Energy Saving
Living in a home that incorporates extensive energy saving abilities gives a level of everyday comfort that makes your new Stonewood Home even more of a pleasure to live in. Apart from the ecological benefits, there is also the tremendous satisfaction of knowing that the increased investment in achieving an energy efficient home will be returned many times over - both in your home's resale value, and your monthly energy account!
In some cases, there may be funding available to help with these costs. Please ask our consultants if you think you may qualify. We have selected the following energy saving possibilities for their efficiency and value, (and included many as standard in every Stonewood Home!):
- Air exchanger - makes your home a safe haven during the allergy season
- Timers and programmable thermostats - so you don't need to remember to switch it off or on
- Airtight recessed lighting - it's surprising how much heat gets lost through these areas
- Double glazing - much quieter and warmer, and helps reduce condensation
- Thicker batts in both walls and ceilings - so you can turn heaters off earlier
- Flow restrictors to tap-ware and/or low flow showerhead - so now you can shower longer with the same amount of water!
- Night rate water heating - a significant saving on your power bill
- Low E glass - no fading and less heat drain
- Under floor insulating polystyrene - so you only heat your home, not the ground
- Gas pre-piping or heating installation - one of the most efficient forms of heating
- Log fire with water heating - still one of the most popular options
- Moisture sensor clothes dryer - helps ensure your clothes don't over-dry, saves wrinkling and saves you power
- Low or dual flush toilets - can give you substantial water savings
- Thermal breaks to windows - stops heat transfer and frame condensation
- Sealed weather strips to all exterior doors - a small but valuable feature which we have already included
- Insulated front door - not many think of this but we make it a standard feature
- Insulated home framing and clip system - a new of doing things
- Insulating house wrap - technology keeps on marching!
- Modified energy truss framing - allows better insulating to the edges
- Passive and active solar design - helps you make the most of the sun
- Solar energy enhancement and water heating - you'll be surprised how much this can save
- Hot water cylinder wrap - because this is a major source of energy loss
Security
Nothing will give you greater peace of mind in a new home than knowing it has been designed to be safe and secure.
- Security Intruder alarms with choice of:
* Heat Detectors
* Passive infrared detectors
* Pet immune detectors
* Voice prompt controls to alarm
* Alarm monitoring
- Emergency lighting
- Exterior dazzle sensor lighting
- Bandit non-breakable glass to selected windows or front door sidelight
- Deadlocks to all doors
- Security chain to the front door
- View hole to front door
- Security restrictor stays to all opening windows
- Locking window catches
Safety
- Non-combustible linings
- Gib fire rating to all bedrooms
- Rounded interior wall corners
- Tot-lock catches to all lower kitchen cupboards and drawers
- Cook top guard
- Intercom
- Earth leakage plugs to bathrooms
- Lockable child-safe medicine cabinet to the bathroom
Building for the Future
It's so much easier to wire up for the future technological advances when your home is being built, than to try and adapt your home later. So, even if you are still at the "computer-illiterate" stage, a little extra thought and expense allowing for future technology now will pay you dividends in the future – both in increased efficiency and better resale value.
We have access to the very latest advances in housing design and technology from around the world, and will continue to do so to ensure that your home truly is a home of the future.
- HPM "OSCAR" smart house wiring
- Category 5 data cabling to all phone/computer lines
- Telephone and/or computer wiring to all bedrooms - with or without a phone system
- Computer network cabling lets you all share one printer
- Home theatre wiring
- Cable TV wiring
- Central vacuum system
- Intercom wiring with home audio
- Remote door locking and alarm set or disarm
- Surge protection to the complete home switchboard
- Wall hung ironing centre
- Digital satellite TV aerial
- Automated irrigation system
- Sound system wiring
- Media room setup
Farm and Business
With more and more people working from home, or moving to lifestyle blocks out of town we have a fantastic selection of plans available to suit every requirement - whether it is a workers cottage, relocatable worker accommodation or the owner's retirement home.
- Farmlife Fixed and Flexi Series - permanent and relocatable homes designed specifically for accomodating farm workers, managers and their families.
- Lifestyle Collection - our fabulous range of architecturally designed homes for large lifestyle sections and rural living. Click here to view.
- Essence Collection - a superb selection of one and two storey plans, options for every site. Click here to view.
- First Choice Selection - a selection of homes designed for maximium street appeal and presence on a small site. Click here to view.
In addition we have developed a number of exceptional design options which make both home and business life easier:
- Drop Zone in rear door with shower cabinet – saves bringing it through the home
- Dining large enough for extras - could be the shearers of the family
- Large workable kitchen - so you don't need to be cramped when there are extras around
- Accessible office area - so it's easy to duck in and check the fax or answer the phone
- Large storage space to the pantry - in case you get snowed in!
- Home office - with everything at your fingertips (see also our Hi-tech Choices)
Accessibility Housing
In addition to the features listed below, here are common sense items that are a must when designing for the disabled new home purchaser or family member. Our designers will happily work through these with you.
These include the incorporation of passive solar principles, the orientation of the living and or bedrooms to the sun, double glazing and - naturally keeping the access and home on one level. A home designed for the disabled can look no different to any other home, but can be much more comfortable and functional for both the disabled person and their family.
- Sliding, wider width doors throughout
- Doors with easily operated door hardware
- Vanities with knee space
- Lower kitchen bench height or adjustable height area
- Accessible height switches and plugs
- Level or ramped, hand-railed access - no steps
- Lever tap handles
- No step "drive in" shower areas
- Seats in the shower cabinet
- Non slip shower flooring
- Appropriately positioned grab rails
- Combined toilet/bidet options
- Hand held shower rose
A Teenage Haven
In designing a home with an older family in residence, there are specific considerations and choices that you may wish to make. Do you wish the main bedroom to be with the other bedrooms? Should you separate the bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes, or perhaps a bathroom with direct access? Do we want them to have direct access to the outside from their rooms? Or a common room for their friends? Here are a few suggestions that are available as part of our easy living options (some more serious than others)
- Hush glass to windows - less entertaining the neighbours!
- Soundproof bedroom walls using Gib Quiet Zone Solutions - less entertaining the rest of us!
- Telephone points to bedroom - because it's always for them anyway!
- TV aerial point - for the programmes the rest of us can't stand
- Wardrobe organiser to wardrobe - give the carpet a fighting chance!
- Gib Tuff Zone finish to the walls - will save the repaint every 6 months
- Notice board across 1 wall - so you can confine the posters to one area? (Yes this was ambitious)
- Smoke alarm - could prove valuable in more ways than one!
- Combination door lock entry to the house - so you don't have to get up and let them in at 2am
- Extra large storage space for the pantry - for all the extras you will be feeding
(In the interests of your sanity, we won't even mention the Play Station or speaker wiring at this stage!)
