What really separates a decent place from a truly eye-popping house is almost always fantastic design. Having a gigantic pit of money at your disposal obviously helps too - but not necessarily, and certainly not in the same way...

If you've got some strong ideas about how you want your home to look and work, it could well be worth hiring a building designer or an architect. Not for everyone, of course - but the extra expense isn't necessarily that great, and if you play your cards right you'll end up with something unique and possibly well worth the extra investment - even just in terms of your own satisfaction.

Most people don't build a lot of houses. Whatever you choose, make sure you're getting the house you want!

Darcy Wilson
Editor - Build
www.build.com.au