A home that adjusts to your needs

To get the best value out of your home make sure that it will meet your
needs and those who live with you not only now but also in years to come.

Regardless of age or ability, every house design should factor in the

competing demands of size versus functionality. In other words, is it big
enough for the needs of the occupants, without being so big that it is
unaffordable to build or run. Often the key is good design with the right
spaces in the most useful places.

In terms of utility the house should provide, here are some key questions to
think about:

 How long you expect to live in the house?

 What needs are the various occupants of different ages likely to be?
 How will the home be used? Will you want an area where children can
play, a space for entertaining guests or a space to work from home?
 Do you or anyone living with you have any special needs or
requirements? Might they in the future?
 Do you or others in the house have reduced mobility? Might they in
the future?
 How do you spend your time when you're at home? What are your
hobbies and interests? Do these require special or additional space?
 Do extended family members or friends live with you for long periods?
If not now, will they one day?
 Do you regularly have visitors and guests to stay and, if so, how many?
 How many car parks or how much garaging, do you need?
All these issues influence how many rooms or spaces you need, how big
those spaces need to be, and how flexible they need to be (can you use one
space to meet several needs?).

This information will be useful whether you're briefing an architect or

designer about a new home or renovation, buying a home off the plans, or
buying an existing home.

How big does your home need to be?

A well-designed, compact and flexible home may meet your needs better
than a larger, more expensive home that takes longer to clean and costs you
more to run. There has been a swing toward smaller homes in recent times,
with compact, clever design becoming popular. This is a response to a
number of factors, including housing affordability, size of sections, smaller
household sizes, and the desire to live closer to urban centres rather than on
the fringes. It also acknowledges the cost to run and maintain larger homes.

Your builder, designer or quantity surveyor can give you an idea of the
current cost of building, by the square metre. This can vary, depending on
the complexity of the design and the quality of materials and finish you
want.