After living in Bellbrae Valley for 10 yrs with no sunrise or sunset we settled for the brilliance of Breamlea. Selecting a 3 storey home that is north facing on a sand dune and having both brilliant light shows plus amazing views over the stunning wetlands,  home to a myriad of amazing water birds… 

We started our renovation of a typical beach house by living in the space for several years prior to making valuable decisions regarding natural light, design features and sustainable building materials. And over the past 35 years we have eagerly researched and chatted to many knowledge-filled and wise owner builders and visited homes that were sustainable and energy-efficient. We also extensively researched Owner Builder, Renew and Sanctuary magazines. 

Our house has exceeded our wildest expectations. The abundant natural light and consistent internal temperatures have significantly enhanced our quality of life, though it's challenging to quantify this improvement—it's simply awesome. During winter, the living space and bedrooms are consistently between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius . We now have a home that not only aligns with our visual preferences but also functions splendidly, seamlessly blending the outdoors with the indoors with a brilliant ‘wow factor’ bathroom with a double glazed 2m round window looking out onto a tree-tea landscape.

Until you've resided in a passive solar, energy-efficient home, it's challenging to grasp the profoundly positive impact it has on your physical and mental well-being, not to mention the significant savings in ongoing house maintenance costs.