February 2009. Chris Clarke had just spent two years building his minimalist timber and steel dream home at Callignee in Gippsland when, less than a week after completion, it was burnt to the ground in the devastating Black Saturday bushfires. With nothing remaining but a concrete slab and a burnt out shell Chris was left shattered and numb. After recovering from the initial grief he was determined to re-build and re-use every last salvageable element of the original house. What he creates in the year or so following is simply remarkable. By adding sturdy recycled elements with the latest fire resistant materials, Chris sets out to produce a tough, resilient version of the original home (now dubbed Callignee One). Wearing its embattled past as a badge of honour, will Callignee Two not only face up to the Aussie bush?

Lynne and Paul have found a beautiful stretch of coastal wilderness with panoramic views over the Tasman Sea. With plans to build a huge modern home, Paul will project manage while living on site.

Catherine and Mick purchase 50 acres in the rolling hills of South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula and begin building a remarkable structure that looks more like a corrugated iron shed than a house.

After buying a block of land in Clarence, Dennis and Karen try to build a house that can withstand bushfires out of seven shipping containers.

Gary and Clare left the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a more peaceful pace with plans of building a spaceship-like domed house, reminiscent of the beautiful vaulted structures seen in Europe.

Retirees and childhood sweethearts Liz and Warren have taken on a hundred-acre Macadamia farm in the Byron Bay hinterland, with grand plans to build an epic five-bedroom, Mediterranean-style villa-cum-castle.

After a fire destroyed the much-loved homestead on Alistair and Belinda's dairy farm, they embark on a bold new project to create a comfortable home that looks like a dairy shed, complete with silos for bedrooms.

Constructing an underground acropolis in the desert town of Coober Pedy is an ambitious undertaking, but when Paul's parents retire, he wants to build them the ultimate 'underground Greek mansion'.

Trevor and Jeanette are looking to build a very special home close to nature in which Trevor can move about easily in his wheelchair. When a 15 acre block with river frontage comes on the market, they pounce.

Building a big house in inner-city Melbourne is a tricky business. But architect Annalise and project manager Kim have a plan to turn their 1850s terrace into a multi-storied modern home with a triple car-stacker.

Bel and John are building an underground house on 25 acres at Whittlesea, Victoria. An area known for bushfires, Bel and John want to ensure their property is fire proof.

Architect Domenic Alvaro and his partner Sue Bassett are urban animals who love the inner city suburb of Surry Hills in Sydney. However their dream location comes with a nightmare price tag. So, they come up with a unique way of keeping costs down and do this by buying very small and building very tall. After buying a tiny corner car park measuring 7m x 6m they set out to create 220 square metres of light filled living space. Their vertical build comes together quickly thanks to pre-fab concrete panels which fit together like Lego. Construction itself is fast and efficient but there are interesting challenges on site. A miniscule block and two narrow cross streets won’t submit to the needs of a gigantic crane in a hurry – and the crane is essential as it hauls the huge panels and windows into position. Basically something’s gotta give – and it does. Will the result be worth the hassle?

When Jan and Ed Gillman bought a tumble-down weatherboard in Southport, their first intention was to demolish and start again. But on learning its unique history as the 1880’s summer house of Sir Augustus Gregory (one of the oldest houses in Southport), they decide to restore instead and plan to lift the original house and move it forward two metres on the block. What follows is a painstaking restoration process – and with no official heritage guidelines in place Jan and Ed are faced with a difficult choice: take the laborious path of restoring the house to its former glory or opt for the easier path and lose the history of the house.

Julie and Patrick Eltridge bought in Sydney’s beachside Clovelly three years ago, paying $1.6 million for an old house on a sloping block. It was the land and its sea views they wanted, not the asbestos-riddled house. With time a concern, they have to find a way to fast track a slick, uber modern, two-story residence in a matter of months. The solution comes from Melbourne and a firm of pre-fab builders, who custom build them four top end, architect designed modules in a highly efficient, regulated environment. On completion, the pods will be trucked to Sydney in a dramatic, oversized convoy and then crane lifted into position. Another challenging element of the build centres around the demolition and site preparation in Sydney. One of the site issues has more twists and plot turns than an Agatha Christie novel making the new modules look like a breeze.

For 17 years Trevor and Francoise Sullivan have lived with their two kids and numerous animals in an open sided shed on 33 bushy acres at Lake Bennett south of Darwin. With money tight they were sustained by thoughts of the beautiful home they’d one day enjoy – so they both nutted out a unique design. A cyclone proof, tropical tree house that is windowless and based on the shape of a 50 cent piece. With little or no funds, Trevor (a wood carver) is building it all himself (including furniture) with the help of generous mates. The going is slow but one of the first things finished is the magnificent central staircase, carved from a fallen Paperbark Tree. Will they get the roof on before the wet season? That is the question.

If ever there was an ideal place for a Hamptons house outside the Hamptons, the Gold Coast hinterland would be it – wide open spaces, balmy sea-kissed air and a sense of prosperity. For Steve and Lisa Morley it’s the American dream or nothing for their 4,000 square metre block. They love everything about the Hamptons style, from the warm timbers, to the many windows, pavilion style design, parquetry flooring and classic, soft interior furnishings. Lisa has done her research, designing many elements herself and will stop at nothing to fulfill her dream.

Nothing like an impulsive act to take you down a path you hadn’t expected in life. For engineer Peter Riedel and his interior designer wife Mary, their sudden whim was to purchase an 1870’s church for $20,000. It wasn’t even upright at the time and all they got was a pile of boards. Still, it captured their imagination and a plan took shape to re-build the church on their property, overlooking Wilsons Promontory and convert it into a house. Like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, their biggest challenge is the number of pieces missing.

Drew Muirhead is a self employed entrepreneur and man about town. He’s building a Balinese resort style mansion in leafy Cottage Point. Not one to do things by halves, Drew’s mansion will have Balinese Pavilions, an infinity pool, its own nightclub, five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a steam room. It all faces a private beach with boatshed and speedboat. The biggest battle for Drew, who is project managing the build – is the steep sloping block and access.

Ian McDonald and Rob Wilhelm are not building an understated new home. Theirs is a Grand Design in its most literal sense. A glass box with a roof like floating wings overlooking Port Phillip Bay on the Bellarine Peninsula – seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, cinema, games room, glass lift, glass panelled pool, rooftop garden – all the bells and whistles, all the boy’s toys. With a construction budget of $1.8 million, the question is will they burst the budget banks and by how much?

Over the years, Nick and Anna McKimm have almost made a hobby of renovating, selling and moving on. But with three young children, they’re ready to lay down permanent roots and build their dream home. A sleek, modernist, 60’s inspired family residence on a large, half acre block in Melbourne’s bayside suburb, Brighton. Nick heads up a successful building company and knows a lot about quality period reproductions - particularly classical architectural styles - and Anna has a flair for beautiful fit-outs. But as they’re about to learn, mid-century building is very different to other architectural styles and comes with its own challenges.

Ten years ago retired Civil Engineer Bernie Ryan and his wife Ruth, packed up their three kids and moved to Paynesville, a charming seaside town in Victoria's popular Gippsland Lakes region. Bernie’s a tinkerer with a huge shed filled with crazy projects started in a flurry, but left unfinished. Needing a new house and unwilling to pay a builder, Bernie takes on the construction himself, armed with an eccentric, industrial design, a minimal budget and a cowboy attitude. Bernie wheels out his old crane and ropes in a bunch of retired mates to lend a hand. He’s built bridges and industrial constructions before, but this is Bernie’s first ever house - and his ‘she’ll be right’ attitude lands him in hot water when the building inspector turns up unannounced. Bernie tries to do as much as he can on the cheap, with supportive Ruth ever hopeful he’ll pull it off, so the family can move from their rough old shed into a real home. This is a makeshift, do-it-yourself construction that could easily end up a shambles. Will this be the one project Bernie manages to finish, or a blight on Paynesville’s picturesque skyline?

Anne Potter loves all things retro - the fashion, the cars... even the hairstyles. So ten years ago, it was no surprise that she and husband Michael snapped up a modest 60’s bungalow overlooking the harbour in Sydney’s Five Dock. Since then their family has expanded and with three very active boys, they are really feeling the squeeze so they’re tearing down the old house to build their own modern version of a retro home, with curved steel and walls of glass with a hint of Mondrian inspired colour - a complete contrast to the well-kept, more conservative homes that surround them. This is Anne’s dream opportunity. As an interior designer by trade, she’s keen to be actively involved in creating their special home. But she’s been a stay-at-home mum, out of the industry for ten years, and overseeing a house construction is a whole new challenge. Can she keep across the intricacies of the job in between school drop offs, supermarket runs and cooking the dinner?

Kyneton, a country town in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges, is known for historic architecture and bustling farmers markets. It’s the perfect place for foodies Rod Moore and Di Foggo – who are embarking on a huge life change. They’re farewelling a classic Victorian home with traditional furnishings and building a brand new, cutting edge flat pack house on a rugged escarpment overlooking the racecourse. Di is a keen gardener and wants to create a lofty paradise with a wide, rolling view. They’ve been burnt before with budgets spiralling out of control and schedules doubling, so they have chosen a high end, quality flat pack home knowing there’s a fixed price and a speedy schedule. Trouble is, the land isn’t complying and from almost day one generates unexpected problems. Seems even the most regulated grand designs are at nature’s mercy.

Daniel Leipnik and Andrew Preston have long cherished the dream of a laid-back, barefoot life in the tropics. And they have found the ideal location at Trinity Beach near Cairns in Far North Queensland. Their ambitious new home will grace a hillside block bordering a World Heritage rainforest and overlooking the Coral Sea. After years planning this grand sea-change, they are ready at last to manage its construction. Their vision is for a classic pavilion-style pole home, nestled in the tree tops. But project managing is tough enough if you’re on site… and they’re attempting the job from 4,000 kilometres away in Melbourne, plus this is a first time experience for them both. While they believe they’ve left no stone unturned designing their South Pacific inspired hideaway, they can’t escape the challenges of the location. A precarious driveway, tropical downpours and expensive local trades are all threatening to send their budget and schedule spiralling out of control. Between pressing work commitments and the tyranny of distance, these idealists still believe they can pull off the house of their dreams. The question is, can they?

For nine years, Michael and Sandy Rutledge have been making the weekend pilgrimage to their lush 20 acre property in Gladysdale, an hour east of Melbourne. Now they’re leaving the city for a permanent tree change and building a new family home on their acreage. But first they have to agree on a design. Sandy has a passion for Old World European, inspired by her travels overseas, whereas Michael’s a techno whiz who likes sleek, contemporary homes. Can their architect marry their differing tastes with definite ideas of his own? One thing everyone agrees is that this should be a house with a sense of permanence, a house that will stand the test of time thanks to thick walls encased in dry stone. But seems it can’t even manage a first season as continual wet weather causes delays and flooding. Before work is even finished, they have to face the unthinkable – the house isn’t waterproof! Despite their best efforts it’s an ongoing battle against the elements. Can they curb the leaks and deliver Sandy the stone fortress she’s been dreaming of?