You Are on Your Own
After looking at close to 2000 new houses and at least that many more floor plans in the last 8 years, having written Build It Right! and talked to many, many readers, I've found that builders and sales agents don't discuss user-friendliness if it won't help the bottom line. In fact, in most cases they don't even know about it! What you get in the house is very much up to you. It really is caveat emptor.

Here's what Jim Irvine, a past president of the National Association of Home Builders, says in his forward to the book:

"Build It Right! takes you step by step through the home building process as your dream becomes a reality. One of the greatest challenges in getting that new house is understanding what is 'right' for you. Reading Mr. Ferguson's book will help you make those determinations before you move in and find that the light switch is in the wrong place or the closet is too small. Build It Right! helps you not only define 'quality' but helps you understand how to communicate that definition to your builder."

There Is Help!
In other words, the builder depends on you to tell him what you want in as much detail as is important to you. If you are using an architect or designer, you may get more helpful suggestions but don't bank on it. Generally they're no more sensitized to user-friendliness and functionality than builders. That's where this site and Build It Right! come in. The book was written after I realized just how much better houses could be, often at no more money. This, in turn, led to the website to get the info to as many home buyers and builders as possible.

To Repeat:
    (1) Learn what's user-friendly and what's not.
    (2) Look at models to see friendly and unfriendly.
    (3) Check out the plans/houses you are thinking of seriously.