I would like to point out that the homes with fancy trim and cabinetry make for fabulous website pictures. A guy might have great experience in green building, but that doesn't usually photograph well. So you really are going to have to talk to them. A piece of advice we were given when we bought our land was to not look for an architect, but to look for an architectural technologist. As a gross generalization, architects usually do office towers and shopping malls. The technologists do houses. When an architect does houses, they tend to be huge showpieces. As a result, not only are the technologists cheaper, but they are better with the details of houses seeing as it's their specialty, and they have a lot more experience with more modest houses. We ended up with an architect, because we found one that actually likes doing houses, and his price wasn't much more than an AT. I kind of regret hiring him, though, because he's so busy with his commercial buildings that we're an after thought. He tends to forget that we're trying to be economical here, and he spec's crazy things that people don't put in houses. Like 4' wide exterior doors. We went to get quotes, and found that we'd have to have all our doors custom made. We asked why the doors were so wide. Because DH made a comment that he wanted to ensure that we could get furniture in the house. So even the man door on the garage is 4' wide. There's also a 16' wide garage door into the same space.

Why Uniforms should be banned Why? Why should we the children of Calderstone (or any other school) endure this torment! For doing nothing but just practicing our constitutional rights as a citizen or our independence as people. Is our error that we wish to communicate our selves through our outfits? If uniforms are going to be placed then you are removing our free will of expression. I demand a stop I will give three logical justifications on why we shouldnt have uniforms. The foremost reason concentration within the classroom, the second reason the cost of placing this/purchasing this "so-called helpful rule", to finish I would want to state the behavior inside the school as well as outside. Firstly I would want to clearly state my first reason which is concentration within the classrooms. How does concentration increase due to wearing a school uniform compared to a normal outfit? There is no research testifying in favor of higher levels of concentration but there was a research conducted by David.L from the University of Alabama which was a experiment of concretion and the relationship of clothing the result of the experiment was a fail that uniform didnt raise concentration or raise academic levels. Research aside many Principles of schools assume wearing a uniform increase concentration because a child doesnt have to worry what to wear etc. This is bunch of rubbish, children focus better in a comfortable environment and also a comfortable outfit which they will have a decision too. In addition concentration is a choice of a person its a persons own will to concentrate and focus clothes dont make decision people do. It is already hard to for a child to keep his concentration does wearing uniform have a special power that makes kids in to obedient robot? Lastly I would want to say uniforms will only make a child more aggravated and really getting them mad to due the fact of wearing the same thing every day. Secondly I would like to discuss about the money wasted on something so useless. From a finical point of view the argument in favor of having school uniform doesnt make sense either. Believe it or not to make a custom made uniforms cost a lot of money due to the fact that they are produce in limited numbers and that they are made by polycotton and not by cotton. Also many parents are saying that because their childs school has uniform they dont need to buy as much clothes. Well they are wrong because not only does the parent have to purchase the school uniform for winter, summer, and sports but has to buy other clothes for social gathering and going to the mall etc. So you are spending more money rather than saving it! Plus school also tries to make a profit out of the sale it creates. So therefore from a consumers point of view it a huge loss. Lastly I would want to state that the behavior issue with some people say has been resolved with uniforms. Many teachers as well parents say that bulling issues have been solved well they are wrong like I stated in my first paragraph clothes do not control what a person does it is the person own will to decide what to do. In addition many school have uniform to stop kid from showing gang colors or any other misconduct well I would like to say again they are fully wrong it is proven that kid are more often to join a gang due to represent a school, or a city they are from. Furthermore to my argument kids will try to rebel against this act and will try rebel until they get it their way. I can agree if a stranger were to come in the school you can easily tell if he was a stranger because he isnt wearing a uniform. But with all the staff and janitors in the school dont they need to wear a uniform too. It really seems unfair that the staff doesnt have a uniform and we do. I would like to conclude that have a school with uniform would have huge disadvantages. If you want all kids to have the same clothes why dont you make our hair color the same to. They way I would descirbe a school uniform is a disciplinary fashion. Thank you for you time on reading my essay im only 13 and i strongly disagree on uniforms.

@zookeeper - Not sure who you are asking about hardware. I got my knobs and pulls from Notting HIll Hardware which is a small business in the US with completely unique styles. My kitchen has their Praire Tulip pattern in antique copper to complement my Frank Lloyd Wright inspired cabinet doors My master bath uses their Delaney Rose in a cream enamel background My guest bath uses their River Irises pattern in Antique Copper which is vaguely Art Nouveau in design. The hardware was a definite splurge but luckily I had the budget to indulge myself because I didn't see any other stuff that came close to expressing my style :-). I also had sticker shock for a day but somehow the whole process of remodeling becomes to inure one to sticker shock after awhile. :-). Notting HIll Hardware

The only thing a typical buyer will notice is if the windows don’t match. And that won’t be noticed if they are pretty close, and the colors aren’t off. Only 1% even know enough to pay attention to windows or brands. You aren’t marketing to that 1%. You are marketing to the 99%. And this is why staging works. Probably 40% won’t even look behind the window treatments to see the windows at all. They will view broadly, in impressions only. If the home is clean, has fresh paint, and there is no giant steaming pile of poo that draws attention, that’s all that matters. BTW, some savvy sellers use the “giant steaming pile of poo” as another marketing trick. People will focus on the wood floors that need refinishing, or the 70’s harvest gold bathroom, and pay much less attention to the more boring but critical things like the old furnace or poor valley flashing on the roof. This forum is not filled with typical buyers and sellers.