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Last updated on April 28th, 2022 at 06:18 am
Tired of the fast-paced hustle and bustle of city living? Thousands of Australians are with you! Net migration to Australia’s regional areas in 2020 was the highest on record, with the numbers more than double those in 2019.
Although the ‘tree change’ concept is not new, the structural changes to the economy, jobs and housing that have occurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic are here to stay. More office workers are now working remotely permanently, and the use of virtual communication technology such as Zoom has become the norm. With the ability and trend towards people working from home, we are seeing high demand for larger blocks and home designs.
In this handy guide, we talk you through all the questions you may have about moving from regular city living to building an acreage home in the regional areas surrounding the ACT and Melbourne.
Acreage properties are usually located in the rural areas of Australia or on the very outskirts of major cities. Technically, one acre is equal to 4,047 square metres, but it’s tough to get an idea of just how big country properties are until you see them in person!
Acreage home designs are usually very different from regular home designs as they are adaptive to the local environment. They are not just bigger than a standard suburban home; they also have some elements that just wouldn’t work (or be needed!) in a regular home.
It’s important to find a home builder who understands the key differences involved in building an acreage home, such as water and power connections, different zoning regulations and sloping blocks.
To maximise the surrounding natural elements, acreage home designs tend to be well thought out so that they can bring the outdoors in and make you feel connected to the lush landscape. Picture spacious open-floor plans, large floor-to-ceiling windows and stunning façades that blend in with the natural environment.
Large kitchens and dining areas where the family can join to have a meal are the heroes of the acreage design. Expansive outdoor entertaining areas, often flowing from the kitchen with bifold or sliding doors, make the most of a beautiful rural block.
Grand entranceways are common in acreage designs, as are four to five bedrooms to accommodate intergenerational families and envious friends and family visiting from the city. Rooms that would be considered luxuries in the city, such as formal and informal living areas, and media rooms are also commonplace.
An experienced builder will recommend a strategic site placement of the home to maximise the reach of the morning and winter sun into the home, not only contributing to improved quality of life, but also reduced power bills for lighting and heating.
Conversely, designs can be focused on blocking the harsh western sun while maintaining any views your acreage property may have.
Acreage home designs tend to echo the natural elements in their interior finishings, with wooden flooring and a neutral colour palette common. Similarly, façade options often mirror natural textures such as timber and stone.
As you can imagine, living on a bigger block of land in the countryside gives you easy access to a whole range of outdoor activities. Be it bushwalking, swimming or fishing in local waters, riding dirt bikes, owning hobby farm animals or gardening, the extra space you have affords you the ability to do it all!
One major addition to acreage home designs is the all-purpose room. It’s not quite a laundry, not quite a mudroom or entryway and not quite a garage – it’s a combination of the three!
Given that you have the luxury of space, allow your imagination to wander as you have this whole room in your home to store equipment for your outdoor activities.
With the recent increase in house prices, we have seen a trend towards intergenerational living. This may involve parents and their young children living with grandparents – most prominently seen by the ‘granny flat’ addition in many suburban backyards. Alternatively, this could look like young adult children staying in the family home for longer due to the high cost of living and house prices.
Whatever your unique family situation, the addition of an extra generation to your living quarters can seriously cramp your style and quality of living if you don’t have the right space. Acreage homes cater well to intergenerational living, with larger floorplans structured with not only additional bedrooms but also multiple living room zones to suit everyone. These home designs often include extra rooms not possible in suburban homes such as formal living and dining areas and casual open-plan kitchens to outdoor spaces, rumpus rooms and media rooms.
When you are looking to build on an acreage or property, it’s incredibly important to choose an experienced and knowledgeable builder. Even though you won’t be limited by space, you will need an expert builder who can help you maximise your indoor and outdoor spaces and bring a natural flow to your home layout to benefit your new lifestyle.
Your builder will also need to ensure that they can adapt your chosen design to the surroundings – including sloping gradients, land zoning requirements, special and remote access and high wind or bushfire zones. These are specialised conditions required only on acreage blocks that your traditional suburban residential builder won’t be familiar with.
Your builder will need to ensure they meet local council as well as state requirements to avoid any unnecessary time and budget blowouts.
As a leading home builder in Victoria, the ACT and NSW, we offer a range of custom home designs and house and land packages for acreage-style lots.
We received the HIA Professional Medium Builder award in NSW/ACT in 2018, 2019 and 2020, so you know that you’re in safe hands.
Click here to take a look at some of our current home designs for acreage blocks and to chat with a member of our friendly sales team today to find out more about your future dream home.
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