When it came to choosing products we considered three things: (1) our budget (2) the amount of usage the product would get (3) our goals. In the very early planning stages, we made a list of goals that were important to us and then organized that list starting with things that were absolute must-haves down to things that would be nice to have.
Some of our top priorities were maximizing our lake views, having an open floor plan to encourage togetherness, and building a kitchen ready for entertaining and cooking daily meals for our family. When it came time to purchase a product, we would find what we loved and then consider how it would fit in our budget and if it would help us meet our priorities. We chose higher-end products on things like appliances, flooring, 100 Series windows and E-Series doors from Andersen and then went with lower-end, but still good quality products on things like bathroom vanities, mirrors and plumbing fixtures.