HONESTY BOX

+ Where have you saved money? Lisa: Utilising

Joe’s building skills to build items rather than buy them where possible, such as the outdoor kitchen, headboard, bedside tables, office furniture etc. Also I made most of the artwork and we did all the planting ourselves to save on labour costs.

+ Where have you splurged? The size of the house (340 square metres), Italian tiles for the bathroom, large kitchen, extensive landscaping, window seat… The list goes on!

+ What was your best buy and why? King Living sofas on special – most comfortable couches ever!

+ Best memory in your home? The four of us relaxing in the spa pool and admiring the view on the night we moved in, knowing we could finally enjoy this house after all the time spent planning and building.

+ What would you never do again? I’d do it all again in a heartbeat, but this is what we do for a living.

+ Best lesson learned? Prioritise what is really important to you and your family as most budgets won’t cover everything on your wishlist.