having done the same thing many years ago i can make the following suggestions: ...have a good all weather drive and parking area for a crowd of house builders and visitors before the house is built, plan for a fenced off dam to attract wildlife that can be viewed from the house, if you have any slopes reseach "haha" for dividing areas, your local council or Agricultural dept should be able to advise plants native to the area, concentrate on trees and big shrubs (planted in groups and heavily mulched) before you worry about garden beds, invest in perfect planting holes with plastic tree guards and an irrigation system (even a plastic bottle of water upside down next to the new planting will help) invest in some basic fencing tools and start dividing the property into separate areas for specific purpose, starting with a house paddock small enough to mow with a domestic mower, keep the majority of trees and big shrubs outside the house paddock a good fire break away from the house (check out fire prevention for your area) don't build a house meant for the suburbs on your property, create shade near the house with extensive verandahs and pergolas to create shelter from sun and wind from every direction, build your garage or big shed away from the house with a covered walkway creating sheltered courtyards (like an English walled vege garden) plan for water tanks to save water off every roof (including the chook house)...our best idea was a big covered alfresco area carefully screened with shade cloth and a locking door...kept out flies and snakes, great safe space for little kids and dogs as well as room for a table seating 20 for Christmas. Illness forced our retirement from the property just as trees were reaching maturity so make sure your trees are planted first to give you the opportunity to enjoy them sooner and very best of of luck with your new life

Timber Decking near pools does look great! We do get lots of enquiries for replacing rusted timber connectors in decking areas near pools (usually replacing with our Stainless Steel Timber Connectors), that's not to say don't do decking, just make sure its done right! You might be interested in this article... http://vuetrade.com/blog/timber-decking-around-your-pool-are-you-planning-a-saltwater-pool/ 

Hi Belinda, thanks for letting me know about your daylight. That is really interesting - so the pool and garden - and a living and dining area - are to the east and south of the house, due to the orientation of the block no doubt, and the bedrooms are blocking off all the north light! I am guessing this means the house gets a lot of light from these windows in the morning until midday, when the sun swings past the bedrooms/bath/laundry which block afternoon sun unless these doors are open. Further, the kitchen is hemmed in on all 3 sides and really just faces due east - good because this is where the garden and pool are, but with little view to the south dining and living area, which presumably are used as more formal spaces. The good news is I don't think you would get much benefit from relocating the kitchen - I think it is in the best spot, kitchens are much better at being internal 'hubs' and linking to living areas - it is these living areas that we want to connect directly with outside. I do however have something else for you to think about longer term as a masterplan....and I am guessing here because I am not sure of the shape of your garden.....however next time your en-suite is due for a major renovation, you could relocate the main bed, w.i.r and ensuite across to the current south-facing living room and dining (or study). By doing this, you can create a complete open-plan east end to the house, and all living / dining areas would have direct garden and patio access and more importantly much more sunlight. The north-east corner would be part of this open-plan space and would need a new large window on the north wall. You could extend this wall slightly if funds permitted but this wouldn't be essential. There are both smaller and larger masterplan alternatives; for example a smaller option (for the masterplan) not involving any plumbing, is to swap bed 2 and 3 with the south living room/study area (blocking off the hallway area) and open up the north wall of the kitchen to look into this new formal north-facing living room - this could be quite fun and definitely would add more light to the house. However in the meantime good luck with the kitchen renovation, and look for images that show suspended overhead cabinets as a way of dealing with the raking ceiling!

Hi Jenny, I'd suggest popping into your local nursery (not big box store). Often they will offer a consultation service where they can come out and help suggest plants that suit your aspect, climate and situation. The other option is to have a consultation with a local landscape designer or horticulturalist who specialises in planting. Check your local landscape association or AILDM for listings in your area. An outlay now could save you $$$'s in the longer term, as well as making sure that what you do spend your money on is going to give you the most bang for your buck. They'll also have local knowledge as to what can potentially become weeds. Just remember you can't plant anything against the fence that can be considered climbable - this can include hedges. Have a look at the link I included above as to what the definition of climbable is. Look for lush and green to link in with the background. Some pops of colour; maybe foliage (eg alternanthera) or flower (bougainvillea or mandevilla) will also help to lift it and make the green more green. Small growing varieties of lomandra may be better than the large one you have there - this could easily be moved, divided and used elsewhere.