Best tips for bringing character to a new-build property?
Emmeline Westin
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (43)
Susan Peterson
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRelated Discussions
What is your biggest property turn-off?
Comments (57)The house was in the best street, the pictures were immaculate... heaps of people came to view ....the moment you reached the front door the smell of curry was so strong that some people started coughing. I was not deterred and inspected the entire house and it was even better than the pictures but the smell of curry was extremely strong in open kitchen area. Apparently it is almost impossible to get rid of the smell once it's that bad without major work....See MoreFeedback on New build family home plans
Comments (36)Hello houzz helpers! We have a rough new plan! The kitchen, living, dining are on the north and bedrooms are on the south. We are planning to push the house to the rear (south) of our 1 acre block and have a long driveway. We can look out onto our beautiful (in time) front yard and watch the kids run wild! We plan on using landscaping along a front fence for privacy. I am concerned with the size, in regards to being way over budget, but I am hoping the simple shape of the roof will help to offset some of that. I was thinking I would get the plan as close to what we want/need then get quotes and scale back if we need to, which will involve another post on houzz ofcourse! We would love your honest feedback and I am happy to answer any questions......See MoreAdvice on a floorplan for a new build - Country Victoria
Comments (19)Hi, Just a few quick tips to take or leave: -The nook will need some form of natural light & ventilation such as a skylight (you may already be aware). -You mentioned you wanted a slab on ground for thermal reasons. You would actually lose a lot of heat with an uninsulated slab on ground in Ballarat. Insulated underneath it and the thermal mass would be of benefit, but the general advice that a slab on ground will allow thermal mass to couple with the earth for a constant temperature would not work in Ballarat (unless you want it to be constantly cold) -Otherwise your plan has a lot of positives and you've put your thermal mass wall & fire to the north so you could also use it to store the heat from the sun via windows. I think there is a little wasted space which could be improved between the kitchen and N/E living area caused by the 'long & skinny' shaped living and island bench... Something which could be tweaked when you have your working drawings done? Or you could even take a metre out and push the kitchen/dining up to save some floor area (dollars) or add to other rooms....See Morefloor plan layout for new build - feedback needed
Comments (17)From a "passive solar design" point of view, everything is right. Rectangular home facing north/south. With north facing living rooms, rarely used rooms to the west. But one other thing to consider, plumbing. Locating it close together will lower building costs, & the wastage of water, waiting for hot water. So I'd consider swapping bedroom 4 for the western wet areas. Behind the kitchen is have the laundry, then bathroom, then linen, the bedroom furthest to the west. I'm not mad about western bedrooms, especially in hot climates. But in this case it sounds like it would be used sparingly. Plus if make sure there was no western window, just a northern one. Insulating the western wall well, & using a radiant barrier (reflective insulation). The approach will also significantly shorten the length of the western hallway. Greatly increasing the size of bedroom 4. Talking room sizes, & room numbers, from a sustainability point of view, I think the home is too large for what is likely to be a two person home for much of the time. The embodied energy (emissions created) from a new build home is huge, averaging 15 years of operational energy. I'd be looking to reduce the house size, by using multipurpose rooms. The occasional kids housed in the study, or the media room. This can work out great with clever design (like incorporating murphy beds). How will the media room be used? Will noise be an issue. Will you be happy to have it so close to the master bed? The building orientation/shape will be great for solar PV, with a large roof area facing north. I'd I was building nowadays, is be aiming for an all-electric home. Ditching gas - of its even available where you are - in favour of efficient electric appliances. Reverse cycle AC for heating (if it's required), supplemented by fans for cooling, hot water heat pump (extremely efficient), induction cooktop (sensitive, fast acting, easy to clean). All powered by solar PV. If it's an option, I'd look at 3 phase power, which will let you install a larger PV system. It will also allow you install a fast charger for EV, likely to be your next car purchase, or soon after....See MoreSarah McNally
8 years agolouisep2012
8 years agoSarah McNally
8 years agolouisep2012
8 years agoSusan Peterson
8 years agoSarah McNally
8 years agoNomah
8 years agoNomah
8 years agocrowningfashion
8 years agocavgirl
8 years agoStella Michael
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoJane McKay
8 years agoStella Michael
8 years agoSarah Davies
8 years agoStella Michael
8 years agoNatalie Patton
8 years agosizzlinghot
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agolouisep2012
8 years agominnie101
8 years agoStella Michael
8 years agoNatalie Patton
8 years agoStella Michael
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agocavgirl
8 years agoSarah McNally
8 years agoRoxane Wiley
8 years agoSunny
8 years agolouisep2012
8 years agoRoxane Wiley
8 years agoJuliet Docherty
8 years agolouisep2012
8 years agoRoxane Wiley
8 years agoCatherine Hounslow
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agohounoc
8 years agostabmonkey
8 years agoKhan Art Studio
8 years agoUser
7 years agoacew1234
7 years agoJonathan
7 years agoUser
7 years ago
minnie101