There’s a quick browse list in the project report section of the community – created wiki for “whole house” projects which should have some interesting topics for you.
As far as Zwave plus, that’s the newest generation of Zwave, so the devices are just starting to come on the market. The GE models have been certified, but aren’t fully into the supply chain yet. Those and some other brands should all be available in the next few months.
The two biggest advantages for Z wave plus with regard to light switches are significantly longer range and much easier pairing in place. Both are very helpful for light switches, so if you can wait for those, I would.
The following post should also be helpful:
As for brands and features, you’ve probably already seen the following thread, but just in case… The light switch discussion starts around post 40.
