Whether you’ve had enough of the hustle and bustle of the city or you’ve always been a country person at heart, there’s a certain appeal about living out in rural property. While it can be a beautiful lifestyle, knowing what’s installed when moving to a country area is important. In this article, we’re getting away from the city for a bit and taking a look at country home designs. Along with talking about key features of a country home, we’ll also look at the considerations you’ll need to take into account pre-build.
Table of Contents
What is a country-style home design?
Country-style home designs tend to make the most of more property with a large footprint and a sprawling feel to the home. Sometimes referred to as acreage homes or farmhouse designs, a country-style house tends to forgo modern aesthetics and focuses on a traditional feel and design.
Country house design considerations
Before building a country home design, there are a few considerations you need to take on board including:
- How much space will you need? Though great for a family home, an acreage lifestyle is a lot to maintain for a retired couple.
- Do you have the space for it? Acerage homes work best on larger properties. You don’t want your country home to just fit on your property, it works better with plenty of land.
- Consider maintenance costs. During the home-building journey, it’s easy to focus on the immediate costs and forget about the ongoing expenditures. A bigger house, not to mention the larger property, will cost more in upkeep, landscaping and other costs.
What are the key features of country-style home designs?
Acreage home design: Many builders will list their rural designs as acreage home designs. As the name suggests, these are sprawling, spacious homes which are best suited for larger properties. For those who want a mixture of the country and modern conveniences, there are plenty of luxury acreage home designs on the market.
Open Plan Layouts: Many country home designs, especially those built for modern family life, will embrace open plan layouts. This means rooms like your dining area and living rooms flow seamlessly together. This creates an open feel to your home, as well as allows more natural light and fresh air to enter your home.
Impressive spaciousness: Acreage homes tend to be very spacious, including large living areas, kitchens, high ceilings and an open feel to the layout in general.
Grand Facades: Country homes tend to have an impressive, traditional facade which will greatly add to your home’s curb appeal.
Expansive windows: Larger windows not only allow you to take in that wonderful view, it allows sunlight into your home, helping you cut down on energy costs.
Verandahs: A big reason many people move to the country is to make the most of the great outdoors. Verandahs offer a nice middle ground between your home and the outdoors, providing a great place to entertain or to kick back and relax.
Natural Materials: In keeping with the rustic feel, country homes are often built with more traditional materials like timber or brick.
Country home pre-build considerations
Due to the different types of locations, there are certain considerations specific to country home designs you’ll need to take on board.
Bushfire zones
Before buying any property, it is always worth checking whether it is part of a known flooding or bushfire zone. If it is, it doesn’t only put your family at potential risk, it could make your home more difficult to insure (or at the very least, more expensive to cover).
Connectivity costs
It’s no secret that internet speed and connection in Australia can leave a lot to be desired, and nowhere is this more apparent than in rural areas. More frustrating is certain provider work in some areas and some don’t. Wherever you’re moving, you’ll need to do some research as to the best provider for the area. Though satellites and technology are improving internet reception in country areas, you may still need to purchase a speciality antenna or other extras to get the most from your NBN.
Budgeting
Though rural land is cheaper per square metre than in the city, chances are you’ll be buying a lot more property on an acreage block. There are also other considerations you’ll need to consider when building in the country including:
- Installing a septic tank
- Connecting to the electrical grid
- Water supply
- Fencing
Finding a country home design builder
Not every builder specialises in country home designs, so it’s worth your while to find someone who does. There is a large range of benefits including:
- They’ll house designs to show you acreage homes.
- Their builders will have experience and know how to deal with potential issues.
- The company will know what permits and approvals you’ll need.
If you need help finding the best country home design builder for you, Buildi can help. Get in touch for advice and to chat about your upcoming project.
Building inspections
With any home, building inspections are an important part of ensuring everything is meeting health and safety codes. To find out more about building inspections, click here to read our complete guide.
Grants & concessions you may be applicable for
Home buyer concessions and grants can relieve a huge relief to the cost of building a new home. Just some of the grants available include:
- First Home Buyers Grant
- Solar rebate
Obtaining planning permission
Before purchasing a lot an existing building entitlement. This allows you to legally build on this land. For further information on the permits and approval, you’ll need for your building site, get in touch with the local council. For any new development, you’ll need to lodge an application. Other areas to consider include:
- Have a thorough understanding of your finances.
- Consult experts for guidance and advice.
- Organise detailed plans and any information required for the application.
- Submit the application to the appropriate department.
- Have patience. It can take weeks for paperwork to be approved. Use this as an opportunity to get other things in order for your build.
Remember, this is all just to obtain permission to build. Various other aspects of your home, including your designs, will also need permits and approval.
Get free advice on building your new country home
Building a new home is one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking experiences any of us will go through. The great news is, you needn’t go through it alone. Buildi is here to give power back to the consumer. We can pitch your project to our panel of builders and have them bid for your business. Want to find out more? Get in touch with our friendly team to book your free, impartial consultation.
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