Can I suggest looking into having a quantity surveyor assess your property (and you can claim the cost of having this done). They will provide a depreciation schedule for you which will tell you how much each item will depreciate in value over the maximum number of years you can claim. If an item is at the end of its depreciable life, they will tell you what you are able to replace. Even if you only have tenants for a short while, you are able to claim depreciation for a pro-rata period that your asset is income producing. What all this means for you in terms of design - there may be ways to improve the look of your property in line with what you will want it to look like when you eventually move in, which could gain you a tax benefit. Of course, you have to have the $$ to spend on it in the first place. Oh - and in terms of furniture - do you know about Casey Auctions in Hallam? they are close by and you may pick up some really good bargains. I know we did!

Hi chook! Just a quick pop in to see what's going on and I see where your daughter is getting a new bed. It is very nice and she will love it, I'm sure. So glad you got the winning bid! Exciting, huh? Talk later. :)

@fianou, Thank you for your kind words, I agree it's coming along, although not everyone knows that we've been building this home for 8 years now, using only our own money as humble farmers!!! We live in a tiny but comfortable7 square, (roughly) relocatable home and I personally can't wait to get into my new home with all the room and room to put everything in it's place!!! Right now all my posessions are boxed or wraped and in storage in various locations here on the property like our woolshed and an old caravan, as well as things stored in my mother's home a few kms away and with the home having just been sold, means I will have to move this furniture here and add to the mountain of things already in storage!! I'm sorry to say and hope I don't offend, that I don't have an affinity with hanging pots and plants and hubby would literally "cringe" at the thought of growing a vine up our new posts ha-ha I have got a pair of large pots either side of the front door , visible in the photo, housing Wisteria's that I hope to be able to keep tamed and they shoud look lovely when in flower. I originally planned to have about 20 standard roses along the front of the home but they are too much work I've decided and more often than not look quite shabby at certain times, especially when they are dormant, so instead, I have decided to plant several standard grevilleas in a nice stone mulch with a brick border as is the rest of my garden for easy mowing. I actually have quite a large garden but mulch is definitely the way to go and I have used a few different types of stone mulch, as well as tree mulch and woodchips and this reduces my weeding workload, the bain of all gardeners. I'm almost 60 and want to enjoy my home and garden but do not want it to become a burden but should I ever consider a hanging basket, perhaps indoors, I will be reminded of you!!! ha-ha Cheers, Barbara

The vintage green tiles in the first picture are lovely. The darker ones below with the bevelled edges are just so wrong in the setting shown. I am also a lover of green but you have to get the right tone and keep the shape as smooth and flat as possible. I am a big believer in having just one standout element of design in a tile - either its unusual in shape with a matt finish or a special colour with no fussy edges.