If you're after a sustainable home at an affordable price, these Viva Designed-to-Build Homes may be just what you're after. A lot of our clients don't have the knowledge, time or energy to research how to design and build an environmental home. Some people just want one built. They want to choose a design, the finishings, colours and then in a few months time, move in, no more to worry about. Then is what we call a Viva Designed-to-Build Home. 

These pre-designed homes take out the hard work for you. They've been solar passively designed (using thermal mass, insulation and cross breeze), have been cost effectively designed for straw and earth walls and are a set price once we've quoted for you. With over 10 years' experience in working with natural materials, we know how to meet the Australian Building Code of Australia regulations and comply to Council requirements, even in  flame zones. What's more, our practises ensure your home is rugged and robust against the elements. 

You can choose from one of our 1, 2, 3 or 4 bedroom homes. Here a a few of our designs and YES! you can change the internal layouts of rooms and yes, you can expand the room sizes to make them bigger and yes, you can convert the garage or carports to an extra room. You can even rotate or flip the designs depending on where north is on your land, where the street is or where your views are. Something you can't do with conventional project homes.

2 Bedroom + Study - Stepping Stone

3 Bedroom + Study - Stepping Stone

3 Bedroom + Study - Ants Pants

4 Bedroom + Study - Cats Pyjamas

4 Bedroom + Study - Cats Pyjamas 2

4 Bedroom + Study - Cats Pyjamas 3

4 Bedroom + Study - Bees Knees

TIP - when comparing our costs with other options including standard project homes, please note that many companies do not give you inclusive prices, you pay for even the basic things along the way. Make sure you're comparing apples with apples and have internal walls, ceilings and so forth.

You can have a complete, architecturally designed sustainable home, which is hand crafted from earth, straw and timber built for:

These costs are for a completed Viva Home (ex site costs).

Our estimates are GST inclusive. We would have to provide you with a quotation for your site.

Our estimates include allowances for: Kitchen completed (ex appliances), complete bathroom & laundry, concrete slab, excavation, internal & external walls (unsealed), timber ceilings, decks, doors, floors unsealed, architect’s fees, electrics and lighting (ceiling fans, low energy fluro battens), plumbing, solar hot water system, water efficient fittings, carport. To reduce costs by getting people to help, we have assumed straw bale workshops will be ok with you, to help raise your walls and render them.

Variations: Should you choose to go for a higher quality product than we have allowed for, you can do so, you can just choose to pay extra. Should you want to vary something, we will quote you for the variation and you choose what you want to do. For instance, some clients turn the carport into a bedroom, rotate or flip the design to get the best views. Or they may want exposed timber ceilings or posts in their home or a different roof line.

Costs which you may need to allow for (site costs): water tanks, septic, council fees, variations to plans, curtains, appliances in kitchen, wood or other heater, mains power connection, storm water, landscaping, engineer’s fees (depends on local soil), surveyor if required by council, sealing your concrete floors, sealing internal & external walls with lime, clay paints or a lime render, sealing timber used (decks, doors etc.), painting ceilings if you want painted timber.  A BASIX report, Soil & Effluent Engineer’s report, any other local authority requirements to your area (stormwater, fire, wildlife/nature, historic etc).

Optional extras: Retractable awning or sail over decking, doors on storage area in carport, coffer (raised) ceiling in living area, built in wardrobes/cupboards/ joinery, bagging of form block or rammed earth for a different coloured finish.

Preliminary costs (costs which may vary depending on the site): earthworks including piering and rendering if needed. As we cannot know what is beneath the soil we make an allowance for certain items.

How our costings are different to other project homes: Many people choose a kit home which has the lowest upfront cost.  However, they don’t realise that the upfront cost doesn’t include many things which you will have to pay in order to complete your home and/or get an occupancy certificate. You can live in our homes once we’ve built them!

Some other kit homes don’t include the labour to build your home which can be double what you actually pay upfront, internal walls or frames, the slab (average cost is $30,000!), excavation, engineer’s fees, gst, windows, insulation, ceilings, a kitchen, bathroom, electrics, plumbing, verandah, painting, flooring. Get costs from the company and then ask local tradesmen to quote as well so you can confirm their costings.