Energy Efficiency
If you’re building in 2018, you’ll want to know that your home is designed and built in a way that will keep running costs to an absolute minimum. The minimum energy efficiency standard for all new homes built in Western Australia is a 6-star rating; put into context, Glenn says a 6-star rated house can be cooled or heated using 20-25% less energy than a lower-rated 5-star home.
“While energy efficient building designs and technologies once used to be considered a luxury, they are becoming much more accessible. As a 6-star energy efficiency rating is now the industry standard, it shouldn’t come at a higher price or as a premium add-on.”
Glenn also says to make sure your builder is talking to you about standard technology inclusions, and the ability to integrate with new technologies down the track.
“If you choose to include solar panels for instance, you’ll want to make sure the inverter can be adapted to integrate with battery technology, which is progressing incredibly quickly and is only becoming more cost-effective. A little forward planning now can make a big difference in the cost of integrating new technologies when they’re more accessible in the future.”