You may or may not have heard, but as of the 1st of May 2010, all new houses, townhouses and unit built in Queensland must achieve a 6 star energy rating.
Quite a few people have asked me what this means and how much it’s all going to cost, so I thought I would give you a quick overview here and hopefully help put your mind to rest.
Firstly, the 6 star energy rating is a rating out of 10. That means that your new dwelling does not need to be a 10 out of 10 in energy efficiency, it only needs to be a 6 out of 10. Of course you can go beyond the minimum 6 stars if you want to.
The idea behind the 6 star rating is to help to reduce the carbon footprint of your home. Interestingly it does not relate to the appliances that you use within your home, such as hot water systems, ovens, air-conditioners, heaters etc. Instead it takes into account thing like the materials your home is made from such as roofing, flooring and wall materials as well as the type, style and placement of windows. (more…)
As I mentioned in an earlier article, there are certain development projects that do not necessarily benefit from architectural design. A ‘fix and flick’ development for example, where the goal is to purchase a property (or properties in the case of units/townhouses), do a quick renovation and then put it back on the market is a good example. It’s not so much the extra expense of having an architect create the design that’s the problem, as much as the extra time that it takes to have a great design created.
There are many property owners who will happily sign a standard building contract in the belief that it will offer them enough protection if anything goes wrong. But do you really know what you’re signing? Is it really offering you the protection you need?
Renovating can be a tricky game at the best of times, but even more so if you are looking to renovate an older style period home. You will no doubt want modern comforts, but do you really want to lose all of that old world charm in the process?
eaded.
Prevention is better than cure, which is why regular home maintenance is so important. This applies to everything from the top of your house to the bottom – from the roof that shelters you to the stumps that support the building. 
If you are one of those people who always bases decisions on cost, you may be surprised to find out how badly this approach has impacted on the building and construction industry in Australia.
More and more people worldwide are becoming increasingly aware of the need for our homes to be more sustainable. Most importantly, people are realising the value of saving water and energy.
The challenges confronting owner builders
