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Start with what you really need, rather than all the bells and whistles. People put more thought into the fittings which can be replaced and often are, than those areas of the house that are not so easily accessed once built.

Sustainability need not cost the earth, ignoring to make simple steps could cost the earth for our grandchildren. Choosing products that suit your way of life carefully and getting the right advise is a priority and will most certainly add value to your home and lifestyle. 

In a relatively short period of time we have become accustomed to several bathrooms, a drive through garage, cars housed to the same degree of comfort as the homeowners and large bedrooms in order to give children a double bed experience and the list goes on. Only twenty years ago, we were once  comfortable even with larger families having one bathroom, maybe a carport or separate unlined garage smaller bedrooms and maybe one open living space where families remained connected, with an average home size of 100-120m2. 

Houses have become too large and complicated, adding costs which make them less affordable for many, so lets keep it simple; rectangles actually work very well and keep roof structures easily constructed and minimize problems and costs.

The long narrow home facing North saves so much in energy, allowing the sun to to do the job and it's FREE!  Orient the home for maximum use of the sun, with eaves to shade excessive summer sun from the East and West while allowing the low lying winter sun to penetrate in with window placement mainly to the north and minimal to the south. An energy audit will highlight in the early design stage if there are too many openings, or too little insulation, and give an estimate of energy use and savings.

Use of insulation with a high R value is at the top of the priorities. This is what is going to give your home the comfort level you require without pumping lots of energy into it to keep it warm or cool. Research by BRANZ (Building Research Austraila New Zealand proved that "the amount of insulation has a direct relationship to the health of the inhabitants".There are many good products in wall insulation such as the Structural Insulated panels of the Cornerstone Building system, which is also considered and Insulated Concrete form work, as are the Polystyrene blocks of which there are a number of companies with this style of construction. These are all solid wall systems, which don't have anything to rot or break down, giving peace of mind into the future. Polystyrene is one of the best insulators & is especially formulated for the construction industry with fire inhibitors. Wool fiber and recycled materials are also worth considering for insulation, especially in the roof cavity where heat loss is at it's highest. Whatever is chosen, make sure that you go above the requirements as this is just a minimum.