We have a stunning range of stylish designs tailored for a narrow lot home. Our Slimfit Homes range has been created specifically to cater for narrower blocks, ensuring you don’t compromise on space while still delivering on quality, comfort and style.

What is considered as a narrow lot home?

Narrow lot homes are home designs that have been designed to fit blocks of land that are less than 15m wide. These types of home plans can also be known as cottage lot homes.

Why are narrow lots so popular?

Narrow lots are becoming increasingly popular, especially as people realise that they don’t have to sacrifice style or space and that you can still create your dream home in a smaller space.

As the population of Perth increases (recently hitting 3 million), narrow lots offer homeowners the chance to live in the suburbs of their choice on a smaller footprint that can still contain everything they need.

Affordability

One of the most significant drivers behind the increase in narrow lots is affordability. Narrow lots are generally more affordable than traditional, wider blocks simply because they take up less land area.

This makes home ownership more accessible, and allows homeowners the chance to invest more heavily in the design and fixtures and fittings of the home.

Energy efficiency

A smaller footprint requires less energy to run. With less exterior surface area, narrow lot homes are typically easier to insulate effectively, which means lower energy bills for homeowners, as well as a smaller carbon footprint.

The good news is that a narrow lot home will still offer the same opportunities to invest in energy efficiency as a larger home, with solar panels an option to reduce your bills even further.

You can also strategically orient your home to capture northern light in the winter and minimise sun exposure in the summer, so that it remains comfortable and energy efficient all year round.

Efficient space usage

With narrow lot home designs becoming increasingly innovative and creative, homeowners are realising narrow lot homes can offer them the same layouts and features as a larger home.

Narrow lot homes can leverage open plan living, high ceilings and large windows to maximise a feeling of space. A second storey on a narrow lot home is another way to make sure your narrow lot home offers you everything you want, at a reduced price.

Reduced maintenance

House plans for narrow lots often have smaller outside spaces to make the most of the block’s internal living space. Smaller outside space means less lawn to mow, less gardening and usually, less outdoor upkeep. They can also mean less house to clean internally too.

Reduced maintenance means your home can offer you a lock up and leave lifestyle, which is increasingly popular with downsizers.

How can I maximise space in a narrow lot home?

There are lots of ways to maximise space in a narrow lot home. We have a number of clever narrow lot home plan designs aimed at making spaces look larger and ensuring your floorplan works hard for you. All of our designs can be customised or reconfigured to suit your needs.

Double-storey homes

Creating a double-storey home is the first option if you’re looking to make the most of a space. A double storey home also provides more flexibility in terms of the layout of your home.

Two storey narrow lot homes allow for a separation of space, meaning that you can separate the master bedroom from the minor bedrooms, or place all of the sleeping areas on the top storey, away from the downstairs living areas.

You won’t have to compromise on room placement or size and a double storey home will also allow you to maximise potential views.

Open plan designs

Opting for an open plan design will definitely create the illusion of more space. Fewer walls will make your home feel spacious and airy, and allow more sunlight into your rooms. Open plan living also gives you greater flexibility in what you use the rooms for, and how you arrange your furniture. Open plan spaces can be quickly reconfigured so that spaces become multi-functional, allowing your home to serve all your needs.

Vertical storage

Vertical storage means building upwards, or using the vertical space in a room for storage, rather than expanding across a room and eating up space.

You can save floor space and make the most of a narrow lot through cabinetry, with wall-mounted shelving and bookshelves being the way to maximise your rooms.

Consider reducing outdoor space

Determining how much outside space you would like, and in what configuration is a big part of getting your narrow lot home plan design right. Depending on the number of rooms you want, and how narrow your block is, you may want to consider reducing your outdoor space, and taking advantage of the lock up and leave lifestyle minimal outside space allows.

In a single-storey property, prioritising outside space will mean less space for the inside of your home. This is why perhaps the biggest decision you need to make about your narrow lot home plan is whether you want it to be a single-storey or a double-storey.

How many rooms can my narrow lot home have?

Your narrow lot home can have as many rooms as you like. Our designs are incredibly flexible and, depending on what you want and your budget is, there shouldn’t be any limitations.

Generally, we start by focusing on the number of bedrooms that you want. Your home should also be designed to grow with you, servicing your needs in the future. Our narrow block home designs will also take into account whether any of your rooms can serve two purposes; for example, an office that could also be a home theatre or a spare bedroom that could double as an activity space.

Then we’ll factor in the must-have kitchen, dining and living space, to make sure your home plan reflects what is on your wishlist. Our architects and designers are extremely experienced and are happy to customise any of our existing narrow lot designs or start from scratch to give you what you want.

Single storey vs. double storey

It’s worth bearing in mind that if you do want a large number of bedrooms and other living spaces, like study nooks, theatre rooms, or mudrooms, you may need to utilise a second storey. By building upwards, you gain significant living space without needing a larger horizontal footprint. You can also have a much bigger back garden as the footprint of the house plan is that much smaller.

That said, with a clever design, you'd be amazed at what we can fit into a compact single-storey narrow lot home plan!

How Novus Homes can help you find your next narrow lot home

We have a lot of experience working on narrow lot designs and can tailor all our designs to suit your vision. We pride ourselves on using our extensive experience to make sure we create a space that meets up to your expectations, marrying the practical with the desirable, to deliver your home on time and on budget. If you would like to talk more about building on a narrow block and house designs, please get in touch. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Our friendly team is more than happy to answer any of your queries, but you can also check our FAQs to see if any of your questions have already been answered.

Can I subdivide a larger block into two narrow lot homes?

Whether you can subdivide a larger block into more than one home will depend on how it is zoned. WA’s R-codes stipulate the housing density of different blocks. The ranking of your land depends on its location, not just block sizes. The R-code of your block will determine how many homes can be built upon it.

If the R-code of your block allows you to build more than one home on it, the first thing you need to do is conduct a feasibility study. Once you’ve assessed whether or not it makes financial sense to subdivide, you can move into the planning stage.

When you build with Novus Homes, we take care of all of the subdivision planning, including managing the approvals process and designing and construction your project.

How do you make a tall, narrow house look wider?

There are a number of ways to make a tall, narrow house look wider. Using mirrors to reflect the light and sticking to a consistent colour scheme so that the eye flows over a space are typical interior design tricks. 

Structurally, designing a home with large windows and open-plan spaces will also make your home feel bigger.

Do narrow lot homes appreciate in value the same way as traditional homes do?

A house’s value depends on a number of variables, with its location playing a decisive role. It’s hard to give a definitive answer as to whether narrow lot homes appreciate in value in the same way. In Perth, where there is a land shortage and the property market continues to rise, a well-designed narrow lot home, with a quality finish is likely to appreciate at a similar rate, if not faster, than a comparable traditional home.

Do narrow lot homes have any special maintenance requirements?

Narrow lot homes are traditionally low maintenance, due to their reduced outdoor areas, and their lock and leave characteristics.

That said, a double storey narrow lot home may have more stairs that need to be maintained. Choosing a home design with lots of large windows to maximise light will also require increased window maintenance. You might also want to consider frosted glass or privacy screens to avoid overlook.

What are the drawbacks of living in a narrow house?

Narrow lot homes offer so many advantages, but there are some things you need to consider before buying or building one. You might find a narrow lot home offers less privacy, as it’s likely to be close to its neighbours.

You may also have to sacrifice a large garden or outside space so that you can maximise your internal area on a smaller block. A narrow lot home also offers limited room for expansion, as the original design is likely to have made the most of the existing space.

Do narrow lot homes make for a good investment?

As we outlined above, a well-designed home with quality finishes in a desirable location is a very good investment, particularly as Perth’s property market continues to grow.

Our narrow lot home designs

We have one of the widest range of narrow lot home designs in Perth. Each of our designs can be tailored to suit your lifestyle and family circumstances. If you would like to talk more about building on a narrow block and house designs, please get in touch.