An independentguide to improvingyour home

Tips and checklists or:

saving money a healthy, comfortable homean environmentally friendly home

Briefng templates or your:– Designer/Architect– Builder/Trades– Garden/Outdoorcontractor

Free guide!

Find more inormation

Look up Your Home Technical Manual too!

This guide is a companion to

Your Home Technical Manual

which

containsover 60 inormation-packed actsheets on dierent aspects o homedesign and renovation, plus case studies rom around Australia.It’s all available ree online at www.yourhome.gov.au. A print version o the Technical Manual is also available or purchase through the website.On each page o this guide, you’ll fnd pointers to therelevant

Your Home Technical Manual

actsheets soyou can fnd out more.

www.yourhome.gov.auWhat’s in this guide?

On each page you’ll fnd:

Tips forsaving money

A tick here indicates a cost saving opportunity. There are many simplethings you can do that will save money on bills and maintenance costs,which in turn can improve resale value. There are even some things youcan do that will save on upront costs.

Tips for making your homehealthy and comfortable

A tick here indicates an opportunity to make your home healthier andmore comortable. Keep warmer in winter and stay cooler in summer,all without the need or expensive heating or air conditioning. Makeyour home a sae and easy place to live or people o all generationsand abilities. Avoid low level toxic umes rom building products, aswell as other hazards that can aect saety and wellbeing.

Tips for being moreenvironmentally friendly

A tick here indicates a chance to make your home environmentallyriendly. Recent research shows Australians are becoming moreenvironmentally aware and see home improvements as an opportunityto ‘do the right thing’. There’s really no distinction between gooddesign and environmentally riendly design, and there’s a huge rangeo innovative ‘green’ products now available. Why not go or a stylish,comortable home that doesn’t cost the earth!

S a v e m o n e y H e a l t h y & c o m f o r t a b l e E n v i r o - f r i e n d l y

Renovating your home is an exciting process, butit can be daunting too. There’s so much to consider,sometimes it’s hard to know where to start.Whether you’re planning a major renovation or justupgrading your bathroom, this guide will help you getthe most out o the process. You’ll nd helpul adviceon creating a renovation that meets all your needs andprovides the best value or money, now and or a longtime to come.

Where do I start?

Getting started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Assessing your home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Finding more inormation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Working with your designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Room by room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Designing your garden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Working with your builder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Choosing products:Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Appliances & lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Heating, cooling & photovoltaics . . . . . . . . 26Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Rainwater & wastewater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Living in your new home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Brieng templates or your:– Designer/Architect– Builder/Trades– Garden/Outdoor contractor

Thinkingthroughyour needsDesigningyour homeMakingit happen

Back pocket

Briefng your:

Designer/ArchitectBuilder/TradesGarden/Outdoorcontractor