Many people we speak to want a home that is better designed, sustainable, and considers climate, but feel a little overwhelmed. In Australia, many existing houses struggle with lacklustre build quality, being glorified tents, or are simply old and need a lot of TLC. With high construction costs, it can be hard to know where to start and what is even possible.

But there is more than one way to tackle sustainability, and it isn’t all or nothing when you are renovating and building. Each smart, carefully considered move you do can make a difference. It’s all about working with your site, brief, and budget, and most importantly, what it is that you need. Good design is sustainable design. It’s about being strategic with where your effort and budget will have the greatest impact, and depending on your project, this might mean one or a few of these following things.