The book · 2026 Edition
Every decision, before it becomes a regret.
The Complete Home Selection Checklist is the 3,284-decision master list for anyone building a house — the outlet heights, the cabinet grades, the drainage details, and the 3,000 other calls a builder assumes you already know. Organized, explained, and ready to check off.
Why it exists
Nobody hands you the list.
Three months after move-in, almost every owner has the same conversation: the list of things they wish they'd thought of before the walls closed. An outlet that should have been six inches higher. The blocking nobody added for the grab bars. The pantry outlet that never made the plan.
Your builder makes these calls silently, hundreds of times, using what's cheapest or fastest by default. This checklist puts every one of those decisions in front of you first — in plain language, in the order they come up on a real job.
- "I wish we'd raised the garage outlets for the freezer."Chapter 16 — Outlets and Power Locations
- "Every room is a slightly different shade of white."Chapter 24 — Paint and Interior Finishes
- "We found out about the sealing after the counters were in."Chapter 27 — Countertops, Backsplash, and Sinks
- "No one blocked the walls for future grab bars."Chapter 49 — Accessibility and Aging in Place
Get the checklist
The whole list, one download.
All 3,284 decisions across 50 chapters — the interactive digital edition you check off as you build, on any device. Buy it once, keep it for good.
The Complete Home Selection Checklist
The interactive PDF you check off as you go, on any device.
- All 3,284 decisions across 50 chapters
- Clickable checkboxes that remember your place
- A plain-language note on why each choice matters
- Jump-to table of contents and 14 fill-in worksheets
- California / LA code notes throughout
- Free lifetime updates — new editions at no charge
All sales are final. This is a digital download you keep permanently, so it can't be returned once it's yours — please read what's included above, and the preview below, before buying. Free lifetime updates come with it. If the file is faulty or won't download, tell me and I'll fix it.
Interactive preview
See exactly how it works
This is the digital edition in miniature. Check a decision off, tap why to see the note that comes with it, and leave yourself a reminder in the notes column.
The full edition carries this behavior across all 3,284 decisions, and your progress saves as you go.
What's inside
Fifty chapters, in build order
Organized the way the job actually happens — from the dirt up to the final walkthrough — so each decision reaches you before the trade that needs it shows up.
Site, Structure & Shell
- Lot, site work, and land clearing
- Foundation and framing
- Roofing and weather protection
- Windows, doors, and entry
Systems & Rough-In
- Plumbing, water heating, and HVAC
- Electrical service and panel
- Outlets, switches, and lighting
- Low voltage, network, and smart home
Enclosure
- Insulation, air sealing, and sound control
- Drywall and wall finishes
Interior
- Trim, millwork, flooring, and paint
- Kitchen layout, cabinets, and countertops
- Appliances and pantry
- Bathrooms and laundry
Site Finishes & Exterior Living
- Driveways, walkways, and drainage
- Landscaping, fencing, and pools
- ADU and guest quarters
- Accessibility and aging in place
Explained, not just listed
- A plain-language note on every decision
- "Ask your builder" prompts per chapter
- California / LA code notes where they bite
- 14 fill-in worksheets
The questions I get most
Is this only for a ground-up new build?
No. It's organized around a new build because that's where every decision comes up, but the chapters map cleanly onto a whole-house remodel or an ADU too. You use the parts that touch your scope and skip the rest — the checkboxes remember what you've cleared.
How is this different from the free SoCal checklist?
The free checklist is a 12-page pre-purchase screen — what to verify about a property before you commit. This is the full 209-page decision log for once you're building: 3,284 individual selections with the reasoning behind each. The free one helps you buy; this one helps you build.
Do I need construction experience to use it?
No. Every decision comes with a plain-language note on what it is and why it matters, so you're never staring at a term you don't know. If you can read a list and ask a direct question, you can work through it.
Is the code information specific to California?
The decisions themselves apply anywhere. Where California and Los Angeles rules change the answer — hillside grading, energy code, defensible space — the book flags it inline in a California / LA note. Always confirm the specifics with your local building department, since rules differ by city and change over time.
What does "free lifetime updates" mean?
Codes and products change. When the checklist is revised — new codes, new products, new lessons — you get the updated edition at no charge, for good. Buy it once.
What if it's not for me?
Because it's an instant digital download, all sales are final — there's no refund once the file is yours. That's why the preview above is a real working section rather than a teaser: read it, check the fifty chapters listed below, and buy only if it's clearly for you. If the file itself is faulty or won't download, that's on me and I'll sort it out.
Start before the walls close
Make the 3,284 decisions on purpose.
The regret list is just the decisions someone else made for you. Get the checklist, and make them yourself — in order, with the reasoning in front of you.
Get the Complete Checklist — $47 Instant download · free lifetime updates · all sales final