Kit Homes for Vacation or Second Homes
When you are ready for a vacation or second home, the kit home makes an ideal choice for a lot of reasons. Owning a vacation home is the dream of many people including those with young families making it too expensive to travel and elderly who prefer to stay in familiar surroundings. But the cost of building a second stick home can be prohibitive and that leads to the first reason why you should consider a kit home.
Kit homes are much less expensive than stick homes for comparable features, yet you get exceptional quality and all the features you want in a home. You are not “settling” for less when you buy a kit home because it can be built with the number of bedrooms you need while including customised window placement and spacious room design. Moving a wall here and there can create bigger rooms or more rooms depending on your needs.
But the great feature of the kit home is the fact you can buy a very small home if that is what you want. The manufacturing process makes the kit home affordable no matter what budget you have in mind. Many stick home construction contractors are not interested in building the one or two room cabin, because contractors don’t believe they can make enough profit. You don’t run into that problem with the kit home, because the design of the home makes it cost efficient no matter what size is involved.
Location, Location, Location…
Why Kit Homes Are Ideal for An Australian Location
Many potential home buyers wonder if and why kit homes are ideal for an Australian location. To begin the discussion perhaps the best starting point is to talk about the Australian climate. From one geographic location to another the climate varies widely.
In northern Australia the climate is tropical but southern Australia presents a temperate climate. While Queensland and the Northern Territory enjoy a very predictable weather pattern the climate and temperatures are less dependable in the south. Typically summer time in the northern states is hot and wet while summer in the southern states is simply hot.
Ready For Whatever the Australian Climate Brings
The various locations have specific needs when it comes to issues related to the weather and climate. Droughts are a frequent problem in the desert areas that are semi-arid. Dust storms and even tornadoes can be a threat.
Advantages of Open Floor Plan Kit Homes
The advantages of open floor plan kit homes should be considered before you select a home that has interior doors and broken up space. Depending on your unique lifestyle and specific needs you may decide that an open floor plan is just what you want. But careful thought should be given to the choice.
Choosing a floor plan that will work for you is essential if you are going to be happy with the end result. The point is that you may enter the home of a friend and be impressed with a particular floor plan or design. The home might be beautiful and look as if it belongs in a magazine. It may also work perfectly for the family that lives there. However, selecting a floor plan based on looks alone can present problems later.
How To Choose A Floor Plan
The ideal floor plan for you and your family will be one that meets your specific lifestyle needs. If someone in your family has a disability that makes using certain house features more difficult then you will definitely want to consider that and make necessary adjustments. For example, wheel chair access will mean you need wider hallways and more spacious rooms.
“Greening” a Kit Home
Some buyers ask if “greening” a kit home is possible. The answer is yes. In fact, the process is standardized to a great degree through building rules. Additionally, many kit homes exceed the minimum standard requirements.
You may not be quite sure what “greening” means. First of all, think kindness to the environment. Going green is all about saving energy and eco-friendliness. Reducing waste and decreasing negative impacts to the environment will lead to a brighter and sustainable future.
Clarification of “Greening”
Because kit homes are manufactured with energy efficiency in mind the homes themselves are environmentally friendly. In 2004 the Aussie Building Rules, BASIX, were implemented. These guidelines resulted in great improvements in the criteria for home building. Builders are now required to include energy and resource preservation into the home-building process.
Finishing the Interior of a Kit Home
Finishing the interior of a kit home can be compared to putting icing on a cake. This is what makes everything come together and feel like home. This is where you will add your personal touches that are a part of your own special sense of style and personality.
Let the fun begin! You might want to first consider the overall style or design that you want for your home. The type of setting that it is in might be a factor. For instance, if a room is naturally bright and sunny you may decide that a cooler paint colour would work best in order to balance things out.
Or if you prefer a Tuscany type design you might want to consider particular tile types and deep golds and oranges in your paint selections. Having a plan will help to ensure that the end result is exactly what you want.
Flooring And Walls
Energy Efficiency of Kit Homes
The energy efficiency of kit homes surpasses that of many other homes. You will love what that means for you as a homeowner. You will enjoy energy savings while living in a home with healthy quality indoor air.
Saving money is always a good thing, especially when the economic times are so trying. The money you save on energy costs can be used for other requirements or those little extras that make life more fun. Extra money is wonderful but the advantages of an energy efficient home go beyond that of saving money.
Health Benefits
It has been estimated that on average people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. Obviously we all care about the quality of air we breathe. You may be surprised to learn that contaminants can be two to five times higher inside a home than outside. Bacteria and mold growth can be a problem in homes that are not properly ventilated, sealed, and insulated.
Maintenance of a Kit Home
Regular maintenance of a kit home ensures that your dream home will remain in tip top shape. Most minor repairs can be done by the typical homeowner. However, larger jobs should be handled by a professional.
Your home should be examined periodically for any signs of developing problems. By taking care to remedy a situation early there will seldom be any major problems you will face, because kit homes are built to be low maintenance. Your home will continue to be your true sanctuary and it will look great.
Exterior Maintenance
The maintenance of a kit home will of course include the exterior as well as the interior of the home. The roof should be examined regularly and any debris should be removed. A long handled brush can make this task easy and quick. It is recommended that you do not walk on the roof. If necessary you can place large boards across the roofing to use as a platform surface. This will help to spread out the weight and stress placed on the roofing structure.
Adding Decks and Additional Verandas After Kit Home Installation
Adding decks and additional verandas after kit home installation is not only possible, it is a great way to improve and enhance your home. Unfortunately new home budgets do not always allow us to make the choices that we would like to make on the initial purchase of a home. Some of the little frills, bells, and whistles may be left off in order to save money.
In other cases we initially decide that some of the extras are things that we are not particularly in need of at the moment. However, over time our financial situation as well as our lifestyle is likely to change. It is very common that later on a family decides that additions to the home would enhance its appearance and or functionality.
The good news is that it is never too late to make modifications and improvements on the home. Many families eventually decide to add features such as a carport, deck or veranda. With the flexibility offered in these homes that is never a worry.
Decks And Verandas
How to Personalize Your Kit Home
If you are wondering how to personalize your kit home in a way to make it feel individualized and suit your own needs the options are wide open. You will appreciate the flexibility that these quality homes offer. In fact, custom designs are commonly used in order to create a home that is unique and meets the specifications required.
Many of the homes can easily be converted from three bedrooms to two in order to allow more space in a lounge or dining area. Three bedroom homes with larger rooms can be modified into four bedroom homes. Depending on the needs of the homeowner getting the appropriate number of rooms and space is a cinch.
Things to Consider
The first step in deciding how to personalize your kit home is to consider your personal needs, likes and dislikes. You definitely want your new home to accommodate your lifestyle. The type and style of home that you select should be one that will meet your goals.
Fitting a Kit Home to Different Site Configurations
Choosing a kit home is a wise investment. Don’t let difficulties with your site selection prevent you from exploring this option to the fullest extent. Gone are the days of limited level sites being a prerequisite for a kit home. The technology of today has improved the ability of the architect to design kit homes that can be built almost anywhere. Do you own uneven land? It is no longer a problem. In a bush fire prone area, they can be built there as well. There are even modifications that allow these kit homes to be built in the areas affected by cyclones.
Split Level Building Plans
If your land is on a slope there are design plans that offer split level building to make the most of the situation and give you a comfortable home as the end result. By building a split level, space is conserved that would be lost to support beams and a crawl space in a traditional home design. Also these modified homes can be very appealing to the eye and make a stunning addition to an otherwise unworkable hillside.