Building your own home is one of the largest investments you’ll make in your lifetime. And while you might know exactly what you want now, how can you be sure that your home will still meet your needs in the future? We have the experience to guide you through future proofing your home to make sure that the forever home you’re designing really is forever.

What does it really mean to future proof your home?

Future proofing your home means making an investment and taking the time to make sure that your current home can meet all the needs of you and your family in the future. 

It could mean a flexible open plan design as the size of your family grows or reduces, or putting appropriate measures in place to help you when you become less mobile. 

Alternatively, it could mean investing in sustainable design choices that mean your home requires less adjustments to keep up with changing legislation as climate change becomes more of a focus. 

Planning for life changes and growing older

The most typical kind of future proofing involves planning for life changes as you grow older. This could mean designing wider doorways and hallways to accommodate walkers, wheelchairs or grab bars and reducing high slip areas to prevent the chances of a fall, or ensuring that a double storey home design features a stairlift or elevator.

Alternatively, you may prefer to build a single storey home to reduce tripping hazards and ensure your home is automatically future-proofed against some restricted mobility limitations.

Prioritise durability

If you invest in high-quality, robust, and durable materials when building your home, you will increase its longevity and reduce the need for costly repairs. This is particularly important in Australia, where the climate can be harsh. 

When you are choosing the materials to build your home, you should ensure that tiles and wet areas are slip resistant and also consider insulating your home. Double glazing, solid doors and double brick are all ways to increase your home’s energy efficiency. 

You can reinforce the quality of the materials you’ve chosen with regular cleaning and inspections to extend the lifespan of your home.

Invest in sustainable design

Investing in sustainable design is a passive but powerful way to future-proof your home. Orientate your home to maximise winter sun through north-facing windows and minimise the heat in summer by opting for overhangs, pergolas or eaves. 

You can also make use of natural vegetation by angling your home so that it’s shaded by trees or bushes to block the harsh sunlight in the summer. 

Other sustainable options include solar panels and battery storage, and energy-efficient lighting. 

Is your home suited for long-term living?

If you’ve already built your home or are considering a renovation, and don’t know how well-suited it is for long-term living you could consider conducting an accessibility audit or making some simple changes.

Conduct an accessibility audit

There are several ways to carry out an accessibility audit on your home. This is an effective way to future proof your home for old age. You can do it yourself, using one of the many helpful checklists online. 

Or, if you have more specific needs to address, you could hire an occupational therapist or a certified ageing-in-place specialist (CAPS). They can provide advice and guidance about how to make your home suitable for long-term living.

Investing in a home that lasts

Future proofing your home properly means you could pass it on to your children. By investing in quality materials and looking after your home properly, your family could enjoy it for generations.

Invest in quality materials

Investing in quality materials to future-proof your home increases its longevity and reduces the need for frequent, costly repairs and maintenance as you age. Taking a proactive approach will enhance your home's safety, comfort, and value, providing a reliable and low-stress living environment for years to come.

Don’t neglect home wiring

Prioritising wiring inspections and upgrades is vital for making sure your home stays safe. Neglecting home wiring poses significant safety risks, including fire hazards and electrical shocks, which become increasingly dangerous as a home ages.

Staying up to date also makes your home easier to update. You may want to consider smart technology to make your home easier to manage.

Consider your climate

Considering your specific climate, especially one like Perth's, is crucial for future-proofing your home because it directly impacts comfort, energy consumption, and resilience. Designing for your climate - with a focus on insulation and the aspect of your home - allows the building to stay naturally cooler in hot summers and warmer in milder winters, drastically reducing reliance on costly air conditioning and heating while preparing it for increasing climate extremes.

Financially planning for the future

Future proofing your home doesn’t just make it a more comfortable place to live, it saves you money as well. Spending money wisely on things that make your home cheaper to run is one of the best ways to financially plan for your future.

Quality insulation for reduced energy costs

Making sure your home is properly insulated won’t just keep you comfortable all year round, it will reduce your bills too. Insulating your roof, with either reflective foil, glasswool or rigid boards is the main way to stop your home gaining and losing heat.

You can also improve the insulation of your walls by filling any cavities. And don’t neglect your floor; insulating between floor joists and insulating the edges and underneath of your slab will make your home significantly more energy efficient.

Consider solar panels

Over four millions homes in Australia have installed solar panels, and they’re onto something. The average solar powered household saves $1,500 a year on their energy bills. And solar panels are a solid investment too; they can last up to 25 years.

Upgrade to LED lighting

In addition to using significantly less energy than a traditional bulb (and reducing your carbon footprint) LED bulbs have an impressively long operational lifespan, typically lasting 25,000 to 50,000 hours, and some even up to 100,000 hours. This is much longer than incandescent bulbs (around 1,000-2,000 hours).

As you get older, you may appreciate spending less time and effort changing hard-to-reach lightbulbs, as well as having more choice and control over your lighting.

Invest in a home to last a lifetime with Novus Homes

With a long term vision so important and lots of options available, it's important to partner with a reputable and experienced home builder who can bring your vision to life.

At Novus Homes, we pride ourselves on our attention to detail and our ability to create a high quality result that suits your lifestyle, both now and in the future. Contact us today to get started on your new luxury home.