Why Your “Dream Home” Might Not Be What You Thought It Would Be
Many of us have had visions of our “dream home” from a young age. As we grow older (and wiser), this vision often changes to take a brand new form. Designing a new home is an exciting and eye-opening challenge. As you move forward on your design journey with the help of experts, experience from viewing countless display homes and become introduced to exciting modern features, your “dream home” can look very different to what you had originally desired.
Remaining open to new possibilities and features that connect with your lifestyle, is essential in order to create your true “dream home.”
Lifestyle Matters
Your home should be designed with your lifestyle in mind. It is, therefore, important to consider whether the features of your “dream home” are compatible with your reality.
Climate: Homes should always be designed or modified for the climate in which they are located. Whilst the effects of a poorly climatised home can be masked by heating and cooling systems, you will suffer from expensive bills and cause significant damage to the environment.
The building materials, orientation, roofing, room arrangements and windows of your home should be chosen and designed in direct reference to your homes climate. Passive design – working with the climate of your home, ensures that your “dream home” is built for maximum comfort of your occupants.
Floor Plan: When designing a home it is essential to consider how you or your family will use the home now and into the future. The floor plan directly shapes how you and your family will experience the home, so it is essential to ensure that it is suited to your lifestyle.
If you have children or are considering having children, it is essential to consider how you wish to structure your family home. Some people prefer separation from the children’s areas, which can be achieved through a two-story floor plan. Others prefer a sprawling, open-plan home that is ideal for entertaining groups. It is therefore important to consider how you envision your home will be used in the future, and whether your ‘ideal’ floor plan will in fact serve your lifestyle.
Outdoor Living: Having a backyard is a non-negotiable for many aspiring homeowners. However, budget constraints and location can make this dream difficult to achieve. Many people hoping to purchase or build in the inner city, quickly learn that the city lifestyle is not compatible with the sprawling backyard of their dreams.
However, living in a big city does not mean you need to completely say goodbye to your backyard dreams. Modern architects and home builders are maximizing even the smallest spaces to create outdoor entertainment areas in the city and inner suburbs. Outdoor areas including small decks or patios, also add considerable value to a home and are highly desirable to future homebuyers.
Tech-Smart
Even the biggest devotee’s to the classic and vintage style home, are becoming enticed by modern tech-smart features. Expert interior designers and architects are capable of incorporating advanced technology into vintage homes, without compromising the look and feel of a traditional home.
Smart home devices and automation are quickly becoming must-have features for the modern “dream home”. Automated lighting, heating and cleaning devices make life easier for any busy homeowner, and can be seamlessly incorporated into homes of any design.
Designing and building a home is a long and exciting process. As you talk with experts and conduct your own research, it is not uncommon for significant changes to be made to your initial design or blueprint of a “dream home”.
Partnering with an experienced home designer and builder is essential to ensure that your home is perfectly adapted to suit your lifestyle, now and into the future. A true “dream home” is one that can exist outside of a fantasy and capture the real needs of you and your family.