Priorities
Building a new home or renovating an existing one is an exciting journey, but it also comes with numerous decisions that can significantly impact both your budget and your long-term living experience.
When it comes to prioritizing where to allocate your budget, in our opinion, energy efficiency takes precedence over elements like larger rooms or an abundance of fixtures and fittings that can always be changed later.
Here’s a guide on what to prioritize for your next project!
What to Add
Energy-Efficient Design Elements
Natural Light: Add large, strategically placed windows to maximize sunlight, which can reduce reliance on artificial lighting.
Custom designed homes allow for so much more than fancy architecture. Custom design takes into consideration things like orientation on your block (limit hot West sun with small windows on the western side), prioritize living spaces on the northern side to maximise heat penetration in winter and use eaves to prevent heat in summer.
High-Quality Insulation
Insulation Materials: Invest in high-performance insulation for walls, ceilings, and floors to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures.
Energy-Efficient Windows
Double or Triple-Glazing: Choose energy-efficient windows that reduce heat loss, improving comfort and lowering energy costs.
Quality Building Materials
High quality wraps and weather barriers will go a long way to preventing a “leaky” home, ensuring what needs to stay in and what needs to be outside stays outside or is passed outside.
Energy-Efficient Appliances
Energy Star Rated: Opt for Energy Star-rated appliances that consume less energy and save on utility bills over time.
Renewable Energy Solutions
(MUST NEVER BE YOUR FIRST and ONLY CHOICE) Solar Panels: If budget permits, integrate solar panels to harness renewable energy and reduce dependency on traditional power sources.
Solar Hot Water Systems: Consider solar hot water systems to efficiently heat water using sunlight.
Efficient HVAC Systems
High-Efficiency Systems: Install energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to lower energy consumption.
Ductless Mini-Splits: A tighter air sealed home means you will require a lot less heating and cooling. In fact, only 10%! Explore ductless systems for targeted heating and cooling, which can be more efficient than traditional systems.
Storage Room
Instead of expensive built in cabinetry opt for a storage room to house your belongings
Future-Proofing Infrastructure
Design for Upgrades: Plan for future energy-efficient upgrades like battery storage and electric vehicle charging.
What to Remove
Excessive Square meters
Square meters = $$
Avoid Excessive Space: Consider who is living in your home, how your family will change. Eliminate plans for oversized rooms or excessive bedrooms or living areas that lead to higher energy usage from heating and cooling costs. At what point in modern home design will we start to prioritize smaller homes that cost less to build and run, over oversized homes just to keep up with the Jones’?
What is YOUR ideal room composition? 3 bed or 4? 1 or 2 living spaces? 1 or 2 dining spaces? 1, 2 or 3+ bathrooms?
Extravagant Fixtures and Fittings
Trending fixtures and fittings = expense
Limit Non-Essential Items: Remove plans for high-end fixtures and fittings that can be added later when budget allows, focusing instead on essential, functional options. Wave goodbye to excessively expensive tapware, fixtures like baths and sinks. Practicality and quality the highest priority.
Expensive Cabinetry
Consider your options carefully. Maybe downsize to 20mm stone? Or even use laminate cabinetry surfaces where possible. Consider how much cabinetry you need, how each cupboard will be used. Even opt for open shelving in the pantry. A beautiful kitchen comes from the clever design and character elements such as handles, timber shelves, built in rangehoods and feature lighting.
Complex Architectural Features
Avoid Overly Complex Designs: Remove architectural elements that complicate construction and can increase energy costs, such as elaborate rooflines that may hinder insulation.
Excessive Electrical Outlets
Strategic Outlet Placement: Remove plans for excessive electrical outlets that may lead to overuse of electricity and potential energy waste. Use your placement strategically. Considering the use of each outlet in the planning stage helps reduce the overall electrical bill.
More appliances than you require
Double the ovens means double the energy requirement and double the initial cost!
I hope you come away from this blog with more questions than answers, question what YOU actually need and why. How you are going to use your home. Some elements can always be added and changed later but the priorities lie with what cannot be changed later. Build for YOUR future.
Prioritize your budget on an energy efficient home that will pay off for years to come on your bank account, your comfort and your health.