Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Dec 26, 2008 8:35 pm My partner and I are building a house that requires a minimum of 15.5m wide block of land and 28m deep block.
The house is approximately 29 squares. When it is all said and done our block will have a north facing side yard with 3.3m of space and a rear east facing side with 4.3m and an easement 2m from the fence line. Additionally we are planning to extend the alfresco past the rest of the house by 2m towards the north facing fence line, making the alfresco room 4.7m by 4.2m. Anyway enough with my long winded preamble - my question is do people here see the north facing side of the property with the dimensions given above being able to be an effective entertainment area? Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 2Dec 26, 2008 10:39 pm I think yards are overated.. as long as you have enough room for the alfresco then that will be fine...
at the back of our house it will be 16m x 2m and the north side will be 12m x 4m but 5m of that will be taken up by alfresco.. our front yard will be bigger than our back yard due to our odd shaped block. Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 3Dec 26, 2008 10:41 pm Our new house-to-be has a 4m x 4.5m alfresco area in the north east corner with 3.6m x 20m as the backyard, and 4.5m x 20m down the north side to the front of the house; so we have a narrow L-shaped yard. We have a similar yard size and the same orientation!
To be honest I would have liked a larger area purely because I didn't want to feel 'fenced in', however it has grown on me. Given the choice of a smaller house or smaller yard, I'd rather have a smaller yard, especially since we use ours purely for entertaining (no kids, pets, etc) and I'm not a gardener! Matrix Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 4Dec 26, 2008 11:43 pm Houses come and go. It's all about the land. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie alfresco 5Dec 27, 2008 7:05 am We asked to double the alfresco on the plans of our new house. (to build feb/march start 2009 hopefully). It is now going to run across the back of the house at 5d x 7.9w. I am a fanatical gardener and was worried about losing space but I t think that this alfresco will be used all the time. The lawn will still be there as will my garden. I think that if you HAVE the outdoor living space you WILL use it. You need space for tables and chairs, to lounge around and moove around comfortably and not squash everything in. You can even make the tiniest of courtyards look and feel fantastic with the right plants, furniture and colour so a smaller backyard than you are used will still be fine if you choose and plan carefully. It's YOUR space and only YOU can choose how to use it. It's about outdoor LIVING not just space.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- themax Hoping to build Cl@ren-)n B@lm@in Tender done Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 6Dec 27, 2008 8:40 am i think its a personal thing I myself like backyards and donot think they are overated I like space.Having working in the real estate industry thats my I think its a personal thing some people like backyards other donot you go for what you want and can afford as we can please everyone all the time Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 7Dec 27, 2008 8:54 am I really need to have a backyard. I have dogs so need a backyard.
And a backyard is great for kids so they have their own private exploration area. But that suits me. I have seen houses with very small backyards but with very effective use of the available space. But I personally don't like the claustrophobic feeling of being closed in by my fences and by my neighbours houses. It's all about what you'll feel comfortable with though. My first thought is this, if you're asking the question, maybe it isn't quite what you do feel comfortable with? Jo I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 8Dec 27, 2008 9:45 am Cabinfever Houses come and go. It's all about the land. I think thats the way it used to be ... but I dont think everyone is that way anymore. No kids - probably no backyard Old folks - less yard = less maintenance Professionals - no time for yards. Families - yards for the kids People with pets - room for the aminals I personally would love to have some more land but because of a) budget b) location c) choice I have a smaller block with a larger house! I think to say its all about land is a bit one sided as there are different needs for different situations. Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 9Dec 27, 2008 10:39 am mattwalker Cabinfever Houses come and go. It's all about the land. I think thats the way it used to be ... but I dont think everyone is that way anymore. I think it's more relevant than ever. The true worth of small blocks and their flimsy show-pony mansions will only be apparent several decades in the future. The land itself is the only enduring asset. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 10Dec 27, 2008 10:53 am We had the choice of living in an ideal location on a smaller block compared to 20 minutes further away in an area with poor resale for the sake of an extra 40m2 (which is 2m more backyard).
I would have liked a bigger yard space only because that's what I've always had, however in every house I have lived in I have never really ventured past the alfresco area anyway! As Matt did, we chose to have a decent sized house (200m2 living space... not exactly a mansion!) in an area we liked with good resale. A 750m2 block in my area is double what we paid for 560m2 and we just couldn't afford that. Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 11Dec 27, 2008 11:31 am Thanks for the replies everyone.
Seems that our yard is going to be pretty much the standard size these days. I do not see myself venturing to far past the alfresco anyway Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 12Dec 27, 2008 1:43 pm Cabinfever I think it's more relevant than ever. The true worth of small blocks and their flimsy show-pony mansions will only be apparent several decades in the future. The land itself is the only enduring asset. Couldn't disagree with you more... with entertainment for children moving more and more towards tv, dvd's and video games. yards are going to be used less and less into the future.. whether or not people agree with this it is already happening now and I can only see back yards to continue to become more redundant in the years to come. Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 13Dec 27, 2008 2:19 pm We had the big yard and it was great for a while. But the kids got older and outgrew racing the dog up and down the yard... We got busier and had little time for garden maintenance.... The drought bit hard and my once lush garden looked more like a desert.... Both of us were completely over mowing a 15 x 12m lawn (plus front yard and nature strip).
And in the end, we were pretty much only using our 3 x 6 deck and a similar sized paved bbq area, the clothesline and (in summer) our small veggie garden. If our kids were still young and we still had a dog, we might have bought a bigger block this time around, but as things stand, 560 sq metres with a whopper of a house taking up most of it suits us to a tee. It's all about what you need - and what your future needs might be, if you plan to stay there for quite a while. Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 14Dec 27, 2008 3:01 pm wakeboardandy Cabinfever I think it's more relevant than ever. The true worth of small blocks and their flimsy show-pony mansions will only be apparent several decades in the future. The land itself is the only enduring asset. Couldn't disagree with you more... with entertainment for children moving more and more towards tv, dvd's and video games. yards are going to be used less and less into the future.. whether or not people agree with this it is already happening now and I can only see back yards to continue to become more redundant in the years to come. Yep and that may well be why we have an obesity epidemic as well. Wow.... children only move that way if you let them. My DS is 10, and while he has all those things, they are a minimal part of his entertainment, not the primary part. There is no way in hell he would be able to be inside all the time. No way. This may actually be a bit of a chicken and the egg question... Are yards smaller because the kids are inside? Or are kids inside cos there is no yard? Mine will always at least have the option while he is young. And no matter where I have lived, I have made him having an outdoor area to play the priority, even if it meant I went without a lot of things house wise. Jo I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 15Dec 27, 2008 3:12 pm Hmm.....we're pushing 60 and our new "backyard" is 22 acres!
Trundling around on a ride-on mower can be quite therapeutic. I like to crank up the stereo without upsetting neighbours. Mrs z will be rapt in keeping her horses at home. And I love a peaceful rural outlook from every window, with dams, trees, grass, birds and wildlife. All this and 30 easy minutes from the CBD, even in peak hour, bitumen road, 3 mins to pubs restaurants supermarket etc, broadband etc. Suits us to a T. Wish we'd moved here decades ago, but we reckon we'll live longer and fitter as a result of the move. We get claustrophobia in friend's backyards. But, hey, we're all different. People's wants and needs are infinitely variable. If friends and relies refrain from telling us we're nuts we'll respect their choices too. While the house is being built, we're living in a shed on the property (120+ sq metres, lined, air-conditioned and carpeted, with all mod cons). Honestly, we are in absolutely no hurrry for the house to be finished....we just love every minute of living here. So, I guess we really fall into "the land is the thing" perspective of the discussion. But we understand and respect the opinions of those who hold the opposite POV. cheers zeke Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 16Dec 27, 2008 3:16 pm I should add, I'm not suggesting everyone with kids has to have a BIG play area... but I believe it should be a usable, fun interesting area where kids can play uninhibited.
And, just like houses themselves, that's where smart design and use of space comes into it. I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 17Dec 27, 2008 3:44 pm Personally i can't wait to have a larger backyard. My partner and i love the outdoors.
We are building on a 1 acre block and are only building a 21 sq house. reply 18Dec 27, 2008 6:18 pm Our AtlantiqueMk2 will have a 5m front yard, 1.9 m side area, and a 4.1 m backyard. Also will have a 3.3m x 7m undercover alfresco.
Block is 16.74m x 35m. House is 36.54 squares. Regards You may remember me as "pringles", on such websites as Homeone. Building Atlantique Mk2 with Carlisle. At completion stage. Regards Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 19Dec 27, 2008 7:07 pm I agree that space is important and as I said earlier I would love to have more space but I forgo those items for location and size of house.
Now if I could have a block of land in my suburb, at a realistic price, of a bigger size I would look at it but for the moment this suits me and my family just fine. Traditionally land is where the value is but I think as we build further away from the city this becomes less important. People wont be looking to knockdown a home like mine in 50 years to build 3 units. The location is wrong and there is limited infrastructure. I think this is also true in suburbs like Berwick, Narre Warren etc. People build houses to live in and we build them to what suits our budget and our needs at the time. Land is important but not forsaking all the items you need (some ....but not all!! ) Re: What are people looking for in size for outdoor space now? 20Dec 27, 2008 7:10 pm Oh and for the record our backyard is an L shape that is 6.5 x 18m and 12m x 5m and the kids are sound asleep after a hard day in the yard You can really use anything you want the main consideration would be how it looks once painted/finished - or the look you want. Cabinetmakers use MDF because its cheap… 2 9962 Cupcake.girl This really depends on your local council. Each one has different definitions and ways to calculate contributions. This is called a contribution… 1 3586 dimensions on your original plan are inconsistent and with accurate dimensions (including site plan, upstairs and down) i could make a proper scale drawing with furniture… 3 7520 |