Creating New House Plans

Building your own custom-designed home is a dream made a reality for many Australians. But designing and building a home is a complex, expensive, and long-term project, so being fully prepared is a must. You don’t want to see your dream home evaporate because you ran into unexpected costs or complications. 

Further, for most people, building a home means building somewhere to live for the rest of their lives. Therefore, designing the property to consider all your needs, both current and future, is a good idea; you don’t want to be rebuilding in a few years if possible. 

With that in mind, here are some top tips to help you plan and design your dream home:

The Perfect Plot 

The plot, or site, you pick for your home is the first and possibly most critical factor in how the project will turn out. Location is important, it defines where you will live after-all; how close you are to amenities, public transport, shopping, work, and schools. 

But more than that the plot of land where you choose to build your house can have a significant impact on the cost and design. Ground and soil composition will affect the cost and complexity of foundations, and possibly dictate building materials. Likewise, slopes, large rocky areas, or proximity to natural hazards may complicate the design, requiring more creative, and expensive, solutions. 

Sunny Orientation 

Selecting the orientation of your property on the plot of land is an important factor often forgotten. The direction your home faces, and specifically the direction of the main living areas will dictate how much sun those rooms experience; that, in turn, will affect the temperature in the summer and winter, which will have a knock-on effect on your heating and cooling costs. 

Orientating your home in the best way isn’t always as simple as pointing it north for the maximum amount of light, though. Depending on where you are in the country, too much sun could make rooms unbearable in the summer months, so be sure to speak to a local architect who will have specific knowledge of the area. Of course, if you are restricted on the orientation, add-ons such as home blinds can help to limit and control heat loss and gain. 

Is Open Plan Right for You? 

Open plan is certainly a popular buzzword and trend when it comes to home building, but it may not be right for everyone. Open plan living can have its advantages, but it also decreases privacy, increases noise, and can make heating more expensive—you have to heat large areas rather than only the room you’re using. 

Think carefully before committing to open plan design, and if you do decide to base your design around an open plan, be sure to still include some quiet, secluded spaces for comfort and privacy. 

Future Thinking 

When building your own home, you are likely planning on living there for a long time, possibly for the rest of your life. That’s what makes planning with the future in mind so important. If you don’t have a family just now but are planning to have one, be sure to take that into account when designing the number of rooms you may need. 

Construction Considerations 

Unless you are a seasoned home builder, there will always be things the experts in the field know better. Factors such as non-standard ceiling heights can drive up costs, so seeking out expert advice on construction techniques and standards will help you to make the construction process smooth and cost-effective. 

Local experts will also have experience in what design elements and building materials are best suited to the area. Living near the sea, for instance, may require special considerations in coverings or roofing materials to prevent corrosion. 

Building a house can be an expensive endeavour, so having as much detail as possible about your costs and pricings is crucial in ensuring your project completes on time and budget. 1800 Blinds can help with our industry-leading policy of offering quotes on your home blinds from house plans alone. The price quoted can then be locked in with a deposit, guaranteeing you won’t pay a cent more than stated by the time your home is complete. To learn more about how 1800 Blinds can help you, contact us today!