Building A Custom Home:
If you're able to build a new house then I would strongly suggest doing some preliminary "homework" before sitting down with your home designer (which hopefully will be me). If you see floor plans or photos in a magazine that you like be sure and clip them out. Even if you have examples of 6 different kitchens you will see a consistent theme; whether it's a large island, expansive cooking area, etc. Don't be afraid to make a line sketch on a plain piece of plain white paper or graph paper. Many times I've had people ask me if they should purchase plans from either a catalog or a book. I tell them "No" for two reasons: One, I'd rather get the design business; and Two, clients always, ALWAYS, make enough changes to render the catalog plans useless. The design process can take a few weeks, from preliminary plans to final drawings, but the biggest benefit is that you will get EXACTLY the home that you want.