The first house I rented in college was like that with only one breaker for each room (it was built in the 20s so it was expected), drove me nuts.
So while I was planning this I decided a few things.
Both sides will be wired separately with 2 circuits per side plus a dedicated 20A on either side. A little more expensive, but if I want to use larger tools I'll be able to spread the load a bit more.
The lights are on thier own circuit. I don't understand why all rooms aren't wired that way, that way if you blow an outlet breaker you can still see.
No, I had thought about it but spray foam is a bit too permanent, so just going to use the good old pink fiberglass for the walls and some blown loose fiber in the ceiling. That way if I want to add outlets or plumb in a sink in the future it will be a little easier.
That's pretty similar to how I wired my garage up. Though I additionally put in a 240v circuit on either side, which you may want to consider if you plan on woodworking or metalworking with the big tools. If you have the panel space, it's not that much more expensive to do while you have the walls open.
For insulation, check out Rockwool. It's insulation made from stone slag, and has very good insulation and sound absorbing properties. I bought it at Lowes if that's an option for you. It went it incredibly easily with me wearing short sleeves--almost no itching. I did however wear a respirator or mask just to be on the safe side so I wasn't breathing the particles in. I'm not sure if that's required, but I definitely don't regret it.
In my last house I wanted to rescue the hardwood floor under our dining room carpet. After we pulled up the carpet, we found they had put asbestos tile over the hardwood. I hope you have better luck than we did.
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