re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house

Gotcha. My wife is an attorney also in Alex. We would like to build something in the near future.

Plan, plan, plan. It will make everything much easier.
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do a layout and walkthru of everything before it's constructed. don't be like my idiot neighbor and build your driveway so close to the property line that you can only get 1 car into a 2 car garage. they cut it down to the point that the turning radius makes it impossible. 250 grand house that's unfunctionable. unbelievable.

Build around the lot you want. If you are patient, especially if you odn't know exactly what you want, you can take your time preparing the lot for the house. Once you know where the house is going to go on the lot, you can start putting in utilities, water pipes, and a sewage plant as well as building up the pad. The more time you have to let the dirt settle and compact naturally, the less you will have to pay for someone to do that for you. Being able to build up the foundation pad in stages allows for less expensive excavation and a more compact and stable foundation.

Another great way to help is by keeping your options open. If there are additions you'd like to make in the future, planning for them when you build the house can save you a ton of money in the long run. A few examples follow:

1. When my dad built my family's house, he wanted to have an upstairs, but couldn't afford to build a two-story house. So, he used larger wood beams where he wanted the second story to go, designed the attic to have enough room for a 2nd story room, and left room to put a stair case. This cost him a couple grand extra at the time, but it allowed him to add an upstairs a couple years later for a fraction of the cost of what it would have been had he not taken those precautions

2. Running a gas line to your patio opens up the possibility of a future outdoor kitchen, heated swimming pool (not a practical feature in Louisiana), outdoor gas lamps, or a hot tub.

3. Running axial cable to the patio allows you to later install a patio TV.

4. Planning where your bathrooms go can save you thousands by sharing plumbing walls, you can also save money on a wet bar by having it share a plumbing wall with a bathroom.

My wife and I have been working with our contractor for a year to "get it right." The plans have been certified by an engineer and are on their way to permitting. If all goes well, we pour the slab this spring.

Must haves: 6" walls for better insulation, high quality windows, radiant floor heating with geothermal heat pump, 10kw pv system, proper orientation to take advantage of passive solar, large laundry/pantry with dog washing tub, professional cook top and dual ovens, large kitchen island with food prep sink, lots of light including under cabinet lighting in kitchen, lots of storage in kitchen and baths, finished attic for storage, large garage with attached shop area, receptacles in baseboards, hardwood floors(bamboo), lights or solar tubes in all closets, inside/outside sound system (e.g., Sonos).

Appliance garage on wife's vanity , cable/elec for outdoor tv.

Are you doing separate bath rooms? That's the rage. I highly recommend it. Not his/her vanities. His/her bathrooms.