Can you mark what each room is? And where doorways are?

Hi bigread, please see updates, doors in yellow!

Yes the toilet needs to be moved. And so does the en-suite. Access to the main bedroom is also problematic. Your block sounds amazing so hopefully you’ll get some great ideas here from our plan gurus.

It just popped into my head but a double sided fire place between lounge and deck would be so fabulous.

can you post a site plan showing the house and front gate, entry path and/or driveway on the block and location of any carport or garage?

I’d start by deleting all west facing windows. Move the toilet to opp the bathroom.
Can the front door move to ones side or the other? Just checking constraints.
Where is the car parking?

Hi guys,

They haven't given me any plans featuring house on the plot yet as the land have been fiddled with (excavated and filled) and don't match what's on the councils plans, they want to send the plan for "official drawing", not exactly sure what does that mean, but I feel its not ready to be sent anywhere yet, I am quite disheartened by all this process.

I am aiming to get the government builders grant, but I feel its getting rushed without much thought going into it, this is the biggest investment of my life and been saving for many years to get to this stage and want to get it right.

I would like to house have A frame roof with exposed beams so entrance have to stay in the middle, however if reduced in size, maybe it can be moved to south side of the house, which I think I would prefer more even tho far away from garage.

Fingers crossed there will be garage with granny flat on top in front of the entrance, plenty of space there, but we haven't yet got to that part as I need to understand the cost of the house which is most important one and than if I have money left its either be both or just garage or nothing at all, all pending cost of the house.

what can you see looking east, west and south? and if there's room for a garage at the front does that mean there is at least 12-15m from the house to the front boundary?? is the land at the front flat or sloping and how much space is left south and west of the house...before thinking about inside details we need to understand the whole block of land and even if you may not be able to manage to include the garage and granny flat it's so much better to plan for them from the beginning, usually cheaper to make one plan for the whole house and that will mean better use of the whole block even if you don't build everything at the same time and, is the granny flat to rent out, or is it intended for long term semi private use by a family member? and a stand double garage would not be big enough to have more than a very modest upstairs after allowing for stairwells and extra bathrooms and there should d be enough space in the existing floorplan and land in front of the house to make an extra bedroom rather than an expensive upstairs that's not suitable for an older person and/or upstairs could be a teenage retreat and granny has the downstairs bedroom with some separation built in to the plan but whoever is making your plans needs to understand more about your block and lifestyle to create a much better floorplan...eg do you really prefer the ensuite to enjoy more of the view than the kitchen and living areas? why is the entry hall so huge, how will you arrange furniture in the living and dining areas...so many questions and as you say too big an investment to not try and make a better plan without being too rushed to understand what "they" are expecting from you..

On the West in nature reserve, on the East is neighbour, but his house is more down the slope so I don't see him much, on the South is main road and entrance to the block ( see in yellow), between main road and my block has 10m wide council reserve for services so I am well away from road, also front part of my block (6m) is covered with thick bushes and trees, when I stand on the block it really feels like I am surrounded by bush land.

I want granny flat so I can rent it out to help pay my mortgage and there is always someone home while I am at work (FIFO work) and later if my daughter wants some privacy she can move there.

Block is 1300m2 and is 30m wide so there are plenty of space sideways for granny flat and garage, from South fence line first 16m are fairly flat (see market in blue) and then it just drops down, because I have to have 6m front boundary set back, it leaves me with for 10m wide strip to build on, after that it just drops very steeply to North.

That's why the house plan has to be long and narrow.

This is the plan the builder draw up for me, I just wanted 3 bedrooms, my and daughters bedrooms on opposite sides of the house. I am asking here for house plan help because I don't feel this is that nice, but I don't have anything better to suggest to the builder, all I can say is that I don't like it.

Entry is wide because I said I wanted place to store coats, bags and shoes discreetly (cupboards on both sides) since I don't have mudroom, do you think I can do with less space to store all that?

Hi Lucy, building your own place is exciting and terrifying, isn’t it? Have you found a builder yet, or better still a couple of reputable builders with whom you can bounce ideas about your plans? When it came to budget, we found builders had a better grasp of costing than the architect. Everyone has different priorities, so while it’s really important to listen to and genuinely consider advice, don’t let opinions override your own preferences (when it’s just preferences and not impracticality). My concerns regarding your plan mirror big reader’s: access to the bedroom from the kitchen, the main bathroom / toilet and I’d add, the very large portico and entrance area. I do love a north facing room, and much prefer fewer but larger rooms to small rabbit warrens, so props for that. For inspiration and some brilliant solutions, look at terrace houses on here and also on the real estate guides and no doubt the Houzz community will help. Good luck.

Hi Jan,

Yes, this whole process scares me to death, I have no skills in this and here I am trying to draw a house! Or even worse, I look at the plan drawn by someone with 20 years architecture experience and I can see that something is not quite right and I am about to invest all my life savings to test their ideas!! o_O

Yes I have talked with two 2in1 builders (they architect and build), one before the current one in the start told me that I can build everything within my budget, but then slowly things started to get more and more out of my budget so I had to look for another one. The footprint however of the house they offered had similar footprint to this one so I am pretty certain it's the max I can get.

I trust current builder, but I think they are stretched to maximum and since my budget is on the lower end of their builds I feel I am not that important for them and only half effort is been put into my house design.

I hope he’s a good builder because the design is terrible. Have you considered a modular/prefab? Thanks to Google there are several in your area and from what I can see may be suitable. I like this plan. You could easily drop the fourth bedroom and fiddle with the rest.

Saltairmodular.com.au is the credit for the above plan.

Lovely spot. I’d replan the layout. The kitchen is tucked away from the view, whilst the bedrooms which are used at night for sleeping get the view - why?
The fireplace needs to be a feature. I’d have a sitting area in master with view maybe designed as a fourth bedroom option for resale.
Western windows should be fine against the trees nature reserve.
Also the entry. You need a site layout showing your garage and house on the plan. What parking is needed for the flat? Turning area, then walkways to doors, Are the entries visibIe. You need to plan it all together to make sense

I’d move the ensuite to where the laundry/pantry is and extend the fireplace nook into this space so you can enjoy the view, with windows either side of the fireplace. Move the laundry along the south wall behind the kitchen and reconfigure the kitchen layout to overlook the nook. Switch the bathroom and study so the study opens onto the living room. You probably have space for a bath and toilet in the main bathroom if you reconfigure the layout.

Thank you so much everyone for great suggestions!! I played a bit with the floor plan, does this looks more user friendly? Living area seems to be quite large 4x6m?!

I agree with Kate, I'd want to be taking advantage of the views from my living areas, especially if they face north.

I'd the deck covered? This will make living areas much darker, & stop any winter sun reaching inside.

Although Noosa is a great climate, if assume you'd benefit by getting some sunshine in the living areas in winter.

If highly recommend you read the government's 'Your Home' website, if you haven't already.

Here's the section about orientation.

https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/orientation

I'd read all of the website, but focus on the passive design section first. Design for climate will tell you what's appropriate in Noosa (climate zone 2: Warm humid summer, mild winter).

I'd also be very careful with west facing windows, especially in bedrooms. The must be fully shaded, or will make the home very hot on summer afternoons.

We built a house on a 10 meter wide site. Have a look at 34 Coopers Camp Road Bardon QLD 4065. If you like to looks I could send you the house plans

my suggestions includes extra rooms that can be used as one house with a single garage with rooms that can be rented separately with an optional extra double garage but adding furniture shows that there would be lots of options to reduce the overall size of the whole house

Oh wow oklouise, you have outdone yourself , this definitely are making me rethink my house design options, I never even thought about dual living! Thank you so much for doing this for me!! I will let you know how I go!!

don't be in such a hurry to accept first ideas!!! this is a big decision and i haven't included any deck or double checked to make sure that you're happy with all the spaces and HOUZZERS are happy to offer better suggestions and i'm happy to draw up a plan that makes it easier to understand and explain to your builders...and making a bigger single house with dual purpose rooms that can be made into separate accommodation will be far more cost effective than attempting a separate granny flat (that could also just be added later as an extension but lots of adjustments can be considered..eg include the extra rooms, decks and double garage in the plans but don't build immediately to save up front costs but, attempting to refine the design and starting from the smaller rooms...do you need such a big pantry? eg maybe your daughter could use some of the pantry space for a small study nook or wiw...do you like the laundry? (that can also be used as a mudroom with access to the bathroom from outside (eg future pool on the south side?) and opening to the south with the drying courtyard so that you don't need a clotheslines spoiling your view north or south? should the spare bedroom be a little bigger to make space for a bigger bed for guests, do you like the screened porch for your bathtub or would you prefer a bigger bedroom with the bath inside? let me know any thoughts and we can make so many improvements for you...in the meantime a rough guide has the whole plan at 295 sq m including 165sqm for the main house, 85sqm for the 2 bedroom extension and 46sqm for the double garage and entry porch and i haven't included any decks except the enclosed porch off the main bedroom which is included under the main roof

I loved the way you put that bath outside, it will be soo gorgeous!! I extended the WIW a bit so king size bed can be turned to overlook the bath and bushland.

I also switched kitchen with TV corner, the fireplace nook felt a bit awkward, I put the fireplace next to TV, do you this kitchen layout would work? I love cooking so nice large kitchen is a must, I enlarged pantry to fit the laundry in, I think that would work well as I don't need laundry room, I never had one in my life and always find them just to be another room to hide the mess.

Everything else really makes sense and looks awesome, in perfect world I would like to cut 2m of the plan to allow access down the side of the house to the garden.

The bottom of the block has a flat bit and its about 10m of the drop from where will house sit, I would love to have above the ground pool there, that would allow to bring the base up by 2-3m, it would be more harmonious with the house then I think. So I think having side access to that area would be sweet, stairs going down from the deck would be a bit too much I think.

TV and fireplace corner looks good but feels more comfortable at the other end and grouping the bathroom with your daughter's bedroom feels more like an ensuite for her plus a separate powder room and allows the kitchen and study bed 3 to be more generous and rotating the longer island means views north and south sitting either side of island but fine details of the kitchen should wait until the room sizes are finalised but stealing a little space off the living area allows some roof over the deck with or without an extra roof out to the northern end of the deck...roof shape is another discussion but a simple gable (same shape but lower than your original image would be my choice and very easy to add the extension and the extra garages at the front) i've drawn the main house and extension separately but would strongly advise that you aim to build the whole house at once (subject to local council and your budget but up front cost savings could be made by completing the extension to "lock up" including all plumbing and electrical wiring but maybe postpone internal wall lining cabinetry, fixtures and fittings, painting, internal doors, skirting boards etc but you would be able to use the garage immediately....based on your latest plan my variation make the whole building 25 m x 10.2m (to allow for the rear drive through) with single walls (brick veneer will add extra wall thickness but total floor area of 190.5sqm plus 92.3 sqm including decks and porches..

Woow, that's so smart oklouise, my daughter will sit in that bath and thank you for many years to come!!:)

Thank you so much for your efforts, I am feeling much more inspired about my project now!!

Love your work, oklouise. Very livable and flexible house imo. Good luck with everything, Lucy. Do let us know how it progresses.

Ok guys,

I am up to the "picking windows" stage, see below my ideas of what I would like, however when I sketch them all up, the house looks odd with them being different size, style and length.

I love classic symmetrical houses, my one obviously not going to be the one.

However I would still like it to have some type of harmony and street appeal, what's the trick there?

What comes first, street appeal or comfort of living?

The House will have light grey cladding with white trims and style will be country with light wood flooring and benchtops/feature walls. Roof will be gable style running all the length of the house and little ones for the decks.

keeping in mind that as you drive up the long driveway your view of the house will be from an angle and surrounded by bush (and maybe the extra garages at the front?) and windows should be determined by the inside use of the room not the outside view..and i'm wondering why you want so many bifold doors and windows when i expect that you will need to have lots of ventilation with screening.. so my suggestion for a better and more economical means to open up the house is to use stacking doors and windows where you need wide openings and consider louvres for all the smaller windows ...subject to your own colour schemes the house could look something like this front the front

Thanks Oklouise,

My current house has timber bifolds and I love them, I never close them for 8 months of the year, when they are neatly stacked against the wall I don't even feel like there are doors at all. Coming from country I don't care for flies or mossies, they are just part of the life!:)

But cost might be an issue, will see what builder thinks!

Yeah it does look ok actually, my paper sketch looks way worse!:)

the stackers are also easier to security screen so that the doors and windows can be left open without concern for any unwanted visitors...make time to visit some window manufacturers to test drive some different windows and doors..eg modern louvres are excellent and there are so many new styles, colours and materials (timber, glass, double glazed etc) so that you can tick off some big decisions before you begin to worry about all the other details

Very important point about the window cost, Lucy. We are really happy with our final mix of fixed, tri layer awning and french doors (we live in a cooler climate). One of our quotes was for nearly $55k, tho. By speaking to the glazing company we used, about similar but cost effective alternatives, we saved another $2,000 from their original $18k price, without compromising quality or overall look and feel.

I personally am not a fan with bedrooms being the first room in the house. You could have a family room first then the bathroom then the daughters room. I realised that you don’t have a garage, I think you should consider adding one.

When you go through the hall the kitchen could be nice if it was facing towards you and a butlers pantry behind it if the door is to the side.

IMPORTANT NOTE: make sure the house has no holes. I have a Canadian cousin who told me that they get houses professionally checked for any holes, so that when you use the aircon and have the desired heat you can turn it off, it keeps the house the same heat and saves energy and money.

I would be making sure that you can screen all of the openings . Snakes will be keen to slip into your home .

Thanks gilda for the comments, however having the master seperate from other bedrooms was one the rules I had for my house, all childhood I had bedroom with wall shared with my parents and I am traumatised my this experience!!:D

Builder currently are pricing up the project, if there will be enough money he will add carport for 2nd vehicle.

Amonymousanne I am not too bothered by wildlife, grew up on farm, it’s part of the life!!:)

well done Lucy, the house looks great in that perfect setting

That northern deck will be heaven in the hot summer and toasty in the winter . Great to see the photos of your nearly finished project and especially the lovely relaxing bush views . I wondered how you were going . PS Enjoy the wildlife , birds not snakes !

Congrats, Lucy. It looks great, you’ve certainly nailed the harmony of design you were hoping for, both inside (I love oklouise’s design) and with the exterior. And even better, you’re happy and excited with it. What an achievement! You should be over the moon proud of yourself. I wish you both many, many happy years in your wonderful new home.

Looking good. Keep us posted

Hi guys, house is finished and we have been living in it for 6 months now!! Woow, you all did so well designing it, special super big thanks to @oklouise. House feels so good, it's not too big, not too small just perfect, my two favorite places - small deck with the bath next to master and the kitchen!! I am so grateful I come across this forum, you made my dream come true - build a place I can call home!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Am so pleased for you, Lucy. What a lovely home and it very much suits its gorgeous setting. Love, love, love the use of timber, and all that glorious light. I now also have a serious case of dining chair envy. And the view! No wonder you’re (rightly) pleased. Health, happiness and many, many years enjoying the fruits of all your hard work to you and yours

And to all the lovely Houzz community members who helped Lucy, and myself, cheers you wonderful people

Looks awesome. Well done

Beautiful outcome Lucy it looks gorgeous and well done to OKL for her usual wonderful effort to help you arrive at such an amazing outcome. Your interior fittings are really lovely, well done, enjoy

Thank you for the update pictures , Lucy . Your home looks lovely and easy to live-in !