Tips for custom home designs on the Gold Coast

Planning on custom designing a home on the Gold Coast? Here are our top tips for a smooth build and your ultimate dream home.

Partner with the right builder

It probably goes without saying but the builder you choose to engage for your Gold Coast custom home design can make all the difference to your overall building experience. You want to partner with someone who has a reputation that proceeds them, bucket loads of experience and all the appropriate licences and accreditations. Check out our helpful article with the 5 things you need to consider before choosing a builder.

Choose the right block of land

You know the old adage: location, location, location! Where on the Gold Coast you decide to build your custom designed home is an important consideration. What are your priorities? Proximity to the beach or shops/restaurants/schools? Surrounded by hinterland? A place with a view? Get clear on what’s important to you and then go looking for a block of land that suits. The size, dimensions and readiness of the block will also affect the build so keep this in mind. For example, your Gold Coast custom designed home may be impacted by a sloping block.

Consider Gold Coast weather in your custom home design

With our scorching hot temperatures and high humidity, building for the weather is another important consideration. You want to build in such a way that you maximise cross-ventilation and foster the movement of breezes throughout the home. Ideally, place bedrooms where they will get the least heat exposure and utilise appropriate insulation to reduce the need for winter heating. See this guide from the Australian Government about designing for climate (the Gold Coast is Zone 2).

Consider flow and function

One of the benefits of building a custom designed home on the Gold Coast is that you have complete control over the flow of the floorplan. It’s probably a great idea to ensure bedrooms are placed as far away as possible from communal areas so that there’s less chance of disturbing someone’s sleep if other people in the house are still up. Think also about how you and your family use your home. Where do you tend to gather? If it’s the kitchen it’s probably best to have an open plan living space that encourages flow between the dining, kitchen and living rooms.

Maximise natural light

For a bright and vibrant custom built Gold Coast home, consider how you can increase natural light. This might be with the addition of skylights which can increase natural light by up to 30% (when compared to vertical windows). Think about morning and afternoon light and whether you’re someone who likes to watch the sunset from your deck (face your deck west) or enjoy the morning light over breakfast (place your living room or balcony in the east).