20% savings does sound awfully high for just 2 more inches in walls .

I believe it. A nominal 2x4 is actually only 3.5" wide, and a 2x6 is 5.5" wide. That's 57% wider walls with a 2x6. With good windows in either case, I think 20% sounds legitimate.

if you want to soundproof your walls, insulation helps, but a lot of sound is carried through your studs much like a paper cup telephone. buy putting a bead of construction caulk or fireproofing caulk on each stud before drywall goes up you can elimanate soundwaves traveling through the studs. metal studs are worse about this.

Brick homes can actually be worse. Brick will absorb and hold heat from the sun. You can feel the heat being emitted off of sun exposed brick after the sun has gone down.

2x6 walls will give you up to 50% more insulating capacity. Worth every penny in the long run.

Offset 2x4 studs on a 2x6 plate is the best method.

Explain please. I'm missing how your sheet rock and base board works out on interior walls with 2x4 sitting on 2x6 .

Back up generator for the house.
If your on a septic tank can you run some of the gray water out? Not sure if that's legal but helps with filling up the septic

"Just brick it"!

30 year dimensional shingles , installed by a old school guy who nails them in the sweet spot.

Make bathroom countertops kitchen height (36") , it's common now , but back in the day they were lower. Unless there's midgets in the house never could figure that one out.

If youre building and are going to stay until youre old and grey.
Make the Bathroom handicap accessible and the doorways wider than normal and spare no expense on closet space (youll collect a lot over time) and the same goes for the kitchen

Good suggestion , standard wheel chair will go through a 30" door but 32" is better.

Since we're on doors , a 36" on the laundry room makes life easier when getting a washer and dryer in and out.

Send your builder my way then. I am going to have home built off grade on waterfront, and he can catch fresh fish every afternoon before going home. I don't think I could build it myself for that.

You offset 2x4s on 16" centers flush to each side of the 2x6 plate. It will appear as if the studs are on 8" centers. By doing this there is a gap of 1-3/4" from the back of each stud to the drywall on the other side. This reduces sound transmission of low frequency wavelengths (bass) through the studs. Weave batt insulation in the cavities and you will have an excellent sound barrier.

I follow now. I'd say that would help alright, seems like a lot of work and expense for reward . Would make it interesting installing doors.

Easy. If you have a door opening uses 2x6 studs for the jambs and order the frame in the right depth. This type wall is typically used when you have bedrooms adjacent to another room and want to reduce the sound between them and there are usually no doors in that wall. I've done it on a few occasions and its effective.

Right, special order frames or build them from scratch from the slab, adds $. Building door units from slabs on the job site is a dying art . Lot of old school carpentry is a dying art for that matter.

That is what I was thinking too. Also, make sure you can get around in the kitchen with one. A lot of people are putting islands in their kitchen, make sure you can get around it. Also, don't forget about aging parents. One may need a bedroom on the bottom floor that is ready for them with a bathroom and shower that is wheelchair accessible.

Put enough faucets on the outside to be able to use a garden hose/pressure washer to wash the house down periodically.