We picked a block of land with a very nice view, but it has a slope that we knew was going to cause us problems if we used conventional designs. We wanted to go with a wide and shallow arrangement, rather than the usual long and narrow, so that we could avoid cutting deeply into the hill.
It's 2 storeys with 4 bedrooms, a study, and a rumpus upstairs to take in the view.
We've been thoroughly impressed with our experience with the sales consultant at Format, who has been endlessly friendly and helpful (even long after signing the contract).
At this stage, we're still making tweaks to our design, and Format are quite happy to process these variations with no extra charges. We haven't yet got as far as engineering and council, but I'm hoping we should be ready for that soon.
For anyone considering a custom build: if you're a perfectionist, be careful! Being able to design, redesign and tweak *anything* might make you feel compelled to do so. It can be exhausting at times, although a mostly rewarding experience overall.