No matter if it’s your first home or you’re expanding an existing portfolio, new homes offer many advantages over pre-existing properties in terms of convenience, design input and energy efficiency.
As with any project, planning ahead for your home building endeavor is key. Here are a few tips to get you underway: Make sure you have these essential items.
Natural Light
Building a home requires many decisions, from materials selection and floorplan design, through fixtures selection and orientation for sunlight.
Natural lighting can not only look appealing – it can be beneficial in terms of health and productivity as well as helping regulate circadian rhythms. Furthermore, using more natural light sources reduces our dependence on overhead lighting systems while saving on energy costs.
As you design your home, there are various strategies you can incorporate tо maximize natural lighting, such as using lighter colors оn walls and flooring and positioning furniture strategically. Your windows also play a crucial role. Selecting the right size, style, and glazing for your windows can significantly impact the amount оf natural light entering your home. In Winnipeg, Canadian Choice Custom Windows offers a wide variety оf high-performance windows suitable for our climate. Visiting their Winnipeg window showroom allows you tо explore different window options and discuss your specific needs with their knowledgeable staff.
Ventilation
Ventilation brings in outdoor air into a building or room and distributes it throughout the space to dilute and displace indoor pollutants, and remove moisture that could lead to mold or condensation growth.
Energy-efficient homes feature tight building envelopes which require ventilation that was absent in older houses that featured less air leakage. Without adequate ventilation, indoor pollutants can build up and become harmful to occupants.
Residential designer Michael Maines recommends ventilating a house when air exchange rates fall below code-minimum air exchange rates, due to CO2’s effects as a “sleep-inducing toxin.” According to him, humidity damages building envelopes and leads to condensation on windows – this requires using a heat or energy recovery ventilator (HRV/ERV), which transfers humidity and energy between incoming and outgoing airflow.
Energy Efficiency
Building an energy efficient home can be beneficial to both homeowners and the environment. When renovating, consider energy saving appliances, ENERGY STAR certified products and renewable energy sources in your energy plan to lower electric bills while protecting our planet.
At the planning stage, it’s essential to inquire with your builder about energy-efficiency options. Insulating and sealing off the home’s envelope are cost-effective strategies to lower energy usage; thermal mass materials help absorb sunlight to regulate home temperatures more easily than standard insulation options do.
Position your home so it takes advantage of natural sunlight. And remember that solar panels may help lower energy costs significantly. Gexa Energy offers competitive electricity rates with 100% renewable plans from eco-friendly sources.
Privacy
Privacy can be an ongoing struggle for many homeowners, whether due to proximity with neighbors, street noise or intrusive AC compressors. When this becomes an issue, having a plan in place for reducing sightlines and blocking sounds without resorting to harsh screens or curtains which compromise the design of your home is key.
Plants make great space dividers and decor elements at once. By placing living areas at the rear of your house, you can minimize exposure to prying eyes. Lighting also plays an important role in creating privacy in a particular space – be sure to share your budget information openly so that all contractors/architects meet your expectations!
Style
Home design should reflect who you are, so whether working with an interior designer or taking on the DIY challenge yourself it’s crucial that a plan be drawn up prior to beginning the project so all decisions made align with your vision and lifestyle needs.
If you enjoy hosting friends and family at your new home, multiple seating areas might be necessary so they can visit easily and comfortably. Also consider how you will move from one room to the next – having to walk through a bedroom or kitchen on your way from bedroom to living area may disrupt its flow and cause unnecessary distraction.
