Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jan 12, 2013 12:37 pm Hi everyone I'm looking into whether those looking to build would pay more for an 8 star energy efficient 'architectural' looking home: VS a standard 6 star energy rated home: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The photos are just examples of the different look but if both were 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom with double garage would you pay approximately $30k more for the 8 star home based on the design and the energy saving features of an 8 star home? The 8 star home is made from Bondor's Insulliving panel which i'm considering building with Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 2Jan 12, 2013 1:01 pm Link to images 8 star energy efficient 'architectural' looking home: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/338/photo2bl.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/194/photo3nq.jpg/ standard 6 star energy rated home: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/849/photo1mps.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/560/photo11sl.jpg/ Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 3Jan 12, 2013 1:04 pm Theo_Mani Hi everyone I'm looking into whether those looking to build would pay more for an 8 star energy efficient 'architectural' looking home: VS a standard 6 star energy rated home: The photos are just examples of the different look but if both were 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom with double garage would you pay approximately $30k more for the 8 star home based on the design and the energy saving features of an 8 star home? The 8 star home is made from Bondor's Insulliving panel which i'm considering building with personally the rating system to me is a wank and has no bearing on what property or house I would actually buy. No two properties will ever be equal so this would never come in as a factor for me when building or buying a property and I definitely would not pay an extra $30k for it, you'd never recoup the costs, like I said it becomes a wank factor. Personally I'd rather spend $10K on a solar system than anything and I would run my central aircon through out the day maintaining regular temperatures offset by the solar install. Edit: And this idea that it will reduce your energy by 50% what a laugh, if your lucky you get 10% but lets play along. say your quarterly energy bill was $500 so $2000 per year for energy a 50% saving would give you $1000 saved per year so to just break even (using the maximum possible savings which would never happen) it would take you 30 years. Seriously what a joke. btw if your looking at design for looks then for me architectural home looks nicer but if you build the same home but one is 6 stars vs 8 stars I'd save the money and go 6 stars. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 4Jan 12, 2013 1:34 pm PHunter say your quarterly energy bill was $500 so $2000 per year for energy a 50% saving would give you $1000 saved per year so to just break even (using the maximum possible savings which would never happen) it would take you 30 years. Seriously what a joke. the energy rating isn't only a guide to just how much money you can save on energy bills but rather a guide on how comfortable your home is to live in. Personally i'd be more comfortable in a home that doesn't need the air con blowing all day and a higher rated home has passive design features that eliminate this need. Anyway, the energy rating features and benefits (to some aren't the only cost advantages. What about the design. Would this warrant a price increase from your standard facade? Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 5Jan 12, 2013 1:48 pm Theo_Mani the energy rating isn't only a guide to just how much money you can save on energy bills but rather a guide on how comfortable your home is to live in. when your already at 6 stars the extra rating that you will get from the other home will be not noticeable on a daily basis. most of the year both homes will be just as comfortable. Theo_Mani Personally i'd be more comfortable in a home that doesn't need the air con blowing all day and a higher rated home has passive design features that eliminate this need. Again you would not need to run aircon every day it was only an example of the ludicrous cost of the 8 star home compared to what could be running for much cheaper. Theo_Mani Anyway, the energy rating features and benefits (to some aren't the only cost advantages. What about the design. Would this warrant a price increase from your standard facade? like I said the look of the architectural home looks ok but I'm not a fan of slant roofs (age qucikly and make it look cheap) and looking at how it actually is built it wouldn't be for me. The front of it looks ok but again you are looking at a fully landscaped picture compared to a photoshop version. I look at it built here http://www.insulliving.com.au/insulliving/solarspan_insulwall_products.php and am not that impressed with it, I would have to go through the other option in real life and possible consider other options for colours etc. I'd be curious how much it would cost without insulwalls and see what the cost difference is. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 6Jan 13, 2013 11:32 am Apart from the extra costs involved, you have to ask, does the house fit in the other houses nearby. While you may think so what, many years down the track if you decide to sell and the house sticks out like a sore thumb, it may prove very difficult to sell because of its "difference" regardless of its qualities. Styles like this have be in an area when this type of styling - not necessarily this house - is not uncommon. This may seem a safe option, or a boring way to plan a house, but I's like to think that should the need arise I would be able to sell without an extra barrier. It just lessens the available market. As for the 6 star vs 8 star. To gain an extra $30K in savings is going to take an awful long time. Even if you allow that you may be in the house for ten yrs - longest we have been in one is 8 - you have to save $3K a year just break even on the purchase price let along the extra interest costs involved. That is a huge amount to save. Whatever you choose, do the maths, and good luck. Settlement 1/2/12 New Shed 23/3/12 Slab poured 27/3/12 Frame complete 4/5/12 Roof complete 1/6/12 LOCKUP 29/6/12 Our new build blog http://kareenhillsownerbuild.blogspot.com/ Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 7Jan 13, 2013 1:33 pm We were looking for a house which was correctly designed to catch the sun, catch breezes, and generally be more comfortable without using as much energy; however, insulation & the resulting star-ratings don't really capture that. We looked at Ichijo Homes as a possibility due to the fact they do 8-star homes; however too much change was required to their standard designs to get something whivh would work WRT sun-angles & breezes on our block. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 8Jan 13, 2013 1:54 pm Forg We were looking for a house which was correctly designed to catch the sun, catch breezes, and generally be more comfortable without using as much energy; however, insulation & the resulting star-ratings don't really capture that. We looked at Ichijo Homes as a possibility due to the fact they do 8-star homes; however too much change was required to their standard designs to get something whivh would work WRT sun-angles & breezes on our block. Hi Forg You're correct an 8 star home doesn't necessarily mean it's been designed with good breezeway and the correct solar orientation. If the home did have these design features and was 8 star to save on energy bills would it be worth paying extra for? Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 9Jan 13, 2013 2:12 pm Theo_Mani Hi Forg You're correct an 8 star home doesn't necessarily mean it's been designed with good breezeway and the correct solar orientation. If the home did have these design features and was 8 star to save on energy bills would it be worth paying extra for? for the price no, you seem to be concentrating on energy bills although previously you mention style as well so not sure where you are coming from. If purely from a energy bills point of view it has been demonstrated that the extra $30K is just going down a pit that you'll never recover and for $30k there are other energy options you can invest in and get more value out of it. If from an aesthetic point of view my take is you are going to live in the area so build what suits your tastes, but if your not sure of which one then go with the consensus of which will give you the overall better value in $$. Again Aesthetically it becomes a personal choice and it is a different build, the question you would also have to ask is how easy and how pricey is it to repair something like a home with insulwalls compared to a regular one and that is something I would consider when purchasing as well. It seems good for builders as its cheap to build but it is interesting that the cost to the owner is greater. Surprising that it is being sold that way although the costs aren't realised to the the home owner. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 10Jan 13, 2013 3:17 pm It doesn't cost $30,000 to improve a standard house by 2 Stars To me the question should really be in 2 parts: 1. Would you pay an extra $4-5,000 over the price of a 6 star home to get 8 stars. 2. Would you pay an extra $25,000 to have a house designed to meet your needs and be a bit different. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 11Jan 13, 2013 3:23 pm bashworth It doesn't cost $30,000 to improve a standard house by 2 Stars To me the question should really be in 2 parts: 1. Would you pay an extra $4-5,000 over the price of a 6 star home to get 8 stars. 2. Would you pay an extra $25,000 to have a house designed to meet your needs and be a bit different. thats the thing what would be the cost without the insulwalls hence my previous question. Also I would have concerns for future of having to fix a wall or otherwise with such a build. Thirdly as mentioned this should be easier and cheaper to build for a builder so it is interesting about the added cost but saying that how the question is how many sqm is each home. fourthly 4 - 5k for an extra 2 stars is a close call in my books I'm thinking you could get a solar install or have internal wall insulation and sarking for that price with a house that is easier to work with after handover and more versatile use of solar. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 12Jan 13, 2013 3:46 pm The extra cost i believe is in the Insulliving panel - until more people start to use it it will be more expensive to build this way. Whether you can make your home 8 star with an extra $4-5k is another question. I think depending on your block and the design you choose will have a huge influence on this. For example if you were on a block with poor orientation and layout, adding insulation with a higher R value and double glazing may not necessarily make the home 8 stars. In any instance, if an extra $5k gave you 8 stars, how much would people be willing to pay for that architectural look and a design that allows for natural light and airflow? Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 13Jan 13, 2013 4:17 pm Theo_Mani Whether you can make your home 8 star with an extra $4-5k is another question. I think depending on your block and the design you choose will have a huge influence on this. For example if you were on a block with poor orientation and layout, adding insulation with a higher R value and double glazing may not necessarily make the home 8 stars. If you are keen about energy efficiency orientation is a major factor. In my last house we improved the rating of a project home by the equivalent of 1.5 stars at no cost by just two things Orientation - Selecting a west facing block with an appropriate layout which didn't cost any more than similar sized north facing blocks. Changing the Windows Sizes A no cost option from our builder. (see http://www.anewhouse.com.au/?p=727 for more info) Spending a few thousand on extra roof insulation, or double glazing some of the windows would get that extra half star. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 14Jan 13, 2013 5:27 pm Theo_Mani The extra cost i believe is in the Insulliving panel - until more people start to use it it will be more expensive to build this way. ouch.... at that price.. Theo_Mani Whether you can make your home 8 star with an extra $4-5k is another question. I think depending on your block and the design you choose will have a huge influence on this. For example if you were on a block with poor orientation and layout, adding insulation with a higher R value and double glazing may not necessarily make the home 8 stars. I'm pretty sure you will come close and as mentioned previously the difference in liveability between the two would not be noticeable. Theo_Mani In any instance, if an extra $5k gave you 8 stars, how much would people be willing to pay for that architectural look and a design that allows for natural light and airflow? architecturally there are many options/designs one can get that would suit natural light and airflow (although questionable at $5k but adding solar and things like sarking etc possible) but if it suits your looks (not mine personally) and you get the 8 stars then go for it. This design of insulwalls for an extra $30k... hmm No thanks. And as mentioned previously maintenance on such a house would be interesting. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 15Jan 13, 2013 5:56 pm bashworth f you are keen about energy efficiency orientation is a major factor. In my last house we improved the rating of a project home by the equivalent of 1.5 stars at no cost by just two things Orientation - Selecting a west facing block with an appropriate layout which didn't cost any more than similar sized north facing blocks. Changing the Windows Sizes A no cost option from our builder. (see http://www.anewhouse.com.au/?p=727 for more info) Spending a few thousand on extra roof insulation, or double glazing some of the windows would get that extra half star. I have done similar to bashworth in my new home build. Due to the orientation of the block, I enter the front door from the southern side. All windows on the southern side are 60cm in height. It will look closed off from the street but to achieve the best solar practice I had no choice. There will be a beautiful garden at the front to hopefully make the place look better. I find it strange in Australia that all we worry about is what the house looks like from the street and it's street appeal. If we had more builders looking at building my way more people would have less power bills and live in a more comfortable home. I have correct orientation, solar panels, double glazing and breeze throughs in all rooms. I had to push for this through my builder but got my way eventually. It is only a small home as I don't believe in this big home syndrome that currently is happening. Cheers, Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 16Jan 13, 2013 6:17 pm Tippy Toes I have done similar to bashworth in my new home build. Due to the orientation of the block, I enter the front door from the southern side. All windows on the southern side are 60cm in height. It will look closed off from the street but to achieve the best solar practice I had no choice. There will be a beautiful garden at the front to hopefully make the place look better. I find it strange in Australia that all we worry about is what the house looks like from the street and it's street appeal. If we had more builders looking at building my way more people would have less power bills and live in a more comfortable home. I have correct orientation, solar panels, double glazing and breeze throughs in all rooms. I had to push for this through my builder but got my way eventually. It is only a small home as I don't believe in this big home syndrome that currently is happening. Cheers, everyone to their own, having a dull front especially when your building a new home is a slight fail and from what I can grasp in your post you seem to be a little disappointed by this fact that your home is such. I would have incorporated other aspects (which may have costed a little more), but this idea of costing more in bills in only due to parties like the greens and Labour puppets. Just look at how desperate they are at trying to justify their stance on a few days in summer that are hot (how desperate). Our price rises in Aus are due to political than anything and the reality is it offers nothing except more money out of our pockets and more for businesses. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 17Jan 13, 2013 6:39 pm PHunter everyone to their own, having a dull front especially when your building a new home is a slight fail and from what I can grasp in your post you seem to be a little disappointed by this fact that your home is such. I would have incorporated other aspects (which may have costed a little more), but this idea of costing more in bills in only due to parties like the greens and Labour puppets. Just look at how desperate they are at trying to justify their stance on a few days in summer that are hot (how desperate). Our price rises in Aus are due to political than anything and the reality is it offers nothing except more money out of our pockets and more for businesses. I'm not disappointed with my home at all. Frustrated that subdivisions are not created in such a way that everyone has great orientation. But that's business isn't it? One my garden is done I think it will still have street appeal. Unfortunately not everyone can afford to have all the fancy finishes, I chose to go the way of Solar design, which suits me perfectly. With retirement only a few years off, I thought this would benefit me. I'm not a greenie nor could I care less about politicians and their motives. I have taken the time over the last few years to read up on design of houses and permaculture etc. etc. to get the best out of my land. It's the way I have chosen to go and I am happy with my choices. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 18Jan 13, 2013 6:45 pm Energy star ratings are a bit like safety star ratings in cars. You can have a high star rating car, but if you drive it like an idiot, it's not going to prevent you having a crash. Its the same with a so-called 8 star home. It's only as efficient as the occupants who use/live in it. I live in a 14 year old house that rates 2.5stars yet my energy bills are no higher than many of my friends in modern 5-6star homes. It's unfortunate houses don't come with an owners manual....not than anyone would read it anyway. Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 19Jan 13, 2013 6:58 pm Hi, I would be more concerned about the planning of the home first. It's orientation, effective use of breezeways, compartmentation. All the basics of passive solar design. Certainly use efficient building matarials such as the Bondor products and good quality glass for your windows. The rest of the items which form part of the star rating can be retro fitted and more importantly upgraded as technology improves. Mario Re: 'Standard' home VS Energy Efficient 'Architectural' home 20Jan 13, 2013 8:01 pm Theo_Mani You're correct an 8 star home doesn't necessarily mean it's been designed with good breezeway and the correct solar orientation. If the home did have these design features and was 8 star to save on energy bills would it be worth paying extra for? We're paying more than $30k extra to get these features. So, my answer would be "yes". I've not seen evidence of anyone offering anything for only $30k extra which offers such features ... 2 7742 go upvc window frames ensure insulation under colorbond. not just sarking, lighter color roof also not sure if you have seen this viewtopic.php?t=5823 last couple of pages… 4 110569 10 years ago was a different software than we use now. it has had a lot of changes over the past years. Improvments to the software and changes to how Nathers models need… 8 1464 |