Anyone who has built a home before will tell you it is quite an undertaking.
What at first seems like one big decision soon turns out to actually be many, many smaller choices, from home design to appliances and fixtures. The features you choose for your house will help define your house and turn it into a home.
We’ve compiled a variety of features to consider for your new dream home. There are a lot of options for every budget and style, so whether it’s your first home or tenth, there’s something to suit you. Let’s take a look at some of the elements every homeowner should consider for their home.
Types of features for new homes
There is a wide range of features you can add to your new home, each serving a different purpose, from functional to aesthetic.
Whether you’re looking to add value to your home, make your life more comfortable or want to create a more eco-friendly house (or maybe all the above), the following features will bring delight to your new home space.
Most popular new home features
- Study or home office. Working from home has become the new norm, so it pays to have somewhere where you can be productive. Whether you’re running a business at home, or the kids need somewhere to finish those assignments, a study is a versatile room that can adapt to your needs as time goes on.
- Walk-in Closet. For more storage, privacy and convenience, it’s hard to go past a walk-in closet for your master bedroom. For anyone looking to sell in the future, it also adds value to your home.
- Bespoke Bathrooms. Every house needs a bathroom, so why not design yours to suit your lifestyle? A great bathroom finds a balance between convenience, functionality and style. Things to consider include whether you want a bathtub or showers, whether you want multiple bathrooms, tiling, and size, and even whether you want the toilet in a separate room.
- Soundproof Bedrooms. Bedroom privacy and soundproofing is one of the defining features of any floor plan. The location of your bedrooms is something to seriously discuss with your builder, as it has an impact on everything from noise buffering to temperature throughout the day.
Features that add additional home value
- Swimming Pool. Whether it’s an indoor swimming pool or an outdoor swimming pool, this is a feature that will be the star of many get-togethers and family memories.
- Media Room. With a great media room, no one will be complaining about a night in. Great for entertaining family and friends, your media room is the home to your TV, surround sound system, video games and most comfortable furniture. Before you know it, your house is where everyone will want to watch the big game or the latest movie.
- Curb Appeal. You only get to make a first impression once, so consider how your house design will look from the street. A nice driveway, a well-kept lawn and a striking facade are just some of the ways you can ensure your new home turns heads.
- Luxury Kitchen. Often described as the heart and soul of a home, a kitchen isn’t just where you make delicious meals – it’s a gathering area for friends and family. Therefore, little touches like stone countertops, a dishwasher, a quality stove, oven, refrigerator and freezer will make all the difference.
- Gym and exercise facilities. With healthy lifestyles being more important than ever, a home gym is becoming a more popular feature. To really turn heads, you can add a swimming pool for laps, basketball court, tennis court, racquetball court, squash court, or facilities for whatever sport you love most.
- Spa facilities. After using your gym, wouldn’t it be great to hope in your very own sauna? Many houses are adding a spa or hot tub for that little touch of luxury.
Features that are most important for security
- Door locks. Your door lock is one of the must-haves for protecting your belongings. Something as simple as re-enforcing your locks to the entrance can make all the difference in protecting your home and loved ones.
- Home alarm. Your home is your castle and an alarm provides an extra sense of security both when you’re home and when you’re away.
- Security cameras. Security cameras have come a long way in the last few decades, now being able to connect to your phone and smart devices. Make sure your camera can be easily seen as it just being there may be enough to scare off an intruder.
- Lights. No intruder wants the spotlight on them, and sensor lights can be enough to discourage any unwanted guests. Lighting has the bonus of being a great safety feature for when you come home late or just need to take the rubbish out at night.
Features for accessibility
- Automated Garage Door. An automated garage door means no more getting out of the car on rainy days or when you have the kids in the car. It’s also fantastic for anyone who has mobility issues, back problems or any type of physical ailment.
- Smart Home Technology. Bring your home into the 21st century by making it a smart home. Everything from your television, refrigerator, air-conditioning, and garage door can be operated from your smart devices. For someone with a physical ailment, it allows complete control of everything from the TV to the thermostat without any hassle.
- Wider entryways. Whether it’s a wider entrance for a wheelchair, safety rails in the bathroom, or easy access in the kitchen, a home can be designed with your comfort and lifestyle in mind
Features that are most important for comfort
- Patio or outdoor deck. Whether it’s a nice balcony or an undercover area for barbeques and entertaining, everyone loves the outdoors. Great for hosting get-togethers, time with the kids or a relaxing drink after a long week.
- Open Living Space. The prevailing trend in Aussie homes is to have an open space floor plan that will make your home look and feel bigger. Common setups include kitchen, living and dining spaces all being connected with no walls between them. It helps your household make the most of natural light and the breeze, while also looking inviting to everyone who visits.
- Central Vacuum System. One of the essential steps to home comfort is maintenance. Forget all the cords, changing filters and or those re-circulated particles that trigger allergies, a central vacuum system makes keeping your home clean easier than ever.
- Fireplace. Whether it’s for a romantic night in or for warming the house for the entire family, a fireplace adds both a sense of luxury and rustic, becoming a focal point of your home.
- Laundry Room. A laundry room is one of those amenities you’ll use almost every day, so when choosing a location, consider both functionality and convenience. For example, a lot of double-storey homes now have an upstairs laundry room.
- Pantry. Underestimating how much storage space you need in your kitchen will be something that you will instantly regret. Plenty of pantry space means you’ll always be stocked up and have space for all your pans and utensils.
Features for an energy efficient home design
- Solar panels. With energy bills constantly rising, solar panels are an efficient, environmentally responsible way to power your home and lower your costs. There are often grants and incentives for installing solar panels, so discuss with your builder your options.
- Insulation. Quality insulation will make your home more comfortable and reduce your need to use air-conditioning or the thermostat. Though not as exciting as some features, if you get this right, it’ll be one of the best decisions you’ll make.
- Double-glazed windows. Not only do they reduce noise pollution, but double-glazed windows will also help lower your heating and cooling expenses.
- Water tank. Great for the environment and cutting down on your water bills. Whether your water tank is for drinking water, or just for watering the plants and yard, it’s worth consideration.
Knowing what you want in your home is important, but just as important is having the right home builder on your team. Visions Homes is one of Australia’s most trusted builders with over thirty years of experience in building quality homes.
Whether you’re buying your first home, upsizing for a family or downsizing for retirement, we can help every step of the way from the floorplan to construction. We’ll bring your ideas to life and meet all your requirements so have a look out at our collection of home designs.