Step 1 Design for where you live

Australia is a big place and the climate is very different depending on what part of Australia you live in.

Whilst you might be comfortable wearing board shorts and t-shirts in Cairns all year round it’s probably not a good idea to wear the same in Melbourne in the middle of winter.

Your home should be designed and built to respond in the same way.

You all probably have memories of living in homes that were too hot in summer and those sleepless nights where it was too uncomfortable to sleep or that home where you froze because it was too cold in winter and you didn’t want to drag yourself out of bed in the morning.

Different climates need different houses so when you are thinking about renovating or building it is important to design for your local climate.

Australia has more than 80 climate zones but these are generally simplified to eight, ranging from tropical to alpine.

Make sure you take this into consideration with your renovation or build to make sure your home is designed appropriately for your local climate