Look at a standard, cookie-cutter house, and the overall feeling is just underwhelming – basic cladding, basic roofing, basic design. There’s no comparison to a home with considered lines, positioning, colour and materials. But – and this is the trade secret – the difference in cost between the two is often far less than you think.
The trick is knowing where those extra dollars will make the biggest impact – and it’s part of why our clients love our homes – and the judges do too.
A lot of the assembly-line house designs have one thing in common – they’re built big. Think cavernous bedrooms, spaces cut off by hallways and odd nooks that will never be used. A bit of design thought, better proportions and a smarter flow can create a home that’s more comfortable, feels just as spacious and comes at a lower build price.
For example, adjusting ceiling heights, joinery, and internal doors can save a lot, while still giving a feeling of open airiness. You may think you need a 2.7m stud and 2.4m doors, but you can get great light and size with 2.55mm stud and 2.2m joinery. That’s just above standard, so it’s the perfect middle ground to achieve the wow factor without the cost.
Large spans and steeper roof pitches can create an open and spacious feel, but they can be a lot more expensive to build. If you’re dreaming of those beautiful high ceilings, a scissor truss can give you the look in your living areas, but is much more affordable than building a true rake ceiling with conventional rafters.
It’s far less expensive if you can use off-the-shelf materials rather than paying for custom-made – plus, you won’t stump up for extra labour or engineering.
For example, while expanses of glass look amazing, bigger panes are always more expensive. They need to be thicker to handle winds and will often require a heaver-gauge of aluminium framing – again, more numbers on your bottom line. Along the same lines, if your window is less than 800mm from the floor, even smaller windowpanes will need to be toughened. Keeping windowsills above this height can save cost and won’t make much difference to the overall impression.
If you’re planning a stone bench in the kitchen, the design should align with standard sheet sizes. It means you’re not paying for three sheets when a small design change would mean you need only two.
Create a sense of luxury with simple but quality design finishes – these are the elements of your home that you’ll interact with every day. Choose a natural stone tile, but avoid fiddly mosaics, which can be expensive to install. Opt for hardwearing, beautiful tapware, premium countertops and cabinetry that will help your home retain a sense of quality through the years.
Huge expanses of cedar cladding, floor-to-ceiling bathroom tiles and hardwood floors throughout – they all come at a high price and don’t necessarily deliver an equal impact.
For example, expensive cladding can often look even more impressive when used as a feature rather than as the main material. Keep higher-cost flooring for where it’ll make the most impact, and use the less expensive (and cosier) carpeting everywhere else. Splash out on beautiful tiles in the bathroom but, again, in a well-considered, smaller area, they’ll pack just as much design punch, if not more.
Design around natural light and the great outdoors – skylights, ranch sliders, decking and comfortable seating areas can extend your living space and make your home feel brighter and more spacious.
Building a home is your chance to see your design aesthetics come to life. Unusual tiling, a custom staircase, an exposed brick wall or a double height in the entranceway – the trick is to choose one or two features to add that show-stopping design moment.
A beautiful home on a budget comes down to knowing where to spend and where to save – that’s the benefit of working with people who’ve taken hundreds of homes off the plans. When you partner with Sentinel Homes, that’s what you get – we’ll help you explore new and effective ways to create an incredible home that fits you and your budget.
The future of design is bright – call the experts at Sentinel Homes today.
Let’s get together for a free, no-pressure meeting with one of our team, at your place or ours.
We can't wait to hear your ideas!
