Congrats on the new house!
Solid wire is used for fixed installations like in walls, the stranded is used for patch cords.
Some things to keep in mind about the wiring. There is a wire gauge difference between cat 5 and cat 6 wire. Cat 5 is a smaller gauge (I wan to say 24 gauge) and CAT 6 is 22-24Gauge. This comes into play when using connectors/punchdowns. Try not to mix technologies, the size difference is enough to cause headaches when punching down or putting on connectors. Using cat6 connectors for instance with cat5 wire will result in loose punchdowns or insufficient piercing of the insulation for connectors. Also, cat5 and cat6 are rated at different frequencies, the mixing of techonologies again can cause weird reflections from endpoints that werent rated at the higher frequencies.
The patch panel is a great idea, just pay attention to the twists in the cable and try to keep them twisted (as they were in the sheathing) all the way to the punchdown. This will help with noise rejection and just provide a better interconnect.
DQ
