Building a home can be exciting and also confusing, given the endless number of options in the market when it comes to design and material selection.
Australia’s only producer of autoclaved aerated concrete, CSR Hebel banks on their 25 years in the industry to give their top five tips to future homeowners on narrowing down their options and prioritising the most important things.
1. Determine the budget and stick to it
When you are building your future home, it’s easy to get carried away with material choices, leaving your budget way behind. For instance, you may want to replicate the sandstone used in famous locations. However, you will need to consider factors such as the cost of the material, how heavy the material will be, and how easy it is to install by a labourer, all of which will ultimately have an impact upon your budget, so it’s worth doing your research.
2. Create comfortable spaces
Select a material that has superior acoustic and insulation properties to make your home ‘feel and sound’ like a home where it’s needed. Your materials palette should also be focussed on keeping you cool during the summer and warm during winter.
3. Bushfire implications
With the internet becoming the primary source of ideas and information, many people get inspired by wonderful architectural ideas from all over the globe. However, when your home is in Australia, it’s important to build it for the local climate and in line with the Australian Standard for bushfire construction, if you’re in an area prone to bushfires. Evaluate how your home design will stack up when having to consider material specifications. There are many stylish building options that also provide fire protection.
4. Durable materials with long-term performance
Find out the strength and robustness of different building materials available. If you are building your long-term or forever home, you’ll want to make sure the materials you choose will stand the test of time.
5. Make your home eco-friendly
It’s important to ensure your building decisions from design and construction to material selections are sensitive to the environment. Materials should be selected on the basis of their environmental impact. One should consider sourcing raw materials that are readily available in Australia and also confirm that their manufacturing methods are indeed eco-friendly.
CSR Hebel has built a reputation around being one of the best building materials that can be used in modern Australian homes. Download this brochure and find out why a Hebel home is a beautiful way to live.
