3. Builder appointed and getting started

We chose our builder just before we left for our four-week Home Exchange in Hong Kong, and recently signed the final version of the contract.

The tenants living in the 'shed' on the block told us that they were moving out earlier than expected, so we postponed our trip to China and came home to move ahead with the build.

The project starts on Tuesday 27th April - we are excited! The two rainwater supply tanks are being delivered and setup, the old septic system is being capped off and decommissioned and the demolition is going to start.

2. Designing the house

Next, we (well, Jonathon actually) got out the pencils and paper and started drawing. As the property faces due north it was relatively straightforward to get the general layout. Our major design considerations were:

• Energy efficiency - passive heating and cooling. This involves orienting the house to face true solar north (not magnetic north), minimising windows on the west and south, and ensuring the roof overhangs allow the winter sun to warm the interior of the house and keep the hot summer sun out.
• A lap pool, facing north to maximise the swim season. 
• 2 bedrooms and a large theatre room. We've designed it so that the theatre could be divided into two more bedrooms if required (by any subsequent purchaser)
• Maximising the view from most rooms. 

The layout was constrained by the contours of the land - we only wanted to build on the flat area. We also had to take into account the geotechnical properties (ie the structure of the soil and rock) so that expensive piering is not required.

1. Buying the land

Not long after we finished building our house in Noosa Waters, we sat down one evening with a glass of wine and said 'if we built again, what would we do differently, and what would we keep the same?'  The main thing that we decided we would do differently was to have more land (for privacy, peace and quiet, and to grow some veggies) and to be north-facing. We didn't do anything for a couple of years, as we did enjoy the house and location, but eventually neighbours and dogs began to become more annoying, so we made the decision to move again.