Buyers Guide

A step-by-step
guide to buying
a new home

YOUR HOME • YOUR FUTURE • YOUR LIFESTYLE

Bonus!
Free checklist
inside

Best value—now and into the future
Style and quality that lasts
Healthy, comfortable living

10 steps to your new home
You and
your family

You and your builder
working together

see pages 2–3

step 1

You think about your needs

step 2

You plan your budget

see page 4

step 3

You choose your site

see page 5

You choose your new home

step 4

step 5

step 8

step 9

step 10

see pages 6–9

You arrange your finance

Your builder prepares your plans

step 6

step 7

Your builder

You check your plans and discuss changes, if necessary

see pages 10–13

Your builder revises your plans and manages all the approvals

You select colours, finishes, fittings and appliances

see pages 14–20

Your builder finalises your plans; construction begins; your new home is built

Your new home is ready and you move in!
Which steps are covered in this Guide?
This Guide covers the steps shown in colour in this diagram.
It discusses the choices that you’ll need to make in relation to your new home
(steps 1,2,3,4,7 and 9) but doesn’t cover home finance, drawing up plans,
development approval or construction (steps 5,6, 8 and 10—shown in grey).

Buyer’s Guide
Buying a new home is an exciting process.
This Guide will take you through the
process of choosing a new home
step-by-step, explaining what to look
for and the important questions to ask.
Contents
Getting started

2

Planning your budget

4

Choosing where to live

5

Choosing your new home

6

Working with your builder (room by room)

10

Selecting heating & cooling

14

Selecting fittings & appliances

16

Selecting colours & finishes

18

Designing your outdoor living

20

Back pocket:
Your New Home Checklist

You can also find this Buyer’s Guide and
checklist online at www.yourhome.gov.au.

step 1

Getting started

step 2

Your home is important
in so many ways
step 3

step 4

step 5

step 6

It’s a place to relax, unwind and spend quality time
with family and friends. It’s probably also the biggest
investment you’ll make. Use this Guide to choose a
home that will meet your needs, will be cheaper to run
and will provide the best value for money—now and for
a long time to come. Your family will thank you for it.
This Guide is designed for you, to take the stress out
of choosing a home. You might only build once or
twice in your life, so this is the opportunity to create
exactly what you want in your new home. But it can be
daunting too. There is so much to consider, from prices
and layouts through to product and colour selections.

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step 8

step 9

‘Thinking through what
we wanted first saved
so much time once we
started looking.’

The checklist that accompanies this Guide (on each
right-hand page and repeated in the back pocket) is a
useful reminder of features that can add value to your
home and make it a more comfortable place to live. You
can use it when you’re comparing different homes and
products. You might also want to use it as a reminder
list when you’re talking with sales staff and builders.
We hope this Guide will inspire you to find out
more. There are links throughout to the wealth of
information in the Your Home Technical Manual so
you can find more about whatever interests you.
There are different ways you can go about
purchasing your home. You can:
• purchase your land first, then choose a home to suit
• choose your home first, then purchase your land
• choose a house and land package, or
• knock down your existing home and rebuild.
These are all really important decisions and the
tips here will help you to make them wisely. From
a design perspective it’s better to choose your land
first if you can, then choose a home to suit. Choosing
a home and land package minimises some of the
complications but it can limit some of your choices.
Whichever way you decide, aim for the best match
you can get between your land and your home.
Read on to find out how.

step 10

Using this Guide
Use this Guide to:
• think through your needs
and create your ‘wish list’
• compare different homes
and products
• find the best value for money,
now and for the future.



If you live in a tropical climate, design
advice about some issues such as orientation
and shading can vary from what’s written here.
See instead the State-specific information in
the back pocket of this Guide or on the Your
Home website at www.yourhome.gov.au.
You’ll be amazed by how much good
design can improve your lifestyle—and
good design starts with finding the best
match between your land and your home.

Checklist: Getting started
Our family’s ‘must haves’:

Start with a list
The process of buying a home can seem complicated.
There are so many things to consider and sometimes
it’s hard to know where to start. To help you
remember all the details and get the most out of
the process, it’s a good idea to start with a list.
Write down your ‘must haves’ so you know what
your priorities are. Buying a home is an emotional
process and sometimes it’s easy to fall in love with
a particular house feature or style, forgetting about
what you originally decided you needed to suit your
lifestyle and budget. Your ‘must haves’ may include
things like number of bedrooms, good natural light,
separate play area for the kids and a breezy, open feel.

Our family’s ‘wish list’:

Number of bedrooms:
Number of bathrooms:
Other important features for us:

Next write down your ‘wish list’. Your ‘wish list’
should include extras that would be of great value
or use to you, like shaded alfresco dining with good
sunlight in winter, granite benchtops, solar hot
water or a rainwater tank.
There are many places you can go for information and
ideas, including home magazines, websites, display
villages and home ideas centres. Talk to friends and
learn from their experiences—what do they love about
their home, and what would they change? Thinking
through what you want first makes it much easier
once you start talking to sales people and builders.
Your lists can help you to prioritise what you really
need, while staying within your budget. They can also
be really useful when you’re talking with your builder.

Our budget range:

Tips:
Make sure your ‘must have’ list includes features that save on running
costs and enhance resale value, like good insulation and an efficient
hot water system (see page 14).
Think about how often your family might use a formal living
or dining area before you add them to your ‘must have’ list.

Buying your first home

Find out more

If this is your first home, talk to other people who’ve
already built a home about what’s worked for them.
What do they like—what would they change?
Which rooms are their favourite, and what is it that
makes them so pleasant to spend time in? How
does the amount of sunlight change the warmth
and feel of different parts of the home? What
are their favourite features? Would they change
anything about the floor plan or the style?

Your Home Technical Manual
is an award-winning guide
to housing, with over 60
factsheets full of handy
tips and ideas, plus home
design examples from
around the country.
It’s available free online:
www.yourhome.gov.au



step 1

Planning your budget

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Invest in the long term

Factor in all the costs

For most people a home is much more than a place
to live, it’s a long-term investment. This is your
opportunity to find a home that’s not only good value
upfront, but holds its value over time. Your decisions
at this stage will have important consequences
for your future, so you want to get it right.

When you visit a display home village, the prices
displayed are usually base house prices, from which
point you can choose additional upgrades and features.
It’s often difficult to compare ‘apples with apples’
because what’s offered as a standard inclusion by one
home building company may not be offered by another.

When you start looking at homes, it’s easy to
focus on the short term—‘what can I afford right
now?’ But when you think about it, ongoing costs
are really important too. For example, an energy
efficient home means lower energy bills, so you can
use the savings to pay off your mortgage faster.

Many home buyers say they wish they’d known
about the hidden costs right from the start. To
help with your budgeting, check with your builder
about which of the following items are included in
the price you’ve been quoted:
• council approval fees
• construction insurance premiums
• soil test by a qualified engineer
• connections to services
• excavation and drainage
• driveways and landscaping
• legally required construction extras
(e.g. scaffolding, security fencing)
• lighting
• floor finishes (e.g. carpet, tiles etc.)
• kitchen cabinets, benchtops, sinks and appliances
• curtains and blinds.

Times are changing rapidly and new issues need to
be factored into smart investment decisions. This
is sometimes called ‘future proofing’—making sure
that your investment will hold its value over time.
Protect your investment against rising energy,
water and petrol costs by ensuring your
home saves energy and water and is close
to everything you need, including public
transport. Choose long-lasting, durable materials
that don’t need a lot of maintenance.
These choices also have an impact on resale
value. Regulations for new buildings are getting
stricter all the time, and when you sell your
home you want it to be able to compete with
newer, more energy and water efficient homes.

Make sure the cost of meeting State and local council
regulations (such as extra insulation, rainwater tanks,
etc.) has been factored into the quoted price.

Banks are aware of ‘future proofing’ too, which is
why they are starting to offer ‘green mortgages’.
You can get a lower interest rate when you include
‘green’ features. This doesn’t mean alternative
materials like mud brick or straw bales. It just means
a well designed, long-lasting home that saves
precious resources … and saves you money.

Take time to think about your budget—this
is your chance to lock in features that hold
their value and save you money, such as:

Find out about financial assistance such as rebates
for items like hot water systems and rainwater
tanks. Your local council should be able to advise
you about the rebates available in your area.

Many of these features come at no extra
cost, and those that do cost more upfront
are usually quickly paid for by savings in
energy, water and maintenance bills.

• quality design that uses space cleverly
• a comfortable home with a high star rating
• water and energy saving features.

Choosing where to live
Location, location!

Checklist: Choosing where to live

Location is so important. You have the opportunity to
maximise your investment by choosing a block that’s
close to everything you need and well connected to
public transport. Smart investors know this protects
them from the effects of rising petrol prices and
increased traffic congestion. Being able to walk or
cycle to shops, schools and public transport not only
makes life easier but healthier too. A better location
might mean a smaller block—or even a different
style of home—but maybe it’s worth it when you
think about everyday travel times and convenience.

Suburbs or estates our family is considering:

Did you know that the way your home sits on your
block can have an impact on your energy bills? When
you’re looking at different blocks consider how you
could position a home so that it’s naturally warm in
winter and cool in summer. Blocks with their long
side facing north can be ideal—this makes it easy
to position a home so it will have a sunny northerly
aspect. Blocks with their back facing north can
also be good, making it easy to provide the back
garden and living areas with a northerly aspect.
It also pays to look for blocks with good access to
cooling breezes, especially in warm climates.
No matter which way your block faces you can
still get a good outcome—just as long as you
choose a suitable home design. This is explained
further on—see ‘Find the perfect fit’ next page.

Spend less time stuck
in traffic and more time
enjoying life. Being
able to walk or cycle to
shops, schools, parks
and public transport not
only makes life easier
but healthier too.

Will we be close to everything we need—shops,
schools, parks, public transport, etc?
Our location ‘must haves’:

Best location for us would be:

Will we be able to position a home on our block so it has good access to
sun, ideally with the long side or back facing north (or close to north)?
Will any neighbouring buildings have an effect on our
block’s privacy, views or access to winter sun?
Best block for us:

Tip:
Check the bus and train routes near your preferred location—
how long will it take to walk to the nearest bus stop or train station?

Find out more

Where is north?

Your Home factsheets:

To find out you can use
a street directory—the
top of the page is always
north. Most estate plans
will include a north arrow.

Choosing a site
Design for climate
Orientation
www.yourhome.gov.au



step 1

Choosing your new home

step 2

Know the rules
step 3

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step 5

First, it helps if you can find out the requirements
for homes at your chosen location. You can do this
by checking with your builder and with the local
council. If you’re buying into an estate there may also
be additional requirements made by the developer
that you need to follow. These requirements can
cover a range of different things including types
of building materials, façade style, fences and hot
water systems, to name a few. Often these are called
‘design guidelines’ or ‘covenants’ for the estate.

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‘We discovered there’s
so much more to it than
cost per square metre ...
our home has character
and spaces that work
well for us.’

Choose the floor plan
that works for you
Looking at builders’ floor plans is where you can start to
compare your ‘must haves’ and ‘wish list’ with what’s on
offer. You can make choices based on how many square
metres you can get for your money, but smart investors
know that there’s much more to a good investment.
Think carefully about what you really need. It’s
tempting to want more area for your money but
bigger isn’t always better—you’ll have less garden
space and more house to heat, cool, light, clean
and furnish. This adds to your costs now and into
the future. Good design that doesn’t waste space
feels great to live in and holds its value better.

Find the perfect fit
Make sure the homes you’re considering will fit well
on your block. For example, check the width of the
home frontage and any setback requirements (the
distances you have to leave between your home
and your site boundaries). Your builder should be
able to help you here—and do the work for you!
Choosing a floor plan that faces the right way on
your block will make your home more comfortable,
and you won’t need to spend as much on heating,
cooling and lighting.

step 10

Smart tips
The north side is warmer
in winter and the best
place for rooms you use
a lot, like living areas.



The west side gets hot
in the afternoon and is
best for rooms you don’t
use often, like bathrooms,
garages and laundries.

The south side is the
coolest and good for
bedrooms in warmer
climates, as well as rooms
you don’t use often.
The east side gets
morning sun and is
good for breakfast rooms,
kitchens and bedrooms.

If you can’t get an ideal position
for every room, you can still
have an energy saving home.
You’ll just need to pay more attention
to design and this might cost a little
more. Good position on the block
gives you a headstart and makes the
rest easier, so lock it in if you can!

Here are some tips for positioning your living areas:
• If the front of your block faces south, place living
areas at the rear of your home—an easy solution!
• If the front of your block faces east or west,
place living areas at the rear of your home,
facing onto the north side of your block.
• If the front of your block faces north, try
placing your living areas at the front of your
home and increasing your setback from the
street with a private, spacious front garden.
If you have a sloping block, think about the kind of
home that would make the best fit with minimum
excavation and drainage costs. Discuss this with your
builder and ask them to suggest a suitable home design.
Check with your builder that the position of your
home will maintain privacy for you and your
neighbours. Keep bedrooms away from noisy areas
like driveways or neighbours’ living areas. Now is
also a good time to think about where you’ll put
cost saving features like an outdoor clothesline
and water saving features like a rainwater tank.

Why north for living areas?
North is the best position for rooms you spend a
lot of time in because north-facing rooms get sun
for the longest part of the day. They are also the
easiest to shade from unwanted sun. In summer
when the sun is high, the right size eaves will shade
north-facing rooms, while in winter when the sun
is lower, sunlight will come in under the eaves.
If it looks like your living areas won’t get good
sunlight ask your builder if you can flip or rotate
the plan for better positioning on the site, or
make minor modifications to the plan.

Checklist: Choosing our new home
Homes our family is considering:

Our preferred home:

Is it a functional floor plan without wasted
space and with plenty of storage?
What would we change about this plan?

Will our preferred home fit well on our block with
living areas facing north (or close to north)?

Tips:
Talk to your builder about making no cost or low cost changes—
for example, can you flip or rotate the plan?
If you have a steeply sloping block, choose a split-level or
raised floor design.

A home for life

Find out more

You might be planning to live in this home for a
long time so ask for features that will make your
home a safe and easy place to live as you grow
older, like entries and showers without steps.

Your Home factsheets:

These features make good sense anyway and
come in handy when you have small children
or elderly or less mobile visitors. They could
also make your home attractive to a wider
range of people when it comes time to sell.

Orientation
Passive design introduction
The Adaptable House
Health and safety
www.yourhome.gov.au



step 1

Choosing your new home

step 2

Aim for the stars
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Your home’s star rating indicates how comfortable
it will be and how much you’re likely to save on
heating and cooling bills. The star rating scale goes
up to 10 stars—the highest that can possibly be
achieved. In many States new homes are required
to be at least 5 stars (NSW requires BASIX scores
instead of star ratings). Astute home buyers are
beginning to ask for 6 stars or more—an indication
of good, energy saving design.
The star rating for your home is focused on the
building ‘shell’—building materials, insulation,
windows—as well as how your home is matched
to your block. All the tips on this page will help
you reach a good star rating. You can get a good
star rating with almost any house style, but
some styles work more easily than others.

‘We paid extra for better
insulation in the ceiling—
it was worth every cent.
We couldn’t believe the
difference ... we hardly
use the heater anymore.’

Home building contributes to some
of Australia’s biggest environmental
problems and building regulations
are changing fast as we find smarter
ways to build. The regulations may
vary depending on where you live
but one thing is certain: homes of
the future will need to get better
and better at saving resources.



It pays to think about this now!

Moving to a 5-star home can halve your heating
and cooling costs. In a climate like Melbourne
upgrading to a 7-star home can reduce heating
and cooling costs by 75%! What’s more, a high star
rating can improve the resale price of your home.

Eaves work wonders
A roof with eaves is a cheap and effective way to
help keep your home cool in summer. The eaves
help shade walls and windows from high-angle
summer sun. Eaves work particularly well on the
north side, providing effective summer shading and
letting in winter sun, without you having to do a
thing. This happens because winter sun is at a lower
angle than summer sun and comes in under the
eaves. Eaves can also help with waterproofing and
can stop paint from cracking and fading in the sun.
If you choose a style without eaves, just be aware
that you’ll want to include additions like adjustable
window shutters to keep your home comfortable.

Glass has an impact on bills
Glass is the ‘path of least resistance’ for losing or
letting in heat, so don’t go overboard on it. If you do,
your home may feel like a sauna in summer and an
igloo in winter.

About star ratings
In the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria,
South Australia and Western Australia all new
homes are required to achieve 5 stars. Some of
these States also have additional energy and
water saving requirements. In New South Wales
new homes need to comply with the energy
and water targets in BASIX. In Queensland,
new homes must meet regulations for hot
water systems, lighting and water savings.

The way the sun moves across the sky means that
some places are better for glass than others—
glass facing north is ideal because you get lots of
winter sun and all you need are eaves to shade it in
summer. Glass facing east or west can overheat in
summer and needs adjustable shading like shutters
or louvres. Deep shade pergolas can also work well
in some cases. Glass facing south doesn’t get much
sun and could make your home feel cold in winter.
If you live in a cooler climate, consider double
glazing to keep your home more comfortable.
Curtains with pelmets also help to keep warmth
in. Windows that can open up wide make it easy
to capture cooling breezes in summer. Flyscreens,
security grilles and windows that lock when partly
open allow you to let breezes in whenever you need
to. For more information on choosing glass to suit
your needs, see the Your Home Glazing factsheets.

Insulation is a wise investment
Although you don’t see it, you’ll feel the impact of
good insulation every day. Your home will be quieter
and more comfortable plus you’ll save money on
energy bills. Ask about what’s included in your
price, and, if necessary, talk to your builder about
increasing the amount of insulation in your home.
The right level of insulation for your home depends
on your climate but generally the more the better.
Make sure you have reflective insulation (like shiny
foil sarking that goes under the roof) as well as bulk
insulation like batts. The higher the ‘R value’ the
better the insulation. Make sure you also have good
draft proofing, including weather seals on windows
and external doors.

Checklist: Choosing our new home
The star rating of our home will be:
(Will we score 6 stars or more?)
Is there good insulation under roofs, in ceilings and in walls?
Do we need floor insulation?
Do our windows predominantly face north?
Are our north-facing windows shaded by eaves or overhangs?

Are our east and west-facing windows shaded by adjustable shutters?

Do we need to consider double glazing? Where?

Will we use curtains with pelmets to help keep in heat? Where?

Comments, things we’d like to change about our home design:

Tips:
Consider adding extra doors to close off rooms for ease of heating
and cooling—this will also reduce your electricity costs.
Ask your builder whether your ceilings will be high enough to
accommodate fans—this can help save on cooling costs.
If you have views to the west, east or south, use small picture windows
to capture the view while minimising unwanted heat loss or gain.
Make sure your eaves are wide enough to provide good shade—the
Your Home Shading factsheet explains how to size eaves correctly.

Did you know?

Find out more

In the Australian Capital Territory
all homes for sale must provide
information to prospective buyers
about their energy efficiency.

Your Home factsheets:

Choosing a dark roof colour could make
your home overheat in summer as dark
materials absorb heat more readily.

Design for climate

Shading

Orientation

Insulation overview

Passive solar heating

Insulation installation

Passive cooling

Rating tools

Glazing overview

www.yourhome.gov.au



step 1

Working with your builder

step 2

Your living areas
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step 9

Here’s your chance to create your ideal living space,
somewhere you can relax, entertain and spend
quality time with family and friends. This is the
most lived-in part of your home so it deserves some
extra-special attention.
It’s a good idea to face your living areas north or close
to north if you can. This way you’ll get loads of winter
sun and easy shade in summer if you have eaves.
Anything within the range of 20 degrees west to 30
degrees east of north is good. In tropical climates you’re
best off facing living areas to capture cooling breezes.
Open plan living is popular and can create a wonderful
flow of space. But when living areas are too open,
especially if they have mezzanines or high ceilings, they
can be difficult (and expensive) to heat and cool. They
can also be noisy. Some designs give you the flexibility
to open up or divide up the space as you need.

Clever design of space is crucial in a living area.
It’s the feeling of spaciousness rather than the amount
of space that matters most—and how well the spaces
function. Look for practical, well designed areas that
use space cleverly and don’t waste it—after all, you’re
paying for it! You could also talk to your builder about
modifications that allow you to use space flexibly, like
room dividers or sliding partitions. This way you can
also adapt space to suit your family’s changing needs.
To keep living areas cool in summer make sure you
have windows or openings on more than one side
of the living area. This allows cooling breezes to
flow through. High windows or skylights work well
to get rid of hot air as it rises. Just make sure they
can be closed in winter and the frames have good
weather seals. Double glazing will also help to keep
heat in during winter—handy in cooler climates.

‘We put in two extra doors, making
our living areas easier to heat and
cool. This also helps keep the house
quiet when the baby is sleeping.’

step 10

You can use outdoor space
as an extension of your living
room, effectively getting
more space for free!
If you have young children,
design kitchens and living
areas to overlook play areas.

10

Checklist: Our living areas and kitchen
The living areas we need are:

Your kitchen
Kitchens are said to be the heart of the home,
where everything happens. It’s often the
kitchen and living areas that people fall in love
with and that’s important if you’re thinking
about resale value. A well designed, functional
kitchen can really add value to your home.
A good kitchen gives you room to move but is
compact enough to allow easy reach between
different activities, like preparing food, cooking
and rinsing. It’s a good idea to leave generous
bench space between the sink and the cooktop
as this tends to be the most useful space for
food preparation. Locate dishwashers close
to sinks to allow easy loading—this also
concentrates your plumbing needs in one place
and saves money. Multi-bin sorters under
kitchen sinks are a great idea—you can separate
your rubbish for recycling straight away.
Did you know that the fridge typically uses
more energy in a year than any other appliance?
It’s responsible for about 13% of the average
family’s electricity bill. It pays to buy an efficient
and appropriately sized fridge—see page 17
on appliances for some handy hints. Make
sure kitchen cabinets allow a decent air gap
around the fridge (especially at the back) as it
needs good ventilation to work efficiently.

Can our living areas be divided up as needed,
for economical heating and cooling?
Will our living areas get plenty of sunlight in winter?
Will our living areas be shaded in summer?
Can windows be opened on more than one side of
living areas to let cooling breezes through?
Comments, things we’d like to change:

Is our kitchen set out so there is easy reach between different activities?
Do our kitchen cupboards use low emission particle board and finishes?
Comments, things we’d like to change:

Tips:
Think about including a multi-bin sorter and compost container
when you’re choosing your kitchen garbage system—this can
make recycling much easier for the whole family.

A good kitchen
is a healthy kitchen

Find out more

This is about more than the food you eat!
Most kitchen cabinets contain glues and
varnishes which give off fumes, particularly
when they are newly installed, that can cause
breathing irritations and allergies. New ‘lowemission’ materials provide a much healthier
alternative—ask your kitchen designer or see
the Your Home Indoor air quality factsheet.

Indoor air quality

Your Home factsheets:
White goods
Health and safety
The Adaptable House
www.yourhome.gov.au

11

step 1

Working with your builder

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Your bathrooms and laundry
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step 7

Everybody loves a well designed bathroom. Here’s
an opportunity to add value to your home and save
lots of water in bathrooms and laundries without
having to compromise a thing. Your plumbing
fixtures will last a long time so it pays to demand
the best standard of water savings. When you
come to sell your home you’ll want it to be able
to compete with newer, water efficient homes.
The 3-star showerhead shown above costs no extra
and can save around $100 in energy and water each
year. A 4-star toilet saves the average household
about 1,000–1,500 litres of water each year.
There’s been a recent trend towards multiple
bathrooms in new homes, but it’s worth thinking
about the extra costs and cleaning before you add
bathroom number three to your ‘wish list’!


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Average home

You can save money on plumbing by choosing a
plan that groups wet areas like the kitchen, laundry
and bathrooms close together.
Having windows that open to ventilate bathrooms
and laundries is cheaper and quieter than relying
on an exhaust fan. Your rooms will have a light,
airy feel and you’ll save on electricity.
If you use predominantly light, neutral colours in
permanent finishes like tiles, you can use colour accents
in features that are easier to change, like painted walls.
It’s a good idea to choose slip-resistant floor tiles.
After you’ve locked in good savings with your
water efficient fittings you might want to go
further by using rainwater or treating water for
reuse. See page 20 for more information.

Water efficient home

Shower 9–10 L/minute

6–7 L/minute (3-star)

Toilet 7.5 L/flush

less than 4 L/flush (4-star)

Washing machine

140 L/wash 70 L/wash (4.5-star)

Dishwasher 20 L/wash

12 L/wash (4-star)

step 10

Look for the stars

Find the best products

The biggest water users
inside a home are the:

There are star ratings for energy
as well as water. These websites
can help you find the products
with the best star ratings:

– shower
– toilet
– washing machine.

12

Look for the water star
label—the more stars, the
better the water savings.

Water star ratings
• www.waterrating.gov.au
Energy star ratings
• www.energyrating.gov.au
• www.energyallstars.gov.au

Checklist: Our bathrooms, laundry,
bedrooms and home office
Will our bathrooms and laundry have a window for natural ventilation?

Your bedrooms
The southern side of the house is the coolest and
usually good for bedrooms. The eastern side gets
morning sun and this can also be a nice aspect,
though you’ll need shading if you want to sleep in!
Avoid bedrooms facing west if you can as they heat
up in the afternoon and can be uncomfortable on
a summer night. Because heat rises, upper level
bedrooms can get particularly hot. If you just can’t
avoid west-facing bedrooms don’t worry—they
can still be comfortable—you’ll just need to pay
better attention to shading and insulation.

Have we chosen fixtures that will save water?
For example, do our bathrooms and laundries have
3-star showerheads, 4-star toilets and 3+ star taps?
Comments, things we’d like to change:

Can we swap some rooms around so the
bedrooms will be cooler in summer?
Comments, things we’d like to change:

Your home office
If you work from home a lot, try to provide
your home office with a pleasant north-facing
aspect—you’ll want it to be comfortable all day.

Will we use the home office a lot?
Will it be a sunny, pleasant place to work?
Comments, things we’d like to change:

‘Getting the builder to
make a few changes to
the plan was the best
thing we ever did.’

Tips:
Consider features that make your home safe and easy to live in
as you get older.
Use the Top 3 water users calculator on the Your Home website
to calculate your water savings: www.yourhome.gov.au.

Rate your home

Find out more

You can use the NABERS
website to check how much
energy and water your
household uses compared to
similar Australian households.

Your Home factsheets:

www.nabers.com.au

Orientation

Reducing water demand
Health and safety
The Adaptable House
Passive solar heating
Passive cooling
www.yourhome.gov.au

13

step 1

Selecting heating & cooling

step 2

Don’t get into hot
water with your bills!
step 3

step 4

step 5

step 6

step 7

Did you know water heating is responsible
for more than a quarter of the average home’s
energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions?
The first step is to use less hot water by installing
water efficient showerheads and taps. It’s a
double saving—you’ll save energy and water!

Use the chart below to help you decide what type
of hot water system to buy. Always look for the
highest possible star rating.
l

Best choice if you have a gas connection.

l

Best choice if you can’t connect to gas or
you want to use 100% renewable electricity.

l

Choose only if you can’t get good access to sun.

Choosing an efficient hot water system is
your chance to save money and do your bit
for the environment. It may cost you a little
more upfront, but usually pays for itself
within a few years through energy savings.

Type of hot
water system

No. of people
in the household



1–2 3

Choosing an efficient hot water system adds
value to your home and can also help you
meet local council or State regulations.

Solar electric
Electric heat pump

4 5+

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

The best choice of hot water system depends on a
few things, like how much water your household
uses and whether you have a gas connection.

Gas instantaneous 5+ star l

l

l

‘We thought solar hot
water would be expensive
but it paid for itself in
less than 5 years.’

Get the most out of your efficient hot water system:
• Install a 3-star showerhead for big savings.
• Locate your hot water system close to where
you’ll use it, near the bathroom, laundry and kitchen.
• Use a shower timer to remind everyone in the
household to save water.

Did you know?

Estimated 7-year running cost of hot water systems

Solar gas

Gas storage 5+ star

l

l

step 8

step 9

step 10

14

International experts predict that climate
change will dramatically increase the
cost of electricity, gas, petrol and water
in the future. Get ahead by choosing
a home that helps you save on these
now and has the best resale features. In
a few years, home purchasers are likely
to expect highly energy efficient hot
water systems as a standard feature.

Source: Wilkenfeld (2005), see
www.sustainability.vic.gov.au.
Calculated for the average
Victorian household; costs will
vary depending on household size,
climate and energy tariff costs.

Keep warm and stay cool

Checklist: Our heating and cooling

Many of the tips in this Guide can help make
your home naturally more comfortable year
round so you won’t need to spend much (or
perhaps anything!) on heaters or air conditioners.
If you do install heating or cooling you can
save money while keeping comfortable by:
• using fans instead of air conditioners
• only heating or cooling the rooms you need and
making sure the heating and cooling is ‘zoned’
so you can switch different areas on and off
• making sure the systems are the right size for
your needs—oversized systems waste money
in upfront costs and running costs, and
• making sure your heater or air conditioner
has a high star rating.

Do we have a north-facing roof for solar hot water?
Do we have a gas connection?
Type of hot water system we’re looking for:
Have we locked in good design features to avoid
or reduce our heating and cooling needs?

Can we use fans or evaporative coolers instead of air conditioning?
Would a solar air heater work for us?
Does our gas heater have a high star rating?
How can we save further on heating and cooling?

Catch some sun
The term ‘solar panels’ can mean two different things:
the collector panels on your solar hot water system,
or photovoltaic (PV) panels that convert sunlight into
electricity. They’re both capturing the sun’s energy—
one to heat water and the other to make electricity.
Government rebates can help bring down the
cost of both solar hot water and photovoltaic
systems. If you’re on a budget but want to make the
most of solar energy, a solar hot water system is
probably the best place to start. If you want green
electricity but can’t afford the upfront cost of a
photovoltaic system, ask your electricity retailer
about government accredited GreenPower. For a
small additional cost you can purchase electricity
from renewable sources like solar and wind.

Summer running
costs per year
6 ceiling fans
Typical ducted
air conditioner

$18
$265

Based on 5 hours a day
usage in summer,
6 fans at 50 W each,
air conditioner at 4,500 W.

Will we use electricity from renewable sources?

Tips:
Use the chart on page 14 to help choose your hot water system.
Consider fans or evaporative coolers instead of air conditioning.
If you’re planning to use gas heaters or air conditioners choose
one with a high star rating.
If you’re planning on central heating or air conditioning make
sure it’s zoned and not oversized.
The compressor unit of an air conditioner can be noisy so think
carefully about where to locate it.

Evaporative coolers are an
energy saving alternative to
air conditioners. They work
best in climates with relatively
low humidity like Melbourne,
Canberra, Adelaide and Perth.

Find out more

Solar air heaters use the
sun to warm air and circulate
it back inside in winter. In
summer, the fan pulls out hot
air to keep the home cool.

Photovoltaic systems

Your Home factsheets:

Green electricity:

Heating and cooling

www.greenpower.gov.au
www.greenelectricitywatch.org.au

Hot water service
Solar hot water
www.yourhome.gov.au

15

step 1

Selecting fittings & appliances

step 2

See the light
step 3

step 4

step 5

they save energy and last longer—just remember
to choose ‘warm white’ bulbs for a nice warm feel.
Some LED lights save as much energy as compact
fluorescents and can last three times longer or
more. However, LED lights are still much more
expensive at the moment. The technology is
improving rapidly and LEDs are likely to be more
cost competitive in future—so watch this space!

Lighting is responsible for 10% of the average
family’s electricity bills but in some homes this can
be much higher. You could be wasting hundreds
of dollars a year just lighting your home.
Of course, the cheapest solution is to maximise
use of natural light. This is another good reason
for following the design tips on pages 6–9
about placement of rooms and windows.

Low voltage halogen downlights use more energy
than these efficient types. It’s important to remember
that low voltage doesn’t mean low energy—so if you
want to compare different types of bulbs look at the
wattage. If you do choose halogens, use IRC (infrared coated) 35 W globes instead of 50 W globes.

Choosing energy saving lighting is one of the
easiest and most cost effective things you can do.
Compact fluorescent lights are a great choice because

step 6
Room lighting cost estimates
Options below provide similar light levels

step 7

step 8

step 9

step 10



Standard bulbs

Downlights




1 x 15 W

5 x 11 W

Lifetime hours

10,000

1,000

Purchase cost*

$10

$1

$100

$60

$40

Running cost*

$33

$164

$120

$350

$569

Total cost*

$53

$179

$220

$490

$669

Greenhouse
gas emissions*

CFL

219 kg

1 x 75 W
incandescent

CFL

4 x 50 W
halogen

15,000 5,000 2,500

1,095 kg 803 kg 2,336 kg 3,796 kg

* Over ten years.
Purchase cost includes lamp cost and transformer for halogens. Operational costs and greenhouse
gas emissions will vary with hours of usage, electricity rates and location. One standard bulb is
compared with the minimum number of downlights required to light the average room.

Did you know?
A kitchen lit by 10 halogen lights
for five hours a night can add about
$140 a year to electricity bills.
As well as wasting energy, halogen
downlights get very hot. Because of this you
need to leave a gap between your ceiling
insulation and the fitting, and this reduces
the effectiveness of your insulation.

16

4 x 35 W
IRC halogen

‘We changed
our lighting plan
when we found
out how hot and
uncomfortable it
is sitting under
halogen downlights.’

Compact fluorescent bulbs use
about 20–25% of the energy of
a traditional incandescent bulb
and last 4–10 times longer.
The government is phasing out
incandescent light globes—lighting
of the future will be energy smart!

Choose appliances wisely

Checklist: Our fittings and appliances

A smart choice is one that continues to save you money
for the life of the appliance. The questions to ask are:
• What size do I need?
• Does it have a high star rating?

Does our home design make good use of natural light?

Star ratings are provided on all white goods to
help you make the best choice. There are star
ratings for both energy and water so a washing
machine, for example, will have a star rating label
for energy use and another for water use. The
more stars, the more efficient the appliance is.
Choosing the right size for your needs is also
important—a big 4-star fridge uses more energy
than a small 4-star fridge. Look for the actual
estimates of energy and water use, also provided
on the label. This will give you a sense of the relative
cost of running the appliance. The fridge uses the
most energy each year and the washing machine
uses the most water each year.
It’s worth considering these issues for your other
appliances too—they all contribute to your bills!
If you’re choosing home entertainment equipment
it pays to compare energy use—both when in
use and when in ‘standby’ mode. Some appliances
have an ‘ENERGY STAR’ label (different to the
white goods star rating) which shows they are
efficient in ‘standby’ mode. Bigger television
screens use more energy, and plasma screens tend
to use more energy than LCD screens. Recent
Australian research has found that, even when
comparing televisions of similar screen size and type,
some products use more than three times the energy
of others. It’s worth asking about energy use when
making a purchase!

Our lighting requirements:

The costs of running our lighting per year:

How we can save on lighting costs:

The energy star rating of our fridge:
The water star rating of our washing machine:
Our other major energy-using appliances:

Tips:
Work with your lighting consultant to choose energy saving lighting.
Don’t go overboard on downlights. Lighting a room with many energy
saving downlights can still use more energy than a single inefficient light.
Use the Lighting and White goods calculators on the Your Home website
to work out how you can save on energy bills: www.yourhome.gov.au.
Install an outdoor clothesline—let the sun dry your clothes for
free instead of paying to run a dryer.

A medium-size 5-star fridge can save you at
least $650 in running costs over its lifetime,
compared to a 2.5 star fridge of the same size.
And that’s based on current energy costs—it
doesn’t reflect the impact of future price rises!

Find out more

A 5-star front-loading washing machine uses
about 50 litres of water per wash compared
to 140 litres per wash for a 1-star top-loader.

www.yourhome.gov.au

Your Home factsheets:

Online calculators:

White goods

It’s easy to work out how
much you can save using the
Your Home online calculators
for Top 3 water users, Lighting
and White goods:

Lighting

www.yourhome.gov.au

17

step 1

Selecting colours & finishes

step 2

Don’t be floored
step 3

step 4

step 5

step 6

Carpet gives warmth to an interior and is best used in
combination with other lower maintenance materials.
Tiled surfaces or polished concrete give a sleek
modern look and work well in high-traffic
areas. In some situations they help keep indoor
temperatures comfortable by storing heat—find
out more about this in the Your Home Thermal
mass factsheet. Choose slip-resistant surfaces in
wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries.
Timber and tiled surfaces are low maintenance
and easy to clean. For allergy sufferers they’re also
a healthier alternative to carpet, which can trap
dust and other allergy-causing particles. If you
want the cosy feel that carpet provides, you could
consider rugs that you can wash or air outside.

step 7

step 8

step 9

‘When we painted our old
place you could smell the
paint for weeks. We’re so
glad we went with low
emission paints this time.’

step 10

If you use timber, make sure it comes from certified
sustainably managed forests. There are plenty of cost
effective and stylish Australian timbers from these
sources, so here’s your chance to do the right thing by
the environment without compromising on style.
You can get natural varnishes for timber floors,
like tung oil or beeswax, that look great and don’t give
off low level toxic fumes like standard polyeurethane
finishes do. Ask your builder if they can use a natural
product for your floors.

Colour your world
Ideally interior paint colours should be the last thing
you choose after cabinets, carpets and floor tiles. This
is because there are so many paint colours to choose
from, but far less selection with other finishes.
White paints have different bases—yellow, pink, fawn
and grey—and it’s important you follow the ‘family
colour’ throughout, so that your paint selection
has the same base as your tiles and cabinets. Your
interiors consultant will be able to help with this.
Using light-coloured interior paints improves
daylight levels inside your home. As well as
creating a light and airy feel you’re unlikely to need
lights on during the day, which saves money.
Sleek contemporary kitchens are achieved with plain
cabinet doors without panelling. White laminates

Smart tips
• Use natural paints in nurseries and
bedrooms of allergy sufferers.
• Use low emission paints for all lightcoloured surfaces, and use natural
paints for darker coloured feature
walls—the most cost effective
way to minimise emissions!

18

• Good natural ventilation in your home
helps reduce the effect of paint fumes.

Important to know: Adding colour
pigments to a low emission
light-coloured paint base usually
increases the emissions—check
with your builder or paint supplier.

Checklist: Our colours and finishes
The types of flooring in our home:

and timbers go well with this look. If you prefer the
traditional look, this can be achieved with warm
colours and panelling on cupboard doors. Remember
that bright, dominating colours in permanent
kitchen fixtures can be expensive to change if you
tire of the colour. Think about using wall paints
or decorative display pieces instead—they can
also provide any bright accents you may want.
Your exterior colour scheme can actually have an
impact on indoor comfort! Light-coloured walls
and roofs reflect heat and can help to keep your
home cool in summer. The roof colour makes
the most difference, as roofs usually get more
direct sun than any other part of the house.

The timbers used in our home:

The paints and varnishes used in our home:

Examples of colour schemes that we like:

Some paints are
healthier than others
Regular paints give off low level toxic fumes that
can cause breathing irritations and headaches.
Painted surfaces can continue ‘off gassing’ fumes
for months after painting. The good news is that
many paint companies now offer healthier low
emission products for the same cost. (These are
also known as ‘low VOC’ products—see below.)

Have we specified materials that are either
low emission or natural products?

If you want to avoid paint fumes altogether, look
for paints that contain all-natural ingredients.
These do cost a bit extra but are worth it if
you have allergies or young children.

Consider alternative options like bamboo or recycled timber flooring—
these are stylish, durable and environmentally friendly.

Tips:
Make sure timber used in your home comes from certified sustainably
managed forests—ask your builder to get assurances from suppliers.

Check that cupboards, floor finishes, paints and varnishes are either
natural or low emission products.

It’s not just paints and varnishes that
can give off low level toxic fumes—
so can many common materials
like carpets and kitchen cabinets.

Find out more

This is due to the presence of
‘volatile organic compounds’
(VOCs). The good news is that many
healthier no or low VOC alternatives
are available.

Indoor air quality

Your Home factsheets:
Material use introduction
Thermal mass
www.yourhome.gov.au

19

step 1

Designing your outdoor living

step 2

step 3

step 4

step 5

step 6

step 7

step 8

step 9

step 10

Go for the great outdoors

Checklist: Our outdoor living

Your garden and outdoor areas are an extension of
your home. The best living spaces are those which flow
from inside to outside so you can make the most of
alfresco living. You can use clever landscape design to:
• channel cooling breezes into your home, and
• shelter indoor and outdoor areas from winds.

Will our alfresco areas get sun in winter
and be cool and shady in summer?

Planting is one of the best ways to provide shade:
• deciduous plants and vine-covered pergolas
work well on the north side because they
provide summer shade and let in winter sun
• evergreen plants work well wherever
permanent shade is required, such as westfacing walls in warmer climates.

Comments, things we’d like to change:

Many homes now incorporate rainwater tanks.
To get the most out of your tank make sure you
choose a reasonable size—3,000 litres or more is
ideal—and connect it to indoor uses like the toilet
and the washing machine. If your tank is only
connected to the garden it will be much less useful.
Domestic water recycling systems are also becoming
more popular, collecting and treating wastewater
(from the shower, laundry etc.) for reuse in the garden
or within the home. Regulations vary so check first
with your local council, then make sure you seek
expert advice on choosing and maintaining your
system. If you’re reusing laundry water on the garden
you’ll need to use special detergents and powders.

There are many different choices
of rainwater tanks, including
clever designs for tight spaces.

20

Depending on where you live, up to
50% of the average home’s water is
used for the garden. You can save a
lot of water by choosing local native
plants and groundcovers, which suit
Australia’s dry conditions. They also
look great and attract native birds.

Will we use local native plants, drought-resistant
plants and mulch in our garden, to save water?
Will we grow our own vegetables and herbs?

How many litres will our rainwater tank hold?
What will our rainwater tank be plumbed in to?
Will we reuse our wastewater? If so, where will
we collect it from and where will we use it?

Tips:
If you don’t want one big rainwater tank you could
try a series of smaller, connected tanks.
If you have a pool, use a pool cover to reduce evaporation.
When planting trees take care to place them so their
roots won’t damage walls or footings.
Choose ‘permeable’ paving that allows rain to soak
through or between pavers.

Find out more
Your Home factsheets:
Sustainable landscape
Outdoor water use
Wastewater reuse
www.yourhome.gov.au

For water and energy saving calculators, copies of this Buyer’s Guide
and copies of the Your New Home Checklist visit www.yourhome.gov.au
Published by Investa Property Group
Level 6 Deutsche Bank Place; 126 Phillip Street
Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
www.investa.com.au
© Investa Properties Limited 2007
This publication is copyright. Other than for uses permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without attribution.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Your home buyer’s guide : a step-by-step guide to buying a new home
ISBN 9780980421408 (pbk)
1. House buying - Australia. 2. Home ownership - Australia.
I. Investa Property Group. II. University of Technology, Sydney. Institute for Sustainable Futures.
III. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Centre for Design.
643.120994

Disclaimer
This document has been prepared as a guide only and is unlikely to contain all the information
that prospective home buyers may expect or require in order to make informed decisions on home
building choices. The data is to the best of the authors’ knowledge accurate as at the date of publication
but may vary from time to time and with location. Prospective buyers should therefore rely on
their own enquiries and obtain appropriate expert advice as part of their decision-making process.

Acknowledgements
The following organisations collaborated on the production of this Guide:
Australian Greenhouse Office, Department of the Environment and Water Resources;
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW; Queensland Government Environmental Protection Agency;
The Building Commission, Victoria; Sustainability Victoria; Landcom; Department for Planning and Infrastructure,
Government of Western Australia; Western Australian Planning Commission; Institute of Sustainable Futures at UTS;
Centre for Design, RMIT University; More Communication Design; Clarendon Residential Group; Investa Property Group.
Printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks.

Queensland Government
Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.qld.gov.au
www.climatesmart.qld.gov.au
Australian Greenhouse Office,
Department of the Environment
and Water Resources
www.yourhome.gov.au
Department of Environment
and Climate Change NSW
www.environment.nsw.gov.au
www.livingthing.net.au

More information online:
www.yourhome.gov.au

Landcom
www.landcom.nsw.gov.au

Department for Planning and
Infrastructure, Western Australia
www.dpi.wa.gov.au
Western Australian
Planning Commission
www.wapc.wa.gov.au
Institute for Sustainable Futures,
University of Technology Sydney
www.isf.uts.edu.au

The Building Commission
www.buildingcommission.com.au

Centre for Design,
RMIT University
www.cfd.rmit.edu.au

Sustainability Victoria
www.sustainability.vic.gov.au

Clarendon Residential Group
www.clarendonhomes.com.au