Congratulations! Watching your very own house grow is beautiful experience!

I like the way this builder does the appliances. I have a $2500 allowance to visit a specified appliance store and choose a fridge, range, hood and dishwasher. I think that's a reasonable allowance for mid range appliances (unless this store's game is to rip off captive customers). If I want better stuff I can pay the difference.

Speaking of ranges, why American ones seem to always have controls positioned so that in order to reach them one has to put one's arm over flames or deep-fry one's sleeve? Isn't front of the appliance (or right top margin) better place for them? BTW, on this side of the pond the most popular type lately seems to be electric range covered with smooth glass (or is it ceramic) surface. Gets hot (and cools down) almost as fast as gas, easy to control precisely, very easy to clean, nothing to explode... And I would most definitely go for separate oven mounted almost at eye level, rather than 'combined' stove - I love to watch dough raising and roast browning without bending...

I don't even get a walkway from the driveway to the front door. This was a disappointment also.

So, your car gets to enter the house without getting its tires muddy, but you don't? As Asterix would say putting his index finger to his temple, "These Americans are crazy!"