As the single largest investment you will likely make in your lifetime, the importance of selecting a suitable home is of paramount importance. To anyone who has every mortgaged themselves to the hilt, only to find they had purchased a very expensive lemon, the scars linger.
You may have been devastated to find that the floor plan was unworkable or the rooms were too small, requiring major renovations or extensions – perhaps there was no storage or worse still, there were serious issues with plumbing or electrical wiring.
Making the right choices
This scenario can make buyers very gun shy when it comes to dipping their foot back into the real estate market. According to industry professionals at Hoot Homes, the key to ensuring your next foray into building is successful, means selecting a builder who understands both your needs and wants, and is able to deliver them in spades.
Visiting builders display homes can be ‘dazzlingly deceptive’. Buyers are advised to book time with an understanding consultant who can go through each facet of the home to give their client a clear vision of how their completed home would look and function.
One way to identify specific living requirements is to audit your current homes shortfalls. Ask yourself a few pertinent questions:
- In what way does my current home not meet my needs?
- How can the floor plan, layout and configuration be better designed to encourage flow and improve socialisation?
- Is there adequate storage to allow uncluttered living both now and in the future?
- Can the outdoor spaces be improved to improve lifestyle and leisure time?
- Can the kitchen be optimised to make it more workable including:
Connective flow between cooktop, fridge and benchtops
Adequate prep areas
Butler’s pantry and innovative storage options
- Are the materials and quality of fittings and fixtures satisfactory including:
Tapware
Bench tops
Flooring
Lighting
Finishes
The above questions are merely are starting point. Your family needs will give you specifically unique requirements which only your can identify.
Green living
The orientation of your home has a dramatic influence on a number of key factors which can affect the comfort and efficiency of your home. Orientation means the positioning of your home on your block to exploit natural light to both enhance the entry of light into specific rooms and to lower energy bills.
Other energy saving innovations such as solar panels are now commonly included at the design phase of a home. Government initiatives and concessions to encourage greener homes should be explored to optimise the energy efficiency of your new home.
Smart homes
Chances are your old home will lack the technology and connectivity which is the way of the future. The term ‘smart home’ has entered the lexicon and commonly refers to a house where a range of appliances, security equipment and basic functions can be controlled remotely, either within the home or from another location.
This technology is best integrated as part of the design to allow wiring and framework to be seamlessly concealed. The selection of equipment which fits under this umbrella, includes:
- Heating and cooling systems
- Computers
- Televisions
- Audio and video entertainment systems
- Security cameras and remote monitoring
- Window treatments
- Remote lighting control
- Interactive fridges
- Heightened internet connectivity
As the above outline has touched on, ensuring your next home building venture is satisfying and rewarding, requires a bit of self-examination and research. By finding a builder who will partner with you and your budget, to build a house which will work and grow with you and your family, you are well on your way to a successful outcome.
