Category: 8 star NEW BUILD

When people think about building an energy-efficient home, they often imagine solar panels, big windows, and sleek insulation. What they don’t picture is someone carefully sealing up every little join, corner, and gap with specialist tape. But here’s the truth – airtightness is one of the most critical parts of creating a comfortable, energy-efficient home. …

Building a sustainable home can feel overwhelming at the start. There are so many decisions to make, products to choose from, and design details to consider. But here’s the thing – if you get the fundamentals right early on, the rest of the build becomes a whole lot easier. When I started my own 8-star …

There’s a common belief that building an energy-efficient home comes with a scary price tag. People imagine ultra-high-tech gadgets, futuristic materials, and tens of thousands of dollars in extras. While you can go down that path, the truth is you don’t have to. When I started my build, my goal was simple – create a …

If you have been watching our build come to life, you might have noticed one of the little details I have been quietly obsessed with – square set window reveals. They might seem like a small decision in the grand scheme of a house build or renovation, but trust me, they make a huge impact …

When people hear 8 star energy rated home, they often assume you would not need air conditioning at all. And in an ideal world with perfect weather, that might be true. But here’s the reality. We live in Wagga where the climate is not exactly gentle. Summers can be absolutely stinking hot, winters can be …

I have had a few people message me lately saying how lucky I am with my build team, and honestly, they are spot on. I am lucky, but it has also been years of learning, watching, asking questions, and knowing what to look for. Not all builders are created equal. I have been around this …

There is nothing worse than standing back after all your hard work and realising your beautiful pendant lights are not lined up properly. Crooked pendants or lighting that is off-centre can completely throw off the whole space, especially when you have feature ceilings or tricky layouts. We just did ours and I wanted to share …

The Weathertex cladding is going up and it’s starting to look so good. This is the Weathergroove 150 Natural, and it’ll be stained black soon for a bold, beautiful finish. Made from 97% hardwood timber and zero silica, it’s a sustainable Aussie-made product that’s tough, breathable, and low maintenance. I love that it adds texture …

If you’re about to start building your dream home, one of the biggest decisions you'll face is whether to go with a custom build or a volume builder. It can feel a bit like choosing between a made-to-measure outfit and something fabulous off the rack. Both can look amazing, but the fit, the detail, and …

When most people think about building or renovating, they jump straight to the fun stuff. Tiles, tapware, paint colours, and furniture. I get it. That’s the stuff you see every day. But today, I want to talk about something you feel every day: insulation. We’ve just installed SoundScreen insulation in the internal bedroom and bathroom …

As part of building our 8-star energy-rated home in Wagga Wagga, one of the key decisions I made early on was to install double glazed windows. They’ve just gone in, and although we’re not living in the house yet, I can already see what a difference they’ll make. The comfort, the savings, the quality – …

There is something pretty special about seeing your new home take shape. Slab by slab. Frame by frame. And while there are a lot of moving parts behind the scenes, one of the biggest highlights so far has been the incredible team effort between Dahlsens and our builder JCC New Homes. As the homeowner, you …