Building a new home is an exciting time full of dreams, aspirations, and a few headaches. Embarking on such a great adventure requires careful consideration. Every single family is unique and has individual needs and requirements that should be taken into account. A well-considered home design can be the difference between creating a home that works for you and your family and one that doesn’t.
Want to get the most from your design?
You’ll find many houses out there that are not well-suited for their particular site. Their design may be amazing, but it doesn’t make the most of the site they are located on. This can result in a home that is dark and cold in winter or too hot in summer. The increasing size of our homes in Australia is another consideration. Bigger doesn’t always mean better unless that’s what works for your family’s needs and values.
1. Site orientation
This is our first point for a good reason. Once you have purchased a site, its orientation towards true north is impossible to change. Have you ever been in a home where the living areas are dark and cold in winter? Or where on a warm summer’s afternoon, the temperature inside is hotter than it is outside the house, even after the sun has set! This all relates to how a building is oriented on its site towards true north!
North vs south
In the summertime, the maximum heat gain to a house comes from the east and the west. However, in the wintertime, the maximum heat gain comes from a low sun position in the north. If you find a site in which your house design would have your living areas facing to the south, you would be less likely to benefit from the lower northern sun in winter to heat, warm, and light your home.
Likewise, if you found a site where your house design would have your living areas facing west, you are more likely to end up with a very warm home on those hot summer afternoons. That means you are more likely to have to cool your home to try to maintain your comfort level, resulting in increased energy consumption.
True north
An ideal site would have your living areas facing true north. This is where most of your windows usually are and where most of us spend the majority of our time. Having this orientation would get the best all-year-round performance with regards to keeping your house cool in summer and warm in winter. However, not all blocks are ideal, but with a thoughtful and clever house design, they can still be made viable.
2. Local climate conditions
Local climate conditions should influence how we design a building, as these can impact the comfort of your home. Climate conditions include many things, such as natural breeze paths during summer, blistering cold winter winds, and existing shade that is present from neighbouring dwellings or trees. Considering these elements in your design can lead to a more economical and comfortable home.
Even how built up your local area is will contribute to climate conditions. Areas of large amounts of heavy materials (like concrete, brick, and bitumen) create a greater heat sink (for example, a built-up city area), meaning the winters won’t get as cool but the summers will be hotter longer into the night.
3. Site restrictions
This is another particularly important point, as site restrictions from your local council or other authorities can rarely be changed after you have purchased your block. Such site restrictions include: your council’s Development Control Plan, bushfire controls, flooding issues, mine subsidence, or even state environmental planning issues.
Restrictions can limit what can be built on your block of land. Running into any of these controls can affect your building goals and the final construction budget for your home. It’s essential to be aware and informed of these controls before purchasing your block and realising too late that it’s going to cost a lot more to build your home than you first thought.
4. Foundation type and site construction costs
This point focuses on the site’s physical restrictions. For example, if you were to purchase a block of land that is flat with good soil, the construction cost would be cheaper than a steeper block of land with problematic soil type. With a steeper block, there would be a requirement for a more engineered design to construct the same-sized home.
Non-level sites
When building on a block that is not level, your builder may ask you to consider using a cut-and-fill design. Many builders will indicate that it’s cheaper to build using this design rather than a bearer and joist construction. However, one cost that is commonly overlooked when making this decision is the finishing of the remaining site with retaining walls. This is typically left up to the owners after the building works have been handed over and can run into the tens of thousands of dollars that you may not have budgeted for.
5. Designing for your family
Now, this point is a big one! You need to thoughtfully consider how your family would use your home. Every family is unique with different needs and values. Almost all of them will have different routines for each family member. When designing your home, think about how your family will use the space. What is essential, what is desirable, and how can your space best serve you and your family?
Your future family
Think about potential future needs that could be worked into the design, such as a study area, space separation, or even mobility access. Home size is also something to consider. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, but it does mean a bigger budget! In Australia, we are building larger, more extravagant homes with some people thinking they should for resale reasons, others to keep up with the Joneses, and some because a larger home genuinely works better for their family size or lifestyle.
Build to your budget
Consider your budget early on and have a list of needs and wants for your new home. Think about whether you need to stretch yourself financially for that third lounge room or guest ensuite. Or, if you do have a larger budget, consider what is important to you and how you will use your home day-to-day. Perhaps your budget could serve you better in creating a more usable, sustainable, or luxurious home rather than a large home with underutilised space.
Enjoy building your dream home
There is, of course, much more to consider, especially at the home design stage. However, we hope that these five facts provide you with a good starting point. Think of these when you select your block, orient your house, and design it to suit your family, values, and lifestyle.
Remember, identify your goals, ask the important questions, and do your research! A little bit of legwork now will make it all worthwhile in the long run! Are you looking for a builder or tradie right here in Lake Mac? You can also chat with a building designer. Are you selling your home to build somewhere else? Check out this guide on getting your home ready for sale.
