Build Your Dream Acreage Home on the Sunshine Coast & Gympie: A Simple Guide

I have had the privilege of assisting more than 150 families with site assessment, site planning, and new home design across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa Hinterland, and Gympie. This is a short, friendly overview so you can see the journey at a glance and feel confident that each step will be guided.

What you will get in a few minutes:A clear picture of the stages, a simple checklist for choosing a block and a builder, and the key things that make acreage homes work beautifully without wasting space or money.

1. The Journey, made simple

Explore and confirm - Walk your preferred blocks, check the covenant and services, and confirm the budget range that feels right.

Sketch and sense check - A designer studies the site, sunlight, breezes, and views. A quick layout and a pricing check confirm you are on track.

Price and approve - Your drawings and inclusions are set, builders price the same information, and approvals are lodged.

Prepare and build - You finalise selections, the site is made ready, and construction moves from slab to handover.

Keep a modest contingency, usually 10 - 15 percent, for site and selections.

2. Choosing a block, without the stress

• Sun and breeze - If possible, aim living areas and decks to the north and north east, capture summer breezes, and shield from harsh west.

• Views and privacy - Stand where the kitchen and living might be, check views, and plan screen planting where needed.

• Access and earthworks - Pace out the driveway and turning space. Try to sit the home into the land, not on a big cut.

• Services and systems - Mark likely routes for underground power and NBN, and shortlist spots for water tanks and HSTP or septic.

• Simple site sketch - Draw north, views, breezes, building envelope, driveway, and likely positions for shed, pool, tanks, and HSTP.

3. A floor plan that feels right and wastes less

• Start with how rooms connect, not just how they look.

• Put the living core to the light and the view.

• Separate the parents suite from the kids or guest wing.

• Add storage where it helps daily life, pantry, linen, and outdoor store.

• Stack wet areas to shorten plumbing, keep spans sensible, and allow for future stages.

4. Picking the right builder, in plain language

• Shortlist three to five (at most!) with real acreage experience, long driveways, earthworks, tanks and HSTP, rural access.

• Check fit and oversight - Who is your site supervisor, how many jobs do they run, how do they report progress.

• Get apples to apples pricing - Issue the same drawings and a clear inclusions list to each builder.

• Contract for clarity - Use a standard HIA or QBCC contract, define allowances and how variations are handled.

  
  

5. Site planning essentials that save headaches

• Water tanks - Many families end up between 45,000 and 90,000 litres, often split across tanks, placed near downpipes.

• HSTP or septic - Size depends on bedrooms, soils, and slope, keep disposal areas clear of traffic and tree roots.

• Power and comms - Plan trench routes, think about a shed sub board, gate power, and future EV charging.

• Drainage - Move roof and surface water away from buildings with sensible falls and swales.

• Shed and pool - Keep the shed aligned with the driveway and set so it does not dominate, place the pool for sun, wind protection, and easy supervision.

6. Approvals and costs, kept under control

• Read the covenant and prepare a simple package, plans, materials, colours, site plan.

• Lodge building and plumbing approvals, plus energy and bushfire if required.

• Track your budget by bucket, base build, site works, tanks and HSTP, external works, landscaping, professional fees, contingency.

• Freeze the plan early, upgrade where it matters, and keep allowances realistic.

Ready to take the first step together

If you are exploring acreage across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa Hinterland, or Gympie and want steady guidance from securing your block to getting your build started, I offer a free 15 minute consultation to map your path and answer immediate questions.

Book your consult

Email: hello@johan22.com | Phone: 0434 780 710 | Web: johan22.com

I look forward to helping you turn a great block into a great home, one clear step at a time.