building a house (buying new Constr.)

[fly boy]

Everything will be built to code but you might want to see what insulation they put in, getting it upgraded now can save in the long run.
Each builder is different but paint is paint. See if they will do two tone or different colors in different rooms if you want something other than white.
Make sure grading is included around the house and you aren't left with a mess
See if AC is included.
See if you can pick the front door out
What type of windows are included. Now is the time to upgrade is you want something better or more efficient

Get yourself a full set of the blueprints so you can keep an eye on what is being built.
I had a Classic home built years ago, and snagged a copy of the prints from the sales office.

We'd stop by a few times a week in the evening to see how the house was progressing.
Throughout the construction, I had to visit the foreman multiple times to correct work that had been done.
Things like:
Plumbing placement in the unfinished basement - exposed pipes did not line up with where the finished walls were going to go in.
Mechanical room placement of appliances and vents
Light fixture and switch placement
Exterior window trim - sub tried to take shortcuts
Front porch trim - more shortcuts
Etc.

They tried to argue at first, but after showing them on the plans where they screwed up, they just started taking my word for it and fixing as they went.

Check everything from the foundation up - the sooner you find a problem, the cheaper and more likely it is for them to fix it right.

Also, check the drainage plan - I've known many new homeowners who had minor to major drainage issues which could have been completely avoided in the beginning, but once the foundation is in, you're stuck with possibly extensive measures to mitigate it.

Good luck

Huge helps!!! I am now starting a word document of all this together so we can make sure we stay on top of all this!