Buyers Guide

FIND THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY

FIND THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

FIND PLOTS

Consider our requirements - Dream Home :

  • Our family's expectation regarding dream Home
  • Number of bedrooms.
  • Number of bathrooms.
  • Other important features.
  • Our budget range.

Choosing where to live - Location

  • Will we be close to everything we need - shops, schools, parks, public transport, etc?
  • Will we be able to position a home on our block so it has good access to sun, ideally with the long side or back facing north (or close to north)?
  • Will any neighboring buildings have an effect on our block's privacy, views or access to winter sun?
  • Best block for us.

Choosing our new home - Orientation

  • Is it a functional floor plan without wasted space and with plenty of storage?
  • What would we change about this plan?
  • Will our preferred home fit well on our block with living areas facing north (or close to north)?

Choosing our new home - Comfort

  • Is there good insulation under roofs, in ceilings and in walls?
  • Do we need floor insulation?
  • Do our windows predominantly face north?
  • Are our north-facing windows shaded by eaves or overhangs?
  • Are our east and west-facing windows shaded by adjustable shutters?
  • Do we need to consider double glazing? Where?
  • Will we use curtains with pelmets to help keep in heat? Where?
  • Comments, things we'd like to change about our home design:

Working with you builder - Our living areas and kitchens

  • Can our living areas be divided up as needed, for economical heating and cooling?
  • Will our living areas get plenty of sunlight in winter?
  • Will our living areas be shaded in summer?
  • Can windows be opened on more than one side of living areas to let cooling breezes through?
  • Is our kitchen set out so there is easy reach between different activities?
  • Do our kitchen cupboards use low emission particle board and finishes?
  • Comments, things we'd like to change.

Working with your builder - Our bathrooms, laundry, bedrooms and home office

  • Will our bathrooms and laundry have a window for natural ventilation?
  • Have we chosen fixtures that will save water? For example, do our bathrooms and laundries have 3-star showerheads, 4-star toilets and 3+ star taps?
  • Comments, things we'd like to change:
  • Can we swap some rooms around so the bedrooms will be cooler in summer?
  • Comments, things we'd like to change:
  • Will we use the home office a lot?
  • Will it be a sunny, pleasant place to work?
  • Comments, things we'd like to change:

Our heating and cooling

  • Do we have a north-facing roof for solar hot water?
  • Do we have a gas connection?
  • Type of hot water system we're looking for:
  • Have we locked in good design features to avoid or reduce our heating and cooling needs?
  • Can we use fans or evaporative coolers instead of air conditioning?
  • Would a solar air heater work for us?
  • Does our gas heater have a high star rating?
  • How can we save further on heating and cooling?
  • Will we use electricity from renewable sources?

Our fittings and appliances

  • Does our home design make good use of natural light?
  • Our lighting requirements:
  • The costs of running our lighting per year:
  • How we can save on lighting costs:
  • The energy star rating of our fridge:
  • The water star rating of our washing machine:
  • Our other major energy-using appliances:

Our colours & finishes

  • The types of flooring in our home.
  • The timbers used in our home.
  • The paints and varnishes used in our home.
  • Examples of colour schemes that we like.
  • Have we specified materials that are either low emission or natural products?

Our outdoor living

  • Will our alfresco areas get sun in winter and be cool and shady in summer?
  • Will we use local native plants, drought-resistant plants and mulch in our garden, to save water?
  • Will we grow our own vegetables and herbs?
  • Comments, things we'd like to change:
  • How many liters will our rainwater tank hold?
  • What will our rainwater tank be plumbed in to? :
  • Will we reuse our wastewater? If so, where will we collect it from and where will we use it?