When it comes to building a new modular home, you want it to be the ideal fit for you and your family – especially if you’re building what you are hoping will be your ‘forever’ home.
Whether you have a clear idea of exactly how your dream home looks, or you’re still putting the pieces of the puzzle together, maintaining your focus on the elements that matter most is essential.
With so many design choices available, from the size and the layout, to the fittings and finishes, every decision counts – and without a clear focus this can become stressful! So, to help you narrow your focus and avoid overwhelm, we’ve compiled 5 top tips to building your forever home.
Getting the size right
A key consideration for every new home is getting the size right – and if it’s your forever home, first and foremost, you need to understand how your needs will change over the years. Of course, ticking every box at every stage is impossible, which is why a flexible floor plan is so valuable.
While it can be tempting to buy the largest home you can afford when you’re at the stage where you need to accommodate a growing family, there will be a time when the kids will move out and a huge home may be too much to maintain. In this case, it may be a better option to go for a smaller home with a well-planned layout that can meet your needs while still being manageable, such as the Shoreham 16.
Love your living zone
When planning your dream home, putting an extra focus on creating a living space that you love is a must. Your lounge, kitchen and dining rooms are where you and your family will spend the vast majority of your time at home, and when it’s beautiful and a joy to be in, it goes a long way towards achieving the reality of your dream home.
Your kitchen can be a great place to add some stylish upgrades as it will add a sense of luxury to the every day. Popular choices include a Caesarstone benchtop, tiled splashback, designer tapware or feature lighting. A combination of these can be seen in many of our recent projects, including the stunning Metung home. Creating a living space that is comfortable year-round is also key, so think about heating and cooling, as well as windows for natural light and easy access to the outdoors.
Choice upgrades go a long way
Some well-chosen upgrades can make such a difference to the overall look and feel of your home, especially when you choose things that enhance your lifestyle or give the space a unique or personal touch. A good example might be bi-fold doors out to your decking if you enjoy alfresco dining and taking in the views, as seen in our Buxton project. Other ideas include hardwood floors, feature cladding or even your façade.
Two rooms where upgrades really shine, is your kitchen (as mentioned above) and your bathroom. Both these rooms are used frequently, so the added luxury is appreciated on a daily basis. In the bathroom you can add floor to ceiling tiles, a walk-in shower, freestanding bath and designer tapware and cabinetry, all of which can elevate the space to something special.
Enjoy the outdoors
If you’re like most people, enjoying time outdoors at home is a high priority, so be sure to factor this into your dream home plans. The obvious way to do this is to add a decking outside your living zone, to create a natural flow between indoors and out and a stunning example of this can be seen in our Somerville project.
You have plenty of options when it comes to your decking, in terms of size, style and finish. All our homes can be customised to suit decking of all sizes, and while most clients opt for Merbau decking for its attractive finish and long-lasting qualities, ModWood is another low-maintenance option that is growing in popularity and can be seen in our Hampton 14 display home in Bayswater.
Be mindful of materials
If you plan to stay in your home for the foreseeable future, your choice of materials when you build can make a big difference to the amount of time, money and effort you spend on maintaining your home. Opting for low-maintenance materials from the start is a smart move, and there are a range of areas where you can choose materials that are both stylish and easy to care for.
Vinyl plank flooring is great for high traffic areas, and is a standard inclusion in the living zones of our homes. Externally, your choice of cladding is a big one, with Weathertex cladding being a popular option as it is basically maintenance free. Talking to your builder about low-maintenance materials during the design phase can save you big time in the long run.
It’s all in the details
Building a new modular home is exciting, especially when it comes to creating your dream design. Spending time researching and weighing up what’s important to you (both now and in the future) is a must if you want your forever home to be something truly special. Talking to your builder can provide you with valuable insights based on their experience, and visiting display homes and checking out completed projects is also a great place to find inspiration.
So gather your ideas, assess your priorities and speak to your builder about how they can make your forever home a reality!
Over to you
Do you need some guidance on getting started with your dream home design? Or would you like to speak to someone about turning your forever home ideas into reality? We’d love to hear from you, so please get in touch with our team on 03 5145 7110 today!
