When I was growing up in Northam my grandmother had a magnificent vegetable garden in her backyard. Because of this I had the luxury of eating produce that had literally just come out of the ground.

Although getting older is something we try not to think about, there comes a time when we have to consider the future, and this includes whether the design of your new home is suitable for a changing lifestyle.

We live in an age where security and safety are paramount. But what we sometimes forgo in this quest for a personal home fort is convenience.

The amount of money spent on renovations and additions in WA each year far outweighs the amount spent on building new homes.

Before signing any building contract, ensure you are using a reputable registered builder. Once you have decided on a builder, make sure you read and fully understand everything in the home building contract

Last year Sonia from Mandurah wrote to me seeking advice on what materials should be used and what she should check for when building on a canal-side block.

Do your homework because there are many points to consider before you decide to renovate or demolish your existing home.

Bamboo flooring has become a popular choice in many homes due to its ease of maintenance and environmentally friendly attributes — once the bamboo plant is harvested it doesn’t die, it regenerates and produces more shoots.

At the Master Builders Housing Excellence Awards the highlight was the announcement of the overall winner, A. Di Bucci & Son, for a home they built in Sorrento.

I want to install a barbecue as a permanent fixture in my outdoor area but I’ve heard there are some strict regulations about fitting gas into this type of space. How can I ensure I am doing it safely and legally?

Cavity doors allow homes to be open-plan, or separated into intimate rooms. They also ensure the effectiveness of heating or cooling systems, which can be cost-prohibitive in big open spaces.

One important aspect of your home is the ceiling and choice of cornice

Your mission — should you choose to accept it — is to find a well-organised garage showing different storage systems

Eight stars is out of the ordinary for any home and I wanted to know how this rating was achieved.

I always seem to be talking about what I would do in my next home and what improvements I would make.

There are some legal requirements which need to be adhered to when designing your balustrades.

Even though we’ve been in our new home for some time, there are still a few projects to finish, including some built-in furniture and artwork to bring the home to life.

The debate continues whether to allow children to decorate their own rooms or maintain the existing scheme throughout the home.

When I was building my home, I was horrified that 10 3cum skip bins of rubbish were removed from the site.

I’m often asked at our new-homes seminars: What’s the difference between an architect, building designer and draftsman?

Michael Green, from Q3 Architecture, is one architect working in conjunction with Home Base Expo towards making architectural services more affordable for a wider range of people.

I like a clutter-free bathroom, so I am looking for ideas for all those bits and pieces that sit on my vanity...

I am thinking of buying an LCD or Plasma flat screen TV but don’t know what size is best.

As baby boomers have evolved so have their needs and desires in housing.

I have had a lot of feedback from families and builders, most wanting to know how to house the different generations.

How can I make sure I maximise on light and airflow, even though our block is small?

There seem to be so many options for timber flooring in my new home and I don’t really know what is going to be the best option for us. Can you please tell me what it all means?

I am interested in buying land in a couple of different developments but have heard conflicting stories about restrictive covenants and how much jurisdiction they have over our design decisions.

caught up with Nigel Lilley for lunch just before his retirement after 24 years as registrar of the Builders’ Registration Board and asked him what advice he would give people before building their dream house.

If you already have your block and are ready to sign with a builder, make sure you know which soil classification your block falls into.

Save money and future proof your new home by checking you have allowed for enough power points, data points and light fittings. To help, Clipsal has produced the Essential Checklist.

Formed in 1748 by the French Villeroy and the German von Boch families, the company is celebrating its 260th anniversary this year.

Most people view the laundry as a very functional area but it is often overlooked in the design of a home. More time is spent in this area than we realise...

I am often asked if I built again what would I do differently? To date I have a list of about eight items, one of which is to choose different glass options for our windows and doors.

Our resident integrated systems consultant Ian Goddard recently installed this system at the new Exmouth Resort using longitudinal and latitudinal readings as a base measure for the resort’s electrical integration.

When you think “interior design”, you immediately think of the colour choice and material selection you have to make inside your home. These selections include colours for the cupboards and benchtops, flooring, window treatments and accessories.

o now that we all know where we want to have our laundry, what we need to store in it and what washing machine we are going to have, what else is there to think about?

One of the last decisions I made when building my home was choosing the front entry door.

My builder advised that I would need a construction loan to build my home. What type of loan is this and do I have to pay the entire amount when I sign the building contract?

Q: My builder has given me a prescribed sum to select the tiles throughout my new home. Can I put any tiles in any position in my home, whether it’s on the kitchen floor or on the bathroom wall?

Over the past six weeks I’ve had a great view, watching the construction of a display pool outside the front doors of Home Base Expo.

Reticulation systems or, as the professionals call them, irrigation controllers, have been on the market for about 40 years. Modern controllers, however, now have several new features.

In so many homes the kitchen is the centrepiece. When it comes time to move in to your new home, the kitchen will be the room where family members greet each other in the morning and where the day’s events are discussed in the evening.

Last week I wrote about kitchen designs in new homes and how you can be involved in the decision-making process. This week we’ll look at some useful ideas when it comes to the layout of your new kitchen.

We live in a country where the hot, dry summers increase the risk of fire. As recently seen in WA, fire can destroy property and livelihoods in minutes.

Many people ask me what is a reasonable price per square metre to expect to be able to build a home for.

It was my brother and sister-in-law’s turn to host Christmas lunch. Their grand-daughter, Lucinda, had arrived with her parents from Melbourne and their kid-safe plan was put into action.

Last week I wrote about the need to provide a safe environment for young children when building a home. Consideration also should be given to the outside areas of your new home, including gardens and play areas.

When we designed our home we knew the kitchen was going to be the hub so we spent extra time on its design and functionality. Three years on, I thought I would take a look back at what we got right and what we would do differently.

When it comes time to add accessories to your new home to create a look or fill some empty spaces, it’s fine to hang some pictures on the walls or put some interesting looking vases in a corner, but sometimes it’s still not enough to create the look you want.

Outdoor lighting can be much more than getting a few lamps or lights from a hardware store and randomly placing them in the garden. It’s about making the most of the “outdoor room” of your new home and creating a look that suits the space you have.

Two years ago I was invited to a lunch hosted by the Urban Development Institute of Australia. More than 500 attended and they were eager to hear about the topic of the day, the approvals process.

In the past few years we have all seen the emergence of numerous energy-saving gadgets for the home. While I am far from being a green crusader I do believe we should all do our bit to improve the energy efficiency of our homes wherever we can. One of the simplest ways to improve the performance of a new home is to take advantage of the principles of thermal mass.

Splashbacks are an essential part of any kitchen design. They help protect your walls from day-to-day cooking spills and splashes and can also offer a contemporary look.

There is a lot of hype in the community about energy efficiency and carbon emissions.

Last week I wrote about changes I would make to housing industry legislation if I were a politician. In my second week at Parliament House I would tackle site soil classification.

When looking to buy, the realty catchphrase is location, location, location. When it comes to building a new home, the mantra should really be plan, plan, plan.

I am often asked the difference between a traditional “stick” roof and a timber or steel truss roof and which is better.

We all want the finishes on our new homes to be perfect when we move in and remain that way forever. One of the most common complaints of new homeowners is the plaster work cracks.

In the average kitchen, the benchtop will be the hardest worked material. It must be able to deal with mess and potential stain-causing spills, handle knocks and scratches.

I recently spent a weekend in Margaret River and the apartment where we stayed had a beautiful gas fireplace which was a bit of a novelty for me because in my own home we rely on reverse-cycle air-conditioning.

We have a display at Home Base Expo that I think is a great example of how new technology can make life that little bit easier. The display shows what water and soap scum can do to your shower screen and tiles over time.

I recently received an email from a couple who had just completed their new home.

I was watching a TV program a few months ago that featured a hard-wearing and unique flooring product made with epoxy resin. Leaves were suspended in the floor creating a unique flooring effect.

People put a lot of thought into locations for their wide-screen TV, barbecue and furniture and carefully select colour schemes when building a new home.

As the threat of climate change becomes more apparent, the need for more sustainable architecture is increasingly important.

Who am I? I’m one of the first professionals to go on your building site. I give the architect or building designer and engineer details they require to draw their plans for approval. I don’t have any noisy machinery.

Recently we conducted a survey through the Home Base Expo website to see what products or information people would like to see on our website.

In 2007-08, the Builders Registration Board reported a total of 22,592 building approvals for houses and other dwellings.

Imagine this. You are driving to your new home. The front of the house looks fantastic but when you hit the button to open the garage door...

When I first heard about a machine that could supposedly turn air into drinking water I was curious ... and maybe a little sceptical.

Garden landscaping has become big business, and more products are appearing on the market to cater for those who think of their garden as another room in the home.

When I build again, my No. 1 priority will be to ensure the bathroom and other wet areas have been waterproofed correctly.

It is understandable that with the new home being constantly on your mind, spending time with family and friends may become secondary to that spent with with tradespeople and looking at colour samples.

When I was looking at buying a new car, I made use of the company’s online program that allowed me to look at my options when it came to colour, upholstery and even wheel type and size.

An important purchase for any new home is the right bed. To get independent advice, I caught up with Michael Eastcott, who has spent 23 years in the bed business.

One of the last tradesmen to work on your new home will be the painter. Painters are one of three trades registered in Western Australia, the others being plumbers and electricians.

Everyone loves a new idea, and one of the most exciting parts of building a new home is discovering the new gadgets and design innovations that will make life easier, and then finding ways to incorporate them into your house..

When you think of security gates you may think of wrought-iron monstrosities straight out of a haunted house, but the addition of a modern and secure automatic gate system may be the finishing touch your new home needs.

Moving into a new home is exciting, and something most will only do a handful of times in their lives. A new house can mean a fresh start or a lifestyle change and, after building your dream home, a sense of achievement now that all the hard work is behind you.

Lighting can be used to create a mood or to highlight features of a room. A natural and cost-effective way to achieve these results is by including skylights or roof windows into your new home.

One of the best-known methods builders employ to showcase their home designs is with a display home. This strategy allows potential owners to see the final result rather than having to visualise the home from a set of working drawings.

I have long been an advocate of urban infill as a way to slow the effect of urban sprawl.

Over the last few weeks Home Base Expo has been buzzing with construction activity, installing one of my favourite new toys, a residential lift from Lift Shop.

Choosing the type of balustrading to include in your new home will centre on two main objectives — style and safety.

There are a number of options when choosing flooring for your new home. It is important to have something that is comfortable to walk on and easy to clean, all without compromising on style and quality. A flooring option that is versatile, attractive and can be used inside and outside your new home is travertine stone.

How many homeowners have difficulty accessing or simply dread the thought of going into their roof space?

During a recent holiday in Japan, my adventurous wife decided we should experience as much traditional Japanese culture as possible.

It’s no secret that timber flooring is often the more expensive choice, but there is a product that can give you the look of timber without having to worry about damage to the floor or to your finances.

When choosing lighting for your new home, you should consider the look of the fitting and the effect it will have on the area. The days of a single fitting in the middle of each room are long gone; what’s more, continually evolving technology means there are more choices than ever.

In our previous home, we had timber shutters. Not only were they durable and kept out the heat, they also gave the entire home a modern, sleek look.

When building, you may look at the concrete slab of your new home and visualise how it will look when covered in floorboards, tiles or carpet. But have you ever thought what your slab would look like polished?

Hot-water systems are often silent partners at home, making our lives more comfortable and convenient. We don’t usually think about them until they break down, invariably on a chilly morning.

Select the right block of land when building your new home.

Last week I spoke about the importance of the orientation of your block and the lifestyle and amenities of the area before purchasing land.

When building a new home a front door is the cherry on the cake.

Some people opt to engage a registered builder to build their home to lock-up stage and finish the home themselves.

Finding the right builder to build your new home is essential because they not only determine the quality of the final product but also make the difference between a bad and a great building experience.

With more people choosing smaller block sizes, the need to design and plan living and storage space is more important than ever.

The more knowledge I gain about building a home the more I realise that the better-finished homes are those where the owners, builder and designer have an eye for detail.

Wood-fired ovens have become the must-have outdoor accessory over the past decade and one is certainly an item on my wish list.

For some months, I have been aware of a new way in which home invaders are gaining access.

One positive to come from the housing market slowdown is that building material companies finally have more time to focus on the development of new and innovative products.

Home Base Expo’s new Home File is the product of six years research and development.

At a recent function, I was pleased to meet a banker from the Eastern States whose expertise is in real estate finance.

As part of the process of obtaining a building permit for your new home or extension, your builder will need to submit a building application to your local council for approval.

When Jo and Sheena Meling entertained Norwegian friends in Perth in the 1980s, they were surprised to hear that domestic cool rooms were the norm in Europe.

A couple came into Home Base Expo the other day and asked if we had any information about building a wine cellar.

For several years I have contributed to a weekly breakfast radio program on 100.1 Curtin FM.

This week Fiona McKenzie, director of the Housing and Urban Research Institute of WA at Curtin University, gives us an insight into housing Generation X.

This week Professor Fiona McKenzie director, Housing and Urban Research Institute of WA at Curtin University, provides an insight into housing the Builders generation.

Before starting to build our home I remember sitting down for some time with the house plans and checking where the lights, power points and communication outlets would be installed.

I was having a coffee with Home Base Expo chairman John Baron Hay when I heard a voice say: “Hey Smithy, I love the new Access Flooring display and it’s good to see you got them to display the Janka rating along with the species name for each of the timber floors.”

On a recent holiday to Thailand I was reminded of the importance and convenience of having a safe in our hotel room for passports, flight information and other important travel documentation.

When we were building, it was hard to visualise the “big picture” from small samples such as laminate chips, paint swatches and curtain fabrics.

Stiebel Eltron should be a household name in Australia. While it’s not easy to get your tongue around the name, its hot-water heater is a product which households need to hear about.

People often ask me why their builder has charged them a “BCITF levy” — is it compulsory and what is it for?

Next month is a month of highs and lows for me; the high is that it is our wedding anniversary and the low is that we receive the city’s annual rate notice.

Underfloor heating was first used in ancient Rome when hot air or steam was channelled from an outside furnace into a cavity under the floor.

As a keen viewer of pay-TV lifestyle programs on building and renovating, I am always coming across double-glazed windows and doors, which are a popular choice in Europe.

When I surface in the morning, I have a routine where I turn on the shower and while I wait for the hot water to come through, I set up my toothbrush, hairbrush, shaving foam and shaver. By then the water is hot.

During my years living in Mandurah, I learnt a lot about lifestyle, including how to set up the perfect backyard and entertainment area.

One flooring option to consider when building your new home is cork. It is often overlooked because some consider cork old-fashioned or a cheap option.

When building a new home, investing time and energy in the design process will really pay off.

Like taxes, cleaning the areas we live in is a constant in our lives.

I’m following on from last week’s column about the difference between architects and building designers.

Q. I’m at the planning stage of building a new home and my building designer has asked if we are installing a ducted vacuum system. How do they work and what are the advantages?

I’m thinking of installing a skylight in my new home but don’t really like the look of some I’ve seen on roofs. Is there a modern alternative that will complement my roofline?

I’m often lamenting decisions I made when I built my home, as I continue to learn more and more about products and the choices I think I should have made.

Last week, we talked about the first three major elements you need to consider when choosing your timber flooring. This week, we’re continuing with information on installing your timber and choosing the right finishes for your home.

I think people greatly underestimate the value of good lighting in their new home.

Q: My wife and I are doing the pre-start for our new home and door hardware is frequently mentioned. What does it involve?

I have collected so much information about my benchtops, and now have no idea what I need for my kitchen. I have a young family, and we lead hectic lives, so please help me decide what is going to be best for us.

Q: I’ve seen the quaintest little letterbox on an international website which I think would perfectly complete our new home but my husband is convinced that it will be too small. Too small for what — are there some rules I haven’t heard about?

Most people would associate the name Mal Atwell with the game of football, because he was a great player and a fierce coach back in his heyday.

The last job I did to finish my house was to put in the roll-on lawn, which was a bit easier than the first house I had when Mum, Dad and the neighbours supplied grass runners and a busy bee levelled the area and planting the runners.

We have a young family and feel there must be some considerations we should be making to our house design. Can you tell us what things we should be looking at before we go ahead and find ourselves and our children in a potentially dangerous home?

I recently attended the launch of the Australian Brick and Blocklaying Training Foundation as a guest of Tom Guthrie, general manager, new residential retail sales and marketing for Midland Brick.

There’s nothing worse than building your dream home with lovely walls of windows to capture views of the perfectly landscaped back garden, then having to fit ugly flyscreens to keep pests out.

At HomeBase Expo, Clipsal has one of the most innovative, interactive and functional displays I have seen in my many years in this business.

With most house fires occurring during winter, it’s a good time to remind people about fire safety in the home.

I am having a new two-storey home designed with a kitchen upstairs and I hate the idea of having to cart the kitchen garbage, recyclable items and normal household rubbish downstairs daily and then out to the council wheelie bins. Is there anything available on the market to cope with this situation?

I want to incorporate a rainwater tank into my house design but I don’t want to lose a lot of space on my already small block with a big tank. Any suggestions on how I can be more waterwise but maintain aesthetics as well?

I didn’t realise that choosing a hot-water system could be so complicated. We are building a home and we just want to know our water will be hot when we want it. What does all of it mean?

We want to install air-conditioning in our new home but there are so many options on the market. How can we do it so the system is effective and works within our building design and budget?

Windows have a two-fold purpose — to let light in and to keep the weather out. But the materials chosen to house them and the way they are installed are what will keep them doing their job properly for many years.

In the 1970s, I distinctly remember my mum and dad starting some renovations on our house in Northam. As was the fashion in those days, they added a “sunroom” to the front of the house and the main feature of this room was a wall made of green Toodyay stone.

Some of us love the thought of having a pet as part of the family. They can, however, be time- consuming and expensive to look after.

A strong trend in new home design is to use natural stone tiles for flooring.

“Decluttering” has been the buzz word for a decade now, but how many of us have taken an old problem and actually dealt with it?

While none of us likes the idea of ageing it is inevitable that we will all experience a change in our level of mobility as we get older.

Of all the elements in a new home, flooring seems to promote the most discussion.

Often a new product comes along that makes me want to build again.

Window treatments are often an afterthought when planning and building a new home.

As another summer approaches, I was reminded of the importance of bushfire preparation by the recent release of the royal commission findings into the 2009 Victorian bushfires.

Synthetic grass has become popular with new home- buyers looking to improve the appearance of their gardens and decrease their water bill.

Building a new home in WA generally means building in double brick. There are plenty of benefits of double brick but what if you could build your new home in under two weeks?

At a meeting late last year of the Home Base Expo Owner Builder Support Network, one of the members, Glenys, spoke about her experience in finding appropriate building materials as she has severe allergies to chemicals used in wood treatment, including urea formaldehyde.

Bi-fold doors have become an increasingly popular feature in new homes over the past decade but they can be expensive and need to be incorporated into the structural design. New home owners should always ensure they are getting the best-quality product as poor- quality bi-folds can be frustratingly difficult to use.

The football season has wrapped up — signalling the beginning of a mad rush to do various landscaping and paving jobs.

It’s no secret that building a new home can be a time-consuming and stressful process.

Kitchen design presents a challenge to owners, builders and designers alike.

As Perth’s hot summer months rapidly approach, I thought this would be an ideal time to talk about air-conditioning.

No one wants to spend excessive amounts of money making a home comfortable during the summer. When designing a new home, placing emphasis on sustainability will very quickly save money.

Electricity prices have almost doubled in the last 18 months and many Australians are feeling the pinch.

Selecting the right block of land is the first step to building the right home for you and your family. Just as important as researching the type of home you want to build is researching where you are going to build it.

For most of us, building a new home will be the most significant investment we will make in our lifetime and so research is essential.

I know what you’re thinking: aren’t interior designers concerned with, as the name would suggest, the inside of the home? Yes and no. To help answer this question I caught up with interior designer Kirsty Blane.

Furniture placement is one of the least considered aspects of home design and yet it has a great impact on the flow and balance of the room.

As Perth develops, buying or renting a house near the CBD becomes a costly affair.

The entrance to your home creates a significant first impression, so it pays to put some thought into the options available.

In recent years, bamboo has surged in popularity and become a competitive alternative to wooden floors.

Many new home- owners make the choice to use a registered builder to build their home to “lockup” and finish off the homes themselves. This leaves the important finishing trades in the hands of homeowners who are often inexperienced.

I recently sat down with interior designer Priscilla Busher, of Priscilla’s Classic Design, to find out more about the latest trends and her tip for successful interior design is to select a floor plan which suits your lifestyle and needs.

I was recently at a building site in Cottesloe and noticed the rusted state of the neighbour’s air-conditioning units. This reminded me of the special considerations new homeowners must have when building in coastal areas.

Since July 2000, the First Home Owner Grant has been providing first-time buyers with much- needed assistance to enter the housing market.

Some people may not immediately know how to read their home plans so they do not spend enough time studying what their builder has given them.

Driving around Perth, I have noticed the number of new-home owners who opt for a rendered finish. Rendered finishes give a very modern and European appearance but it is important for owners to understand the background preparation required to ensure a rendered home looks as good 20 years on as it did new.

When designing a kitchen for your new home, the first step is to decide what you and your family expect from it.

Most new homeowners are aware of the energy-efficiency schemes associated with housing. But with all the rebates, star-rating systems and industry jargon, it can all get a bit confusing.

Finishing a home can include tiling, cabinetry, painting and landscaping and I have written in the past about the important contribution of these finishing trades to the overall enjoyment and value of your new home.

Choosing colours, finishes and accessories when decorating a new home is often the most exciting part of building.

Changes are afoot to legislation which governs the regulation and licensing of the building industry.

Homes subject to high-wind forces such as cyclonic areas or exposed coastal areas must be built to resist these forces.

With winter just around the corner, if you are building a new home it is timely to think about what kind of gutters will be installed.

The destruction to homes and buildings caused by termites has been an age-old problem across the world.

The recent spate of chilly mornings reminds me that it’s not all beach balls and bikinis and new home owners should be aware of their options for maintaining a warm and energy-efficient home during the winter months.

If you’re a first homebuyer, there are things to consider before getting into the market.

In 2008, James Cook University undertook a study of the damage caused to homes in Roleystone and Shoalwater by tornados in June of that year.

House fires are most common during winter months, so it is a good time to remind all homeowners about the importance of smoke alarms.

The first person you will need to find is a designer who understands your overall vision for the home.

As block sizes become smaller, using the space within the home in the most efficient way becomes more and more important for home owners and designers.

As the adage goes, the kitchen is the heart of the home but where do you start when choosing kitchen appliances?

These days the kitchen is the first room we go to when we get home; it is a room for entertaining, a place for children to do homework and for a family to catch up.

At our New Homes course, the first session is presented by a lawyer from Tottle Partners who covers what you’re signing when entering into a contract to build.

With the change of season only weeks away, I caught up with interior designer Natalie Boyd, who had these suggestions on how to prepare your home for spring.

When my niece built her home she decided against creating a home office in favour of a formal dining room.

My father recently took a bad turn while at home alone and was able to activate his duress button which notified his neighbours of his situation.

In March last year I wrote about the bureaucratic maze facing developers and builders in WA. Predictably, the greater the bureaucracy the higher the costs and the longer the delays in getting on with the business of domestic and commercial development.

Over the past decade the household bathroom and ensuite have moved away from being utility rooms to rooms which are a focus of good design.

The kitchen is the hub of the home and takes up most of our time in the design, layout and choosing of appliances, accessories and finishes.

Renovating gives you the benefit of remaining within a community, close to family and schools.

About two years ago, I was watching a home building show on pay TV and saw a fantastic product installed in a new home. The owner installed clear glass bedroom walls facing a common hallway; however, with a flick of a switch the glass could be turned opaque and appeared frosted.

At our New Homes course, the second session is presented by an architect who is also a registered builder. There are several questions which frequently arise during his presentation on the residential construction process

With higher energy-efficiency star ratings coming into effect across the country by next year, finding ways to improve the performance of homes is a big issue for designers, builders and new home owners.

Homes are becoming smaller, making the way we organise available space more important.

Despite improvements in the regulation of energy-efficient home designs I still see so many new homes without eaves or external shading devices.

With the football season behind us and the weather warming up, many of us start thinking about rejuvenating our backyards and outdoor entertaining areas.

When building a new home, it is often the elements of the building which you cannot see after completion which are the most important to get right.

With the current economic downturn, many people may think that diving into property development is not a smart move.

Last year, the Building Code of Australia (BCA) increased energy-efficiency requirements for all new homes from five star to six star.

For most of us, building a new home will be our biggest financial investment.

With more and more building broker companies popping up in the Perth market I spoke to Greg Balogh from the House & Land Company to find out more about this type of organisation and what the benefits are.