What to look for when building in Woodend, Kyneton or Macedon

If you haven’t moved to the Macedon Ranges yet, and you or your partner is talking up all the good points and it all seems to good to be true, I just want you to know one integral detail about this amazing area…

It

is

bloody

cold!!!

No matter how many years you live here you never quite appreciate the long winter (generally 5-7 months long) and most of us tend to hibernate during this time.

HEATING YOUR HOME

That being said in my biased opinion it is definitely worth it as long as you have your in-home heating sorted out.

Whether you choose hydronic heating, wood/gas fire, split systems, gas ducted or even geo-thermal they all have their pros and cons with the choice ultimately being up to you the customer. Personally I like wood fires as they are the most efficient of all heaters (if the wood is locally sourced and dried correctly) with split systems used as back-up in case you need instant heating on those cold winter mornings before you get a chance to get the fire going.

It may take additional time and mess to run a wood fire in your home but if you wanted the easy life you’d have chosen to live in an apartment in the city! Also there’s something primal about burning wood to keep your house warm, the heat dries your clothes and nothing beats sitting in front of the fire in the evenings and hanging out with your loved ones.

INSULATING YOUR HOME

Another major factor you need to think about is the insulation of your home. When building a new home ensure that your builder is using the appropriate products specifically the ceiling and wall batt R-values (resistance to heat flow value), under-floor insulation used (if any), window glazing thickness/single or double glazed, caulking to external materials and whether or not your builder plans on spray foam insulating around your windows! That last point is such a cheap fix but most builders do not do this! It takes 5 minutes and will save you thousands in the long run as most of heat loss in your home is though and around your glazed surfaces (windows/doors).

ORIENTATION OF YOUR HOME

Lastly but certainly not least importantly is the orientation of your house to North. Ever noticed some homes are on a funny angle to the block they are sitting on? That’s usually because the builder/architect has designed the block to utilise the natural light to help warm the home in winter and with the help of eave overhangs cool your home in summer.

When choosing your builder make sure to ask the above points and gauge their response to your questions and if they draw a blank stare to any of the above keep searching for the right builder for you and your dream home in the Macedon Ranges!!!