For anyone embarking on a similar project, check out http://osarch.org/ http://osarch.org/ I was amazed to come from no background in architecture to getting a

For anyone embarking on a similar project, check out http://osarch.org/ http://osarch.org/ I was amazed to come from no background in architecture to getting a land survey converted in to Blender 3D model and having accurate sun simulations running on architectural concepts within a week or two. Seems like Sketchup dying has gifted a lot of momentum to the open source space. Use it! It's pretty capable stuff. Also, plant trees. Trees last a long time (longer than many houses), cost nearly nothing and provide excellent psychological and physical features which built environment cannot match.