Have you had the project professionally costed by a quantity surveyor?

ddarroch Thanks for all the great suggestions. Pity indeed about the directions of the sun and view. Can't change the profile of the block only can try to work out the best based on what it is. Very valid points about the heating VS. clerestory windows. We are in the temperate climate region which keeping warm it’s an issue in winter. We have thought about to have low-e glass in the south facing side but looks like we probably need to have double glazing in places like the north facing clerestory windows like you suggest. No ideas how much more double glazing will cost but certainly we need to include a fair amount into our budget. Agree with having a door separating the living from the back of the house like you said. Much better for heating and sound insulation. Again thanks a lot.

Talking about a complex roof design, yes that will increase costs. It will also be a nightmare for solar PV panels (which should be an important consideration for all homes nowadays). Not only will the complex roof increase the complexity & cost of solar installation. The results will look pretty terrible too - if that's an issue - as rectangular panels don't fit well on triangles & trapezoids. One reason for the complex roof - other than Australia's love of hip & valley roofs - is the complex floorplan. A complex shapes footprint will lead to a complex roof. Talking about trying to keep costs down, as you've started, a complex footprint not only results in a complex, costly roof. Complex footprints will increase building costs in other ways. They'll result in a larger external surface area. As external walls are more costly than internal walls, larger external surface areas increase cost. Each corner will increase cost. There's a lot of corners in this building. There's unusual angles, which will also greatly increase costs. On a sloping block a large footprint will lead to much more cutting & filling, much more retaining. I'm not expert, but I'd weight up the costs of a large single storey home on a sloping block, verses a much simpler shaped rectangular home, with a much smaller footprint, double storey at the rear. It may turn out that in this case a split level home - with increased comfort & far more northern light to living areas, & views to the south in many rooms - may be worth an additional investment. In any case, is be looking at reducing the size of the build, of costs are an issue. It will be much better for the environment in any case. Looking to utilise multi-purpose rooms, such as a home theatre that doubles as a guest room. Limiting hallway space, dead space in some people's books, removing the scullery (I personally hate these things). I think good design is far more important than having a home that is larger than needed.

Hi Mark, Just saw your requirements and proposed site a few moments ago, seems to be a great site, congratulation on your purchase, seems to be a glorious block, and your approach in obtaining information before you build or doing any documentation will pay off in the long run. Generally, the item that takes the most time is the design – what the house looks like, the position of the house orientation and deployment of rooms, and appropriate choice of materials. This is the greatest investment of time and money, after you have a design that you are happy with you may approach the documentation in different ways. The design is generally generated by 3 principal steps – (some of the information you have already provided) Site constraints - especially orientation, existing structures to be retained, views, etc. The slope on a 5-acre property is very important for – flooding, drainage – both stormwater and blackwater (sewage) if a septic tank has to be provided so this should be done by Land Surveyor or yourself if you can use a level appropriately Water collection for a dam position – especially if it has to be for potable water. Soil type - for building location to have a good bearing. Weather – for roof design – (You have terrific temperature variation - Hight 29 summer and 11 min winter) other issues would be prevailing wind direction, and maximum rainfall as this may impact on the design of the roof and drainage direction and storage or dissipation. And other Site constraints like – native and/or feral animals and pests, etc. and how you are going to use the five acres - Kitchen Gardens, chickens animals, pets and which rooms will have views and which rooms must have views and which views, etc. I would consider siting would be one of the most important decisions in this design proposal, probably site all other activities first and the house last. Brief – number of rooms like bedrooms bathroom etc (Some information you have already provided) You mentioned issues with your knees, thus the number of steps in and out of the house would need to be minimal (if any) so drainage to avoid flooding would be an issue as the floor level may be close to the ground if using a slab. to Your requirements for a family of four – they might have outdoor activities and pets that may impact the design internally and external areas. Special interest – like cooking, storage of food f you are a long distance from town, etc Budget (Some information you have already provided –(500) Will this included site works like the dam and other specialized areas. Will this include the cost of driveways. Will the project go to tender or will it be subcontracted or self build. Is there power (solar power), water, and gas on the site – are they required, and do they impact the budget. Then there is the process of initial design and revisions, followed by Town Planning Permit if required, and Working Drawings Documents for a Building Permit which is always required. As you may be well aware this is a long process, and taking your time with it will pay dividends – you do not want to wake up day and say – “if only I took more time” or “was not so stingy in obtaining advice” I would not be in this pickle. If you take your time and purchase adequate advice and things go wrong at the very least you cannot blame yourself and that in my opinion is a great relief. Just drawing multiple plans without a structured process can prove difficult and non-rewarding especially in the long run. If you feel that I can be a benefit to your project please send me an email so that we may continue the conversation and get to a design proposal. I would like to work on your project and have worked successfully on similar projects before. If you require further information or have any concerns about the included information, contact me as soon as possible. Regards Michael Manias MANIAS ASSOCIATES BUILDING DESIGNERS P: (03) 9347 7347 M: +61 0417 567123 W: https://www.houzz.com.au/pro/maniasassociates/__public e: mm407p@gmail.com