Landscaping For Narrow House Designs

Narrow lots create a number of challenges for those who own them, firstly in designing a home to fit on a small space without making the home feel like a prison, secondly in making the block appear larger than it really is for the all-important resale value and also in creating an attractive landscape to suit all needs of the home's occupants. Here are some helpful tips for creating a landscape to compliment your narrow lot house design.

Gardening experts suggest that using every inch of your land will help your block seem larger than it is, this includes that little patch out the front of your home between the footpath and the curb (if you happen to have a footpath out the front of your home). Utilising this verge space to plant ground coverings such as low-growing succulents or perennial flowers helps to add interest and colour to the front of your home as well as lengthening the size of your yard.

If you have a two storey narrow lot house plan you could create a vertical garden of climbing plants to brighten up a bare external wall of the home, or draw attention upwards making the yard feel bigger. Vertical gardens are also useful in covering up ugly fencing and adding a focal point to an otherwise boring space. Using focal points such as water features, winding paths, seating areas and bold tropical plants helps to distract the viewer from noticing the small plot of land.

Lawn is not an essential part of a backyard, so if you don't need lawn in your yard then replace it with lots of different, attractive plants of various sizes and shapes; plants with large leaves can help you change the scale of your yard. Make yourself a miniature forest with footpaths winding through it to allow for garden maintenance and easy access, maybe even a hidden seating area where you can go to sit and read a book without being disturbed!

Use interesting or attractive materials to build pathways, especially if you have a neglected side yard. Paths that can help you to link the backyard to the front yard will add to the feeling of a lengthened yard, particularly when there are several different elements to appreciate along the way such as hedges, vines, seating areas or water features. Outdoor seating areas should be located further away from the house in order to give the impression of a larger yard.

A popular way to maximise the use of outdoor space for a narrow lot home design is to divide the available yard space into distinctly separate zones because this way all areas are more likely to be used; zones may include a vegetable garden or greenhouse, a fire pit, grassed areas for kids to play on, a patio or feature garden. If possible, use bamboo screening as a way to block out views of neighbouring yards and keeping your yard feeling cosy and intimate.

Perth Home Builders Preparing For Rising Sea Levels

Several recent studies reported that by the year 2100 many coastal communities around Australia will be inundated with water due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. Environmental groups and climate change advocates have been talking about this for many years but very few people are taking action to prepare their properties for the future because the threat is not immediate. As Perth home builders who are dedicated to building strong, resilient housing for the future, we believe the responsibility of educating new home buyers may come down to individual companies that are building homes in the areas most likely to be affected.

This month the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released renewed research indicating the likelihood of sea levels rising up to 2.7m is now much higher than previously reported thanks to the acceleration of melting ice in Greenland and Antarctica. Under this latest modelling, it is suggested that Elizabeth Quay, Langley Park and areas of the Kwinana Freeway will be almost submerged as well as parts of Rockingham and Safety Bay being affected by high tides whereas the previous mapping was undertaken only 3 years ago showed these areas as being relatively safe.

The Chairman of the Australian Coastal Councils Association, Barry Sammels, has called for the Federal Government to show more leadership in dealing with this issue instead of waiting until the threat is imminent. Too many people simply believe that climate change won't affect them and they, therefore, shrug it off without taking action, but climate change is happening now and it's not going to go away! Homeowners in coastal areas should at least be taking the time to become aware of how rising sea levels could affect their homes, ways they can safeguard their homes and possibly even saving money to prepare for future adaptations to their homes.

Home builders Perth should also be considering ways to help their future clients build homes that can easily adapt to the forecasted conditions, or homes that will be resilient to natural disasters. It's not just homeowners and builders that need to prepare for the future because both private and public businesses will also be affected particularly in the Perth CBD, so building owners as well as commercial builders Perth should be participating in the preparations for the future of their property assets or offering the best solutions for the benefit of their clients.

Great Living Homes have developed unique technology for building 2 storey houses which they believe will also be useful in assisting homeowners to prepare their homes for future natural disasters. While this idea is still in the early stages of research and development, this is just one example of how this business is contributing to educating our local community and attempting to address the effects of climate change on the housing industry. 

Singles Storey Homes Smartly with Modern Design

Single storey homes are often viewed as the traditional family style home design and with a multitude of floor plans available there is always something to suit every lifestyle.  There are a number of benefits to building a single storey home including accessibility (particularly for the elderly or disabled), they are easier to maintain, they are cheaper to build than double storey homes, single storey homes in Perth are often in more demand and are therefore easier to sell and single storey homes are perfect for first homebuyers to get their foot into a tough housing market.

You can find single storey home designs to suit any size block so whether you need a narrow lot design, a small home or a spacious house for a rural property, there is something available for everyone- but if there’s nothing that tick all the boxes for you then you can always custom design! The great thing these days is that new homes can be tailored to suit not only your lifestyle, but your budget too.

Great Living Homes offer a wide range of single storey home designs and are always happy to alter their standard plans to ensure you get everything you want in your new home. They also offer a complete custom design service because they want their clients to have the best outcome possible from their building experience which includes being 100% satisfied with the design and materials used for their new home. They can even organise the finishing touches on your new home such as window furnishings, patios, landscaping, interior wall painting, pool installation and much more!

Great Living Homes also offer a range of options for building materials such as steel framing, double brick or timber whereas most builders don’t offer you these options or allow changes to be made to their standard house plans. Great Living Homes also like to use resilient building materials to increase the strength, ensure your home stands up to the tests of time and is also resilient to dangerous weather conditions like storms and bush fires. If you build a single storey home with Great Living Homes you can be sure to get the home of your dreams and trust that it will last for lifetimes to come.

Benefits of Buying 2 Storey Homes Builders

Single storey homes are still the “traditional” type of home in WA, however the popularity of two storey homes is growing and there are times when the benefits of buying two storey homes become too good to overlook. There are hundreds of beautiful two storey house plans of all shapes, sizes, materials and prices available from dozens of builders throughout Perth and WA. You can choose from basic, small designs right through to elaborate, luxurious abodes with all the trimmings and everything in between!

The benefits of building double storey homes include street presence (double storey houses look more substantial and impressive), multiple living options (bedrooms upstairs with downstairs living/ parent’s retreat upstairs, kids downstairs/ family business downstairs, bedrooms & living upstairs and so on), building up instead of out could save you backyard space to install a pool, build a patio entertaining area or create your dream garden and of course double storey homes offer you a view of your surroundings which is ideal for coastal living, rural settings, the hills overlooking Perth city, or living near rivers, lakes and canals.

Two storey homes are not generally well accepted by the elderly due to not being able to climb stairs, but for those willing to pay the money there are options available to assist the elderly to access their upper level such as elevators or chair lifts. Often the assumption that two storey homes are much more costly than single storey homes is enough to deter buyers however Great Living Homes in Mandurah have developed a unique method of construction which enables them to build two storey designs at extremely competitive prices. Additionally they offer a wide choice of materials to assist with cost reduction and they are more than willing to alter floor plans to suit individual buyers in order to make more affordable 2 storey homes.

The new technology used by Great Living Homes involves building the upper floor on the ground first and lifting it up in the air to finish building underneath. This method means all work is completed on ground level which provides a safer work environment, it also means they do not need to use scaffolding, cranes or other bulky and hazardous equipment thereby reducing costs and providing a cleaner and more accessible work site. If you are considering building a 2 storey home in Perth, it is definitely worth having a chat with the specialist 2 storey home builders at Great Living Homes.

Great Living Homes - Flexible Luxury Homes builders

Luxury is synonymous with elegance, comfort, opulence and wealth. Luxury homes are often put in the category of “dream homes” which people plan to buy when they finally get a win on that ever-elusive lotto draw. Luxury home builders in Perth are generally smaller companies who dedicate their business to this exclusive niche market, however there are exceptions! Comprising part of the “luxury” dynamic is the location of the home; luxury homes in Perth are typically built along the coast with stunning ocean views or in more upper class suburbs such as Dalkeith, Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove.

Of course luxury homes don’t come cheap, adding on all the extra features (like elevators, gyms, elegant entry foyers, wine cellars, tennis courts, saunas, home cinemas, underfloor heating, water features, guest accommodation, immaculately landscaped gardens and so on) soon makes the costs increase, not to mention the cost of the land to build on! However, those who choose to build luxurious homes quite often are happy to spend the money to ensure their quality of life is as good as it can be.

Luxury builders are held to a higher standard of quality which means they require absolute attention to detail, high quality fixtures and fittings, personalised design service and exceptional customer service. The vast majority of luxury home buyers want a home custom designed to be different to everyone else and they want to be able to move in to their new home with nothing left to do, so luxury home builders need to be able to offer full landscaping, painting and window furnishings in addition to their design service.

Great Living Homes are a luxury home builder in Perth with over 20 years of experience. They specialise in two storey homes and offer a full custom design service to help you put your ideas into a unique floor plan. Great Living Homes can build any home you can dream up and their passion for creating amazing homes means that you can rest assured your new luxury home will be everything you have dreamed of.