What is the best way to design a new home?

At Tasbuilt, we have worked with hundreds of clients to custom design homes specifically to suit their own individual requirements.

Double vanity with timber top in deloraine
Formal loungeroom in new tasbuilt home
Timber floor and timber benchtop in deloraine
Modern bathroom in deloraine

Designing a new home can be a daunting idea, but by following these simple steps, you can avoid some of the common pitfalls.

Maximise sunlight in your home. Design your home with the living areas on the northern side to ensure you maximise the amount of sunlight you will receive. This makes your home bright and cheerful, and reduces your heating costs. If for some reason your living area cannot be on the northern side (maybe your best views are towards the south) you can use highlight windows or skylights to achieve this result

Choose your location first. Don’t try to design your home, and then find the ideal site to build on. Every building site has its own unique characteristics, and your home must be designed with these in mind. Important features to take into consideration is where will the home be seen from, where are the best views, where will the driveway be located, where does the sun rise and set, what are the prevailing weather patterns, and how will the slope of the ground impact your design

Start basic, and add in the details over time. You can even start by just drawing the outside shape you have in mind, and write the names of rooms in the areas of the home where you would like them to be. Then you can start outlining the main walls, and gradually fill in the more detailed items such as windows, doors and robes. Grid paper can be helpful to keep your drawings tidy. There are also some great free drawing programs that can be downloaded online if you are keen to try your hand at some slightly more technical designs

Take your time to think it through. Putting together a scrapbook of ideas is a great way to hone in on the features you love over time. Make sure you think of the boring but critical details like storage space and wardrobes. Don’t expect to get your plan right the first time. Get feedback from friends and family, but don’t try to please everyone – remember it is your home, not theirs!

Check your sizing – sometimes it is not easy to visualize in your mind what your design on paper will look like. Sometimes a room you think looks just right on paper may in reality be ridiculously large, or on the other hand it may be a poky little shoebox. Take measurements of rooms in your current home so you can get an idea of the sizes that feel right for you

Designing your own home can be a fun and rewarding experience, but you don’t have to do it alone. Tasbuilt has a team of highly experienced new home designers that can work with you through the process, and provide computerised plans and 3D elevations to help reduce the guesswork. If you are planning to build your new home in Launceston, Hobart, or anywhere else in Tasmania, and would like to start on the design process, contact Tasbuilt to arrange an obligation free consultation


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