Astraea, from what I have read, it seems the force of that tornado leaves nothing unscathed. Kutchie mentioned silos made from concrete 16 ins thick being reduced to rubble - how thick would walls need to be!!! If they can dig a whole in the ground 6ft deep that is a long way down for a basement to be. One would think though NASA could come up with something - spaceships have to withstand huge forces. I was so relieved to hear tonight that the death toll is nowhere near as high as first thought, in fact only a third. Of course one death is tragic and the poor little kids who drowned was horrible. Unfortunately, the mob next door are exempt from zoning laws, they have special protection as part of the Govt's cost cutting methods. Instead of having facilities for serious mentally disabled people they lease homes and, in this case, put 5 of them into the home with full time live-in carers. This is the first time the owners have ever trimmed the trees, despite my constant requests for them to do so. We even had to chop one back that is on the street front as the postman couldn't get to our letter box. This time they have taken the top off them although it is still not necessary for them to be so high, but they did have the power lines running through them which was the biggest concern. I have been going to complain to the Council about them a few times but there is not a lot they can do, I would have to go to some mediation board that has been set up for this sort of thing but it is too far away. The main issue I have is that if any work is done on them, it all has to be done from my side which means they are clomping over my garden and I get the mess, but if I stop them, which I do have the right to do, then I have to put up with the trees right over my side garden and driveway. Legally, they should come to my door and ask permission to enter my property but of course workmen never do. I'm actually wondering if the Charity that runs the home may have organised it as they pruned every tree and shrub on the property, but it is the first time it has been done in about 20 years, so at this rate I may never see them again.

Hi. I'd recommend reading the YourHome Technical manual if you wish to undertake the design work yourself. It will give you the grounding you need in order to understand the site, building elements and possible types of construction that would be relevant to your part of Australia. You will also need to decide which elements of your existing shed are conducive to achieving the goals your set for your home (the Brief) i.e. the structure may be good but you may need to increase or move openings and you will definitely want to install insulation but be careful of creating condensation issues too. Good luck. Look forward to seeing what you come up with

Two plants I can suggest that I have chosen for my garden, are virtually unkillable, will grow in almost ANY soil or weather conditions & require little maintenance are: butterfly/african iris & Celtic Cascade tree. Both can be left to go a little wild for a natural look, or be cared for, to fit perfectly in a more formal garden. In regards to the iris, I removed my entire garden of mature, property damaging trees when I moved into my new house, but didn't want to wait years for a new mature garden, so I searched online for ppl selling/giving fully grown specimens away before they did renovations or re landscaped! The plants were a cinch to dig up, replant in my heavy clay soil & are thriving! I even cut some of them in half before planting and it didn't phase them!

You’re putting the cart before the horse. An OC comes at the end of your building project and ensure that you’ve complied with your building permit. And to get a building permit you need a planning permit. The local Council will issue the planning permit. I’d start with the Council website. And most Councils are happy to advise you in the feasibility of your project over the phone. And you will need a planning permit for a shed >10sq metres. It is the planning permit that determines what type of dwelling you can build on your land. On a base level you will need to connect to sewage and stormwater disposal if it’s available or have Council approved methods of disposal if not. You will need a kitchen and some sort of laundry with a trough. And toilet and washing facilities. There will be minimum and maximum sizes of dwelling for your land. In some areas the power distributor requires you to pay a service fee even if you don’t connect to the poles. And connection to the poles can be many thousands of dollars depending how far away they are and if underground connections are required. There are forums on the web for shed dwellers, small houses and off-grid properties - worth googling and reading.