We built our last house and will be building again in about 18 months. Both times, we have bought the blocks then decided on a house to fit the block. We built with a builder last time (our house was a one-off design though) and we will do the same this time only this time we've found a display home that, with a few small changes, is exactly what we want.

My advice would be to buy a block first then go from there. It's not always easy to find a block to suit a house you've found as you need to take into consideration the size of the block, the slope, if the block requires any retaining or filling, etc. Also, some councils have set rules on what you can and can't build. For example, our last house had to have a certain looking gate at the entrance plus a turning bay in our front yard. Council would not approve our plans unless these specifications were met. Thankfully, the builders we built with had a lot of experience with our local council so they ensured our house design met all of the council's requirements.

We visit a lot of display homes to get an idea of what we like and then we come up with a 'Needs & Desires' list. This is brilliant for builders who will do a one off design. Maybe visit some display villages and see who's style you like then speak to those builders about one off designs. They can't copy other builders plans but they can often design something new based on the plan you like.

Visiting display villages/display homes is a good way to see what does and doesn't work in a house too. What looks good on paper sometimes isn't that practical to actually live in.

You can always speak to an architect as well however friends have done this in the past and it's a pretty pricey exercise.

As for building being a hassel, I don't think it is. We loved our first experience and we're already enjoying the planning stages for our next house too. It's time consuming and a bit confusing at times but it's very rewarding and if you find a good, reputable builder, they will make the whole experience a lot easier.