After I had finished my Archi Masters I was working for an architecture firm who also did a small amount of work for a volume builder. They were actually a pretty good quality builder and at least got the orientation of their 'pre-designed' plans correct. We had the ability to make minor changes to every job and it pained me to see so many simple to implement passive options not being incorporated. Had most of their clients known that they would be saving MONEY over the longterm by making a few minor changes to suit their site, they all would have done it. The problem is unless someone can sell this idea to them as a financial/lifestyle choice, many just think it is about saving the world. It is a no-brainer if you have in interest in it, but for those who don't know, there is no-one there selling it to them, especially on the lower end of the market.

Hi Kylie. Quality of an appliance is hard to answer. We've used all of the brands you've mentioned with varying results. And the manufacturers don't always play fair with what you are getting. I have been to China with the reps of a 'brand name' appliance company looking for new models that were simply a rebadged product. It was all about buy cost landed vs sell cost. Not one ounce of quality assurance and the features that the public were going to get were simply what the factory had already designed. We've always worked on the basis that Gaggenau are the most expensive, then Miele then Smeg, and that's how people perceive the quality. I've seen clients install all of the above, and not one of them doesn't have a story to tell about a dud. For ourselves, we use Smeg, as it is not the most expensive but is still recognized as a brand name. We had a dud cooktop for cleaning once but otherwise have had nothing but good experiences over many houses. We have installed Gaggenau for a client. Would I pay the money for it? Well, if I had their money I guess I would but as I don't I can't justify it as nothing more than a want (not a need) Cheers

The plan looks a nightmare - bedrooms facing the street, a tiny internal bathroom with no window to the outside (is that legal?) and a "lounge" that looks like it was meant to be a third bedroom. If the internal walls are stud and don't support the roof you're in with a chance, but I'd say to do a proper job the cheap option is NOT going to work. I'd put two bedrooms where the current family room and lounge are and extend the bathroom into the boot room to give window access, or scrap the current bathroom altogether and use some of the space in what is now the kitchen for a new one. Keeping the WC separate is a good move. If you make the street side the social side of the house you can open it right out and create a big front porch that's a social spill-over from the kitchen/dining area, creating indoor-outdoor flow. Planting (two or three shade trees and some stands of tall perennials rather than a "green fence" hedge) keeps your front garden private yet inviting and stops your front porch becoming a stage set for the street. Good luck! I think you'll turn this very ordinary house into a much nicer place to live!

Hi there. I’m currently assessing quotes to have a 7x4 concrete pool and spa 2x2 installed in Melbourne. Roughly the same nation wide, Ballpark to get a quality job done, you should allow $90k+. We have poor access though which adds man hour cost. Might sound like a lot of $ but jump online, find some builders with gallery of previous work you like and get them to do an inspection of your site, and advise quote. So many variables to factor in: excavation access, tiling, space for filtering equipment, pool heating. I wouldn’t go near a vinyl option if it’s your long term home. Maybe a fibreglass if budget is a factor