Comments/Suggestions on New House Plan
Jenn Sinclair
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Hi all!!
Finalising our plans at the moment for our new house build.
Does anyone have any suggestions/ comments on making anything better?
Would be interested to hear!
NOTE
North is on the top right corner of the block
Our swimming pool will be adjacent to the Living Area next to the Alfresco - just not shown at this stage
Sorry had to cut out dimensions otherwise would be too hard to see.
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Advice/Suggestions for new home floorplan
Comments (20)I think there's an underlying issue here that isn't being confronted. Unless you've got megabucks or you live out in the country with a few acres, you're going to end up with a block/house which doesn't have ideal orientation. A lot of people, ourselves included, bought a slice of land where the garage gets the best aspect. We trade that off for proximity to services, shops, and the rest of it. It's all very well to talk about how a house should be designed for views, cross breezes, orientation to sun, etc, but a lot of that has to go by the wayside if you need a place close into town, and you're looking at a brownfield site being redeveloped. You buy for the location, not the orientation. The house might be facing north, and the garage has to do so because that's where the road is, and there's no other option. So, what then? The question is to make a liveable house out of a less than desirable orientation, with areas that don't get enough light and others that get too much. I'd love to see a long article on Houzz about this, because it's a reality for a lot of us. What I do know, from our last 9 months living in a house with the wrong orientation but the right location, is that there are things that work around some of the problems. Skylights are one, shade sails another. Good insulation is of course imperative as well. Our house isn't perfect, but ultimately, we'll put up with a bit too much of the western sun at certain times of year because we want to/need to live in this location ( walking distance to shops, cafes, medical clinics, dentists, vets, and three private hospitals). I'm off topic, but it's an issue I feel strongly about: making good design work in less than optimal circumstances. The house the OP is planning is just such an example. I don't think it's quite right and I do think more thought has to go into where the smaller bedrooms and kitchen are located, but if the OPs block is as small as ours, there aren't too many alternatives. And that's reality, so how do we best deal with it? I'd like to see a bit more of that on Houzz....See MorePlan for first house build - your thoughts or suggestions?
Comments (10)my suggestions include changing the staircase to have a halfway landing never winding steps, rearrange the kitchen, pantry and laundry, lose the biw and soffitts in the guest room and disguise the ens access door within the new MPR/guest room wardrobe, side access for understairs storage is much easier to use and, by the time you load and unload the laundry into a shute it would be quicker easier and cheaper to throw the washing down the stairs and save the space for more useful purposes ..pleased to see the good sized garage...cheapest rumpus, mancave and wet weather playroom with the addition of a few lockable storage cupboards and shelves...can't see the value in the extra hot water tap and gas outlet for the alfresco..rather extend paving across the back of the house and invest in a servery window to load dirty dishes directly into the kitchen for the dw and inevitably the wind blows smoke into the house so it's better to have a moveable barbq away from the walls and...upstairs hallway narrower to allow for extra steps, rearranged ens and wiw, avoid the void and use the space for a WIL or space for a baby's cot, dressing area, and/or leave the space open and invest in a gorgeous chest of drawers for linen and use the big WIL as a study nook with a separate small lounge and rearrange the bathroom with generous storage in the vanities, bigger shower and narrow freestanding bath...without all your dimensions some of my sizes are approximate but adding furniture helps understand the spaces much better and inside of wardrobes should always be at least 60cms plus the walls an doors and it appears that the plumbing access could be in the garage instead of the kitchen?...See MoreWhat do you think of this floor plan for our new home?
Comments (19)Unexpectedly to me, due to it's location on the crest of the Great Dividing Range at an elevation of around 700m above sea level, Toowoomba has a climate more similar to Sydney than Brisbane. With average summer highs of only 28°C, & average winter highs of 17°C (lows of 7°C & cold wind, as has been mentioned). It's located in Climate Zone 2: Warm Temperature, the same climate zone as Sydney, not Brisbane. Though this climate zone is very varied, so care must be taken to cater for local conditions. As has been advised a few times, have a good read of the Your Home site. Read this section, Designing for Climate, for zone 5: warm temperate. http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/design-climate Along with having cooler temperatures than Brisbane, the fact that Toowoomba is inland means it has greater variation between daytime highs & nighttime lows (diurnal temperature range). This means that unlike Queensland coastal climates, some thermal mass in the home will be appropriate, so a lightweight structure isn't needed. Although a lightweight structure, on a ground-coupled slab (with polished concrete or tiles in North facing living areas) would be a good idea. As the temperature is so much cooler than tropical Queensland climates I'd advise against going too overboard with a pavilion style house. As I think it would be too cold in winter. Maybe something like two off-set rectangles, joined in the centre. Kinda like dreamer's inspirational picture, without the middle section, the two rectangular sections joined. Or just go for a more traditional rectangular house. In any case, like just about all Australian climates, you should try to build a house that is generally rectangular, the long sides facing north & south. This will give an opportunity for northern sunshine to enter home in winter, while the shorter eastern & western sides will limit the effect of hot summer western afternoon sunshine. Though I guess this house shape won't look great from the western road, as it will look very narrow from here. You could fatten it's street frontage a little bit, by having the garage to the south of the rectangular house. With such a large block you'll be able to build something that works for you. But as OKLouise said, don't just pick a plan for an average narrow block. The plan you picked is not really suitable for your block. I'd also recommend you do a lot of research yourself. As has been shown with the plan you've received, you can't rely on the builder to design a plan that will work best for you, that is appropriate for your location. So read up on the Your Home website. It's an invaluable resource when it comes to building a comfortable, energy efficient home....See MoreSix reasons you should knock down rebuild when you plan your new home
Comments (1)This is an ad posing as a story/discussion...See MoreJenn Sinclair
4 years ago
Kate
4 years ago
dreamer
4 years agoI also think that you should have double sinks in the children's bathroom. Plants can go on window sill or hung from the ceiling.
When the children are teenagers you will be thankful for two basins.
Sara Graham
4 years agobrizcs
4 years ago
D'Cruz Design Group