding clothes.

As others have mentioned this will be a very costly house to build. It's definitely worth the investment to have a good architect help you come up with a plan that is both functional and beautiful, as well as taking advantage of views, positioning to take advantage of sunlight and breezes, etc.

I'm glad Mrs. Pete mentioned swapping main level pantry and laundry room locations because I forgot to.

Her suggestion to swap main level guest room and its ensuite bath is also a good one.

Where do you see people eating breakfast? As you rethink the kitchen layout, you might consider adding a small, round table for casual meals or as a more intimate space for coffee or tea.

Hi samjal,

I just saw your other thread about budget and plans. I agree with the above posters who would discourage you from being an owner-builder when the plan is quite complicated, when you have expressed concerns about the overall construction cost, when you would like to be finished soon, and most important of all -- when you already are "on edge" and "at each other's throats." Your family's happiness should be the primary driving factor!

This is a luxury home plan and I would not want to take on building such a project without plenty of time, money, and support from my family.

Alright I'm going to try and respond to most of the replies. Thanks for all of the feedback, btw.

GreenDesign- we do have the money now to back it up so the pricing is not an issue, just wanted to conserve in some areas to see if we are being over charged.

LordNelson- I'll try to upload some high quality pics soon.

Oaktown- you are correct, this will have 3 generations of family living in the home. My parents will be in the first floor master, grandparents in the first floor guest room. All of the upstairs bedrooms will be occupied at least for the next 6 years. We host many huge events weekly, (people never leave us alone! lol). My father has 7 brothers and sisters and each of them have just as many kids, and most of them live in the same suburb we do, so we are with each other constantly.

The driveway will be a circular driveway that will be in front of the front door and will lead to the garage as well.

Jujubean71- the squares are built ins,

The loft spaces will be used for many different reasons, the study on the first floor will be used by my father as he will be working from home soon. If there is an event being hosted downstairs, we still want others in the home to have spaces they can use to watch tv or study. We do have a full basement as well.

MrsPete- we worked with both a builder and architect to design the home, and with they down payment situation- weve owned the land for 30 years, and its paid off. We are allowed to used the value of the land as a down payment. So if the land is worth $200k, and we are spending $500k on the house, we only need to borrow $300k from the bank because the land is paid for and we can use the value of the land as a down payment.

As for direction- the right side of the house faces north. So, the front of the house faces east and the back faces west.

And Oaktown- this has been anything but happy for us! We've been planning the home for months and months and have been getting set backs and it is very frustrating. That's why we just want to get it over with and start building on our own without a bank or a builder.

>...and it is very frustrating. That's why we just want to get it over with and start building on our own without a bank or a builder.

With this as the motivation, I have some advice for you:

A huge problem with being an owner-builder is access to quality subcontractors.

I'm about to finish up my house as an owner-builder and almost every time I had to hire a sub, it was a very annoying process of dealing with rip-off attitudes because if you are not a pro, you'll be viewed as a sucker ripe for the pickings. In my experience, residential construction is full of unethical contractors.

Some examples: Quotes (no typos in the following numbers high to low) for welding ranged from a ridiculous $4000 to $500, dry-wall: $6000 to $1500, one joker thought he can charge $4500 to level out parts of my yard (a 2 day job with a track-loader), excavation quotes from $12000 to $4000. It's just amazing how shameless some quotes are (and no, more $$ does NOT mean higher quality in this business). If quotes from builders already frustrate you, be ready for a very unhappy time.

Like others said, this is a massive, massive, MASSIVE project and 500k will be a stretch, especially if you don't have access to proven, dependable, honest subcontractors.

If you don't DIY a lot, being a rookie GC will likely not save you any money.

After hearing your explanations, I haven't changed my previously-mentioned thoughts, but I have some additions:

With multiple generations, the need for smaller, quiet spaces becomes more important. You have loads of "let's all be together space", and your dad has work space, but you do not have "I want to work on a project but Grandma is blaring Wheel of Fortune 'cause she can't hear" space. I'd cut down on the large entertaining spaces, provide walls so that the kitchen/ hearth room could be a separate entity, and search for one spot that could become a quiet nook for 1-2 downstairs. This'd give you a variety of spaces and would be much more comfortable for an extended family.

Note that you don't have a place for 1-2 people to sit down together for breakfast or lunch. Your grandparents probably will have trouble hopping up on barstools at the island, nor will it be pleasant for them to sit down -- just the two of them -- at the oversized dining room table.

Still thinking of the kitchen, with this many people, I'd want two refrigerators . . . Or, better yet, a beverage center where people could get drinks without being in the cooking area.

Give some consideration, too, to your grandparents' bathroom. A large walk-in shower with handicapped features would likely be more practical. Similarly, that little hallway that leads to their room may provide privacy, but it will add an obstacle for them if they're using walkers or wheelchairs.

With multiple people upstairs I'd definitely enlarge the upstairs laundry. Functional places like this end up being used more often than all that entertaining space, and it's these items that really make the house comfortable or uncomfortable.

Be aware that the western sun is harsh and hot. And most of your big windows/doors are facing west. Plan to include window coverings in your budget. So the highly prized, gentle eastern morning sunlight will be wasted on your garage and entryway. Your parents will enjoy it in their bathroom. And you only have one window facing south, the best light of all. Yes, it's the kitchen window, but it's your only southern exposure.

I'm not understanding the idea of your land being a part of your downpayment. If the house costs 500K (which is an underestimate), it still costs 500K . . . Even if you already own the land. Owning the land outright is great, but the house will be priced separately.

Honestly, I think you need to go back to the drawing board on this plan. You say that it's become a headache and it's been stressful. This is a sign that you're heading in a bad direction. I see so much expense and so many less-than-ideal features. If you put this money into a house, it should be incredible when you're done, and this won't be. It's not a matter of taste -- it's all about function and lack of proportion.

After hearing your explanations, I haven't changed my previously-mentioned thoughts, but I have some additions:

With multiple generations, the need for smaller, quiet spaces becomes more important. You have loads of "let's all be together space", and your dad has work space, but you do not have "I want to work on a project but Grandma is blaring Wheel of Fortune 'cause she can't hear" space. I'd cut down on the large entertaining spaces, provide walls so that the kitchen/ hearth room could be a separate entity, and search for one spot that could become a quiet nook for 1-2 downstairs. This'd give you a variety of spaces and would be much more comfortable for an extended family.

Note that you don't have a place for 1-2 people to sit down together for breakfast or lunch. Your grandparents probably will have trouble hopping up on barstools at the island, nor will it be pleasant for them to sit down -- just the two of them -- at the oversized dining room table.

Still thinking of the kitchen, with this many people, I'd want two refrigerators . . . Or, better yet, a beverage center where people could get drinks without being in the cooking area.

Give some consideration, too, to your grandparents' bathroom. A large walk-in shower with handicapped features would likely be more practical. Similarly, that little hallway that leads to their room may provide privacy, but it will add an obstacle for them if they're using walkers or wheelchairs.

With multiple people upstairs I'd definitely enlarge the upstairs laundry. Functional places like this end up being used more often than all that entertaining space, and it's these items that really make the house comfortable or uncomfortable.

Be aware that the western sun is harsh and hot. And most of your big windows/doors are facing west. Plan to include window coverings in your budget. So the highly prized, gentle eastern morning sunlight will be wasted on your garage and entryway. Your parents will enjoy it in their bathroom. And you only have one window facing south, the best light of all. Yes, it's the kitchen window, but it's your only southern exposure.

I'm not understanding the idea of your land being a part of your downpayment. If the house costs 500K (which is an underestimate), it still costs 500K . . . Even if you already own the land. Owning the land outright is great, but the house will be priced separately.

Honestly, I think you need to go back to the drawing board on this plan. You say that it's become a headache and it's been stressful. This is a sign that you're heading in a bad direction. I see so much expense and so many less-than-ideal features. If you put this money into a house, it should be incredible when you're done, and this won't be. It's not a matter of taste -- it's all about function and lack of proportion.

Wow - massive house. Are you planning on a basement too? Anyway, in Silicon Valley, this would easily be a $5-8M project, depending on the finishes. There is no way I would build something of this magnitude unless I had a lot of experience.

sam.....those prices you were given seem 'very' high! How many s/f? Is your area union workers? Why does every bedroom upstairs have to have a full bath? Esp. bed 1 & 2. That could easily be a jack&jill. That by itself would save thousands.

You mentioned in the other thread that the builder said he could build it for $900,000, what type of contract was that? Fixed or Cost plus? Did it have allowance?

150 sq/ft cost of construction would be basic for standard custom "rectangular home" with some bumpouts. Solid layout, but nothing special. With multiple master baths, spiral staircase, multiple levels within one floor (what are ceiling heights), 4 car garage, driveway to support all the space, walkway... etc..

I think you again are looking at $225 sq/ft even if you build yourself. If you have 6200 sq ft, which you mention a basement?, this thing should be over 8,000 sq ft at least. I have 2400 sq ft on my main, just looking roughly at yours looks to be at least 3500 sq ft main. Anyway, even if we use 6200 sq that is close to 1.4 million.

If that is a fixed contract with $900,000 and you specified most of allowances. Sign as fast as possible and run laughing to the bank. I think your structure will at least cost that, not including standard allowances.

This post was edited by Happydoc on Tue, Oct 15, 13 at 0:27

Sorry to hear about the frustrating setbacks.

I can understand not wanting to be restricted by a bank, so if you have sufficient funds to build without financing, great!

>>>>"I don't know if it's because we have unrealistic expectations about the pricing or if we are being taken advantage of?"

If all of the area builders are giving you roughly the same pricing, that probably is the real number (if not low). Have you looked at selling prices of similar existing homes of this size and quality in your area? Your custom build probably will cost more.

Unless someone in your family has a lot of experience building, I would think you would get your house more quickly and perhaps even with less cost, by using a builder. When you say the ones you have met with have been "wishy-washy" do you mean that they have not been able to give you a specific price estimate? There's so much variation in selections (even in structure, insulations, systems, rough plumbing, etc.) that I don't think they could give you a firm price without detailed construction documents. The builders you've met with, have they done similar projects before, or is this considered unusually large/luxury for your area? If so, that might account for some of the hesitation.

Also, building a house can result in a lot of conflict when there are only 2 adults making decisions -- I think it must be even harder when you have to factor in input from more people. I would think this would be a particularly stressful scenario in which to be an owner-builder. Would you not find it useful to have a neutral third party to help you get through the process? Building your dream house should be fun -- or, at least, it should not be a nightmare. . .

While your land may be used as a "down payment" for mortgage purposes, it doesn't lessen the construction cost at all. Even if they value the land at 400K, the home still costs 1M to build, and that money has to come from somewhere. All that means is that the overall project's cost is 1.4M. And in that range, most construction loans will still require more than the 400K of land costs down to finance the loan. Because, it will cost MORE to construct than the home will be worth at the end of construction. You will have to have an appraisal for loan purposes, and that doesn't take into account the cost to create the structure at all. It takes into account the location and square footage of the structure primarily. If the home is surrounded by $100 a square foot appraised homes, even if they are 4000 square foot homes, your $200 a square foot construction cost 6000 square foot home, might appraise for $110 a square foot. Or, it might appraise for $90 a square foot as a penalty for being so oversized as compared to the neighborhood. And that's why any bank will want more down payment than just the land.

If I were going to build the home you've shown here, I would want a builder who was very experienced in building homes of this size and complexity. If I couldn't find a builder I was comfortable building this home, I would talk to an architect and work on plans for which I could find a builder.

In your situation, I'd be tempted to build a single family home that was less extensive, and a guest cottage for one of the generations.

Green Designs, You just helped me understand where the OP's coming from -- now I understand her comments, and I see where she's been wrong about calling the land a "downpayment".

Zone4Newby, Your suggestion to build a guest cottage is an excellent idea. It would be so practical later, when one or more generations are no longer in the house, to be able to close off that part of the . . . can't say house, we'll say "estate". Children, too, might eventually want to take up residence in the guest cottage. It won't decrease the cost of this expensive build, but it also won't be any more expensive, and it'll add versatility for the future.

Samjal,
I hope you build as a big a house as you and your family want and can comfortably afford! How great that you are so close to your large extended family.

Given your lack of building experience, I agree you should not manage this process yourself. You will not be able to spot subtle things being done wrong.

Building a home is a tough and complicated job. You need to find a builder/general contractor you like and has a good reputation and let them do their job.

It may seem like it costs more to do it this way. But I believe you actually will spend way more than you expect if you try to manage it yourself, due to mistakes and things that need to be redone and delays. Not to mention the amount of time you need to be available to manage the job and frustrations.

I am still confused about the financing. If you own the land outright, great, you do not have to pay for it. But if you pay for the home build instead of financing, you need to come up with the entire cost of the build. And do not forget to leave $ for landscaping, furniture, increase in property tax once the house is built, living costs while it is being built especially if it takes longer than expected, moving costs.

As far as the design, work on it until it is just right for you.

Owning the land is a great headstart.

Congratulations on the opportunity to build your dream home! I do look forward to hearing more along the way if you are willing to post updates.

Lafdr

oops duplicate

This post was edited by lafdr on Sat, Oct 19, 13 at 16:42

Samjal, I'm in the process of designing my house and was studying yours. Have you thought about putting your curved staircase in the center of the house, it'll be a pity to have such a beautiful piece hidden to the side upon entry into the foyer. And maybe put the sitting area where the stair case is, and move the great room where the sitting area is?

I'll be following this thread as I'm a newbie and am learning a great deal from this forum.

Sorry I've been missing for a while, but here's some updates:

We decided not to finish the basement, and do it at a later date, and we also removed the circular stairs (I'm heartbroken but ill live!) that alone cut the cost down from the high $900's to $840,000.

Mrs. Pete:

We took your idea about the guest room and are putting a walk in tub in there. Also, the stairs were switched out so the laundry on the second floor was enlarged.

Caben: yes we are planning a basement but decided to finish at another date. And no kidding about the 5-8 million...but look at the differences between Ohio and Cali! We're under 3 feet of snow half the year and you could be laying at the beach. The prices are worth it to me lol. I hate the cold!

Robin0919: I'm not sure if our area is union or not. And I asked about jack and Jill's during the planning phase, and was told by the builder and architect that it's not even that big of a deal for those bedrooms to have a jack and Jill. The builder said the savings wouldn't be that huge, and also my parents wanted each bedroom with their own bathroom.

Mrspete and zone4newby;

The idea for a guest cottage is great! I wish we could, and the inspiration for our house came from a plan that had a guest cottage. What concerns me about the cottage is we get a lot of cold weather here, so I can't imagine my grandmother walking out from her room to the main house to come and eat for dinner or something during the cold, or during a storm etc...
Lafdr: the reason I wanted to see about owner building is because we so renovations to commercial properties all the time. We were just unsure if we needed a builder or not because we know who we want to do our framing, HVAC, flooring, roofing and basement etc. but we decided just to stick with our builder.

Mangomommaandkids: I like that idea, but the reason we set the house up the way it is, Is because sometimes we have so many people at our home that we'd combine the great room and dining room to use as one big area.

Happy doc: the home is 4400 sq ft on the first floor, 2800 sq ft on the second floor and the basement is another 4400 so it's about 12,000 sq ft but the basement will not be finished yet.

We have complete construction documents and pricing which is now at $846,000 because we removed the circular stairs and finished basement. We have most of the stuff itemized as well. One of the only things we don't have priced is some marble flooring and pillars/columns for the balconies and terraces outside. We are getting all of it for free but are just unsure about the cost of shipping.

Wow! 12,000 sq ft for $846! I am obviously fretting about my ~4000 sq ft build in Nebraska with no marble, lots and lots of DIY, etc for no good reason!
You will have to update us when you are done as to what the total actually came to. It is a lot cheaper to build in the Midwest.than a lot of these other places, but shocked that you have a contract for $70 per sq ft! Good luck.