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Q&A — NEED PETER’S HELP?
Photography
Nick Wilson
Q
We are considering what type of house
to build for $100,000 on a small holiday
block of land we have in Gippsland. Size is
not important, but we would like it to be
a comfortable getaway for my wife and I.
Any suggestions? We are struggling to fi nd
something for this price.
A
It is hard to build a new home with that
budget. You could try some of the pre-
fabricated options from manufacturers such as
Probuild, Modscope or Archiblox. Another idea is
to buy a caravan and annexe — this may not be
such a bad idea as you will get great comfort and
amenity at that price.
Q
We watch your show religiously and have
been inspired to give building a go. We
understand that cost planning is important.
What else should we be cautious of and how do
we ensure we get what we want?
A
My advice is to be clear with your brief and
realistic with your costs. Get professional
advice and understand that a one-off home
building is a prototype. Inevitably things don’t
go exactly to plan. Find a good builder and
have healthy project and design contingencies.
Finally, keep sweet with your mother or mother-
in-law! You may need backup or emergency
accommodation. Have fun — it is usually
a life-changing experience.
Q
What has been your most remarkable
experience in the last eight years of
ASK OUR
ARCHITECT
Editor-at-Large Peter Maddison
answers your questions
1 Callignee Bushfi re House, Series One
2 Very Small House, Series Two
3 Inverloch Sand Dune House, Series Four
4 South Melbourne Brick House, Series Four
5 Hunters Hill Textural House, Series Four
6 Kind Island Whale Tail House, Series Four
7 Claremont Origami House, Series Five
8 Brookfi eld Spotted Gum House, Series Five
9 Yackandandah Saw Mill House, Series Six
10 North Balgowlah Pop Art House, Series Six
working with FremantleMedia [maker of the
show] and Foxtel? [commissions the show]
A
Thanks for the question. The show has given
me a bag of wonderful experiences that
wouldn’t have come my way had I not been the
host. I’ve just come back from London, where I
worked with Kevin McCloud doing a one-hour
special for the launch of Series Seven. We leased
The Homewood by Patrick Gwynne at Esher, just
outside of London. It was a blast! A day of intense
fun, refl ection and creativity with Kevin in
a masterpiece, heritage-listed home.
Q
My family has watched every episode of
the show and would be fascinated to know
your favourite 10 episodes.
A
Happy to have a go. Not in any particular
order:
Callignee Bushfi re House
from Grand Designs
Australia Series One
Very Small House from
Grand Designs Australia
Series Two
South Melbourne Brick
House from Grand Designs
Australia Series Four