Agreed. Solve the moisture/humidity/condensation problem first, then afterward, choose the flooring. What are your goals? Hard surfaces that are unaffected by moisture are ideal, but possibly cold. There are floating floors that could be an option which will be slightly warmer in feeling. A good basement with proper drain tile, no moisture problems, proper dehumidification, and good HVAC can use carpet with little risk of problems.

If an ordinary residential unit won't work for you, then you should consider something such as a Santa Fe, Ultra Aire, or another unit made by Therma-Stor. These are the kind that can be ducted, have air filters, etc. You probably will need to purchase and install through a professional HVAC company. 

My professional fireplace company has two options, of which we've implemented one for our clients in the past. If you want to essentially permanently block it off, there is something like an "air pillow" which will blow up inside the flue to block it.

The solution we've used is a spring-loaded chimney cap. It sits on top of your masonry chimney flue above the roof. It has a long chain which comes into your fireplace. You use the chain to release it when you want to burn a fire. You pull the chain down to seal it when you are not having a fire.

Added advantage: better energy efficiency and indoor air quality! Keeps air from blowing out the chimney or being sucked backward through the chimney into the house!

In our market (Wisconsin) we normally call the electrician for that work. The problem is that few trades are fully integrated. Often times the vent size will change and the electrician will not normally do that. You will probalby have to have a HVAC contractor change the vent size. And then you might need to have a drywaller patch drywall as well.

If you want one stop shopping, you can have a professional Remodeler coordinate the whole thing and a skilled carpenter will change the vent size and patch the drywall after completion.

There are many types of custom builders out there, just like there are many types of homeowners. The one qulaity that is the most important is if the builders you talk to take the time to listen and to find out if you are a match for each other.

There are many one-size-fits-all builder types, but that is only acceptable if your goal is to create a one-size-fits-all type of space.

Take your time. Get a feel for how your builder answers your questions, and take notice how many questions he or she asks. At the end of the interview were you excited about your project? Did your builder present ideas and offer options that are budget appropriate? Do you know exactly where you stand, with a clear path forward? Do you feel comfprtable?

These are the most important questions. Truly, if you have found a builder who meets these needs, there are very few complications that can lead to a negative experience, because if you have someone you feel free to communicate with, then you have someone who you can work with.

I'd expect that you have a warranty longer than just 30 days. Probably at least 1 year, right? I'll base my answer on that premise.

In the first 30 days, you should look for things that are incomplete or not installed to the Standards Manual referenced in your contract. (My contract references the Residential Construction Quality Standards of the Wisconsin Builders Association.) If there were things promised in written or verbal contracts, change orders, etc that are not done.

Over the course of a full year, the lumber will fully dry out and the house will have gone through its seasonal shrinkage and expansion due to humidity & temperature changes. You should expect your contractor to repair screw pops and drywall seams one time in your warranty period. If you notice areas of trim that weren't puttied, expect them to touch it up then.

Any other things you can think of that you have questions about?

A New Construction window includes nailing fins used to fasten the window in place and to flash it, helping to make it airtight and waterproof. This usually requires installation of new interior woodwork, and sometimes touch-up painting of the interior drywall. It also can require removal of the siding around the window, or new wide trim installation, depending on circumstances.

A replacement window fits inside of the current window frame, leaving the original exterior & interior window frame & trim in place. This is a quicker and less expensive method of replacing windows. But it can also leave existing problems in place. IE, if there is air leakage between the existing window jamb and rough opening, a replacement window will not solve it. If there is rotted wood, the rotted wood often gets covered by aluminum cladding but is not necessarily removed/repaired.

There are some good companies who do a good job of replacement winodws and I'm not putting down the good ones. There are also some really bad ones, who sell throw-away window products that are a good stop-gap measure. IE, replace 2 worst windows while you wait to replace the entire house full of windows and do new siding and energy improvements all at once.

For this reason, my company almost always installs New Construction windows and usually does so at the same time as a whole-house improvement with better insulation, air sealing, and new siding-soffit-fascia as well. It's the best practice if its what your home needs and you can afford to do it right. I suggest saving up to do it right, even if you need to live with a deteriorating product a little longer. It's better for your home in the long run, and better for our nation's housing stock as well!

The photos below show before, during, and after-- a new construction window, without installing new siding. 

Showing some rough-construction photos too of the type of damage that we often discover and fix. How we install peel-n-stick flashing to make a window replacement be "as-good" as a new home construction. If we're replacing the siding, we can literally do so. WIthout replacing siding, we're limited to the amount of surface we have exposed.

Make sure the room is well sealed. I don't know how old your house is, but there is a surprising amount of noise that can leak in around poor quality windows. If you need to replace the windows, find out about ones that are good for sound reduction, such as sometimes are retrofitted near airports. You could also add a storm window that specializes in sound reduction, again often used near airports. 

Here's a company that I know of. I've not installed this product, but I use some of their other products: http://www.monray.com/focus.htm#sound

Otherwise, if you install new siding on the house, you can evaluate whether you can add dense-packed cellulose in the wall cavities, or a thick layer of foam insulation under the siding. Brick masonry with a proper air space of about 1" could also help to absorb the sound and not pass it on through the wall.

Hope this helps.

You might want to have a energy assessment done through a program such as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR or a utility-specific program in your area. WIndows often cost a LOT (for a quality product) compared to the amount of energy they can save. So if they are physically falling apart, you definitely need to replace them. If you can't open them, its a problem! If air blows though them, its a problem. A little frost is commen in a northern climate. A qualified energy assessor can help you determine the value in replacing them compared to other things in the house that you might also need to fix and not even know about! Air leakage is the biggest source of heat loss in most cases, and needs to be fixed before insulation can be added.

Investigate a bunch of contractors. Interview several of them. Narrow your list down to the ones you actually would be willing to do business with.

Be truthful with them about the amount of money you want to spend, and, are willing to spend if necessary to create the perfect project. Find a company that has a process that fits you, someone you trust, someone who communicates with you the way you want.

If you aren't truthful with them, do you think you can trust them to sense that and be truthful with you? Are you someone who likes to bargain? If so then maybe you give them a lowball number, they give you a high number, you negotiate and meet in the middle and then, do either of you feel like you trust each other?

Rather, find someone you can be confident with. Someone who is willing to speak frankly with you about prices. Call their referrals, and ask the questions that you are most afraid of! Find out how they dealt with it. Find out what things when wrong (they always do) and how the remodeler handled it. With a temper? With reluctance? In a way that was fair to all involved?

Good luck!