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Hi Gill -

When building a large new house is it cheaper to build on one level or two. Does the size of the footprint of the house make a difference when it comes to price?

We are looking to combine with another couple building a house together. Neither of us can do it on our own and we had planned a 2 storey house with large living spaces on the ground floor incorporating kitchen, living room, dining room, and a library/office and 6 rooms on the second floor being a large bedroom with w/i robe and ensuite each, a spare room each, spare bathroom and a small sitting room each. This to be built in a large U shape with the central portion as an glass atrium. The main building material would be glass as we all like lots of windows, sliding doors etc and maybe hebel.

We are still in the planning stage and have not purchased a section yet as there are 4 houses to be sold first. The land will be flat and the area still to be sorted. Could be anywhere from the Wairarapa to North Otago, depending on price and size availability.

Cheers
Denise

Hi Denise -

The house sounds fabulous. I think it is a very good idea.

It would be cheaper to build two storey as you have one roof and one set of footings

A couple of things you may wish to consider – noise transference from room to room upstairs especially if you have visitors with children to stay; noise transference between the floors if you use tiles; how to split the maintenance costs; how to dividi up the proceeds if you have to sell in a hurry, or if one partner dies. What happens if two don’t like the new partner? Or each other’s friends. And if you have sky – is it two decoders? But these are the least of your worries at the building stage. May be upstairs each need a cup of tea making space etc so you don’t have to constantly be in the same kitchen together.

I saw a fabulous house in Cairns (and can get photos if you wish or maybe a floor plan) it was a single level house for two sisters. Central core with the plumbing etc and each had a kitchen and living space and bedroom and bathroom, but a huge communal deck and pool. Each sister has privacy and shared space and seems to work well. Architect designed house.

It is always a good idea to have your concept plan and final working drawings quantity surveyed so you know you are on track budget wise prior to building commencement.

Gill Warren – ps let us know how it progresses


Hi Gill
What is the better forms of heating? is it Heat pumps or DVS, or storage types of heating? What in your view is the most economical? which is the most efficient?

Kiaora
Na Rawiri


Hi Rawiri
Thanks for your seasonal appropriate question. It is homework time for you and anyone else considering their options for household heating.

You have to determine the following, then go to the various suppliers to determine lifecycle costings of the various choices. Get in writing from them:
1 the costs to supply
2 installation costs
3 expected performance
4 running costs
5 life expectancy for the product

The information these suppliers need to be able to help you make an informed choice are:

1 the location of the property within the country
2 the aspect of the house – how much sun it receives
3 which rooms in the house receive sun and for how long
4 the age and construction type of dwelling
5 extent of your existing insulation (having the house insulated is paramount)
6 is the house being built, or existing
7 extent of glazing, and ability to harness passive solar energy, and window treatments to capture and hold heating your create
8 flooring materials (to determine if you have a heat sink)
9 you must know the temperature of where you live now, and what the costs are for you to maintain that temperature. (Complaints against heat pumps are often are regarding running costs, but it is likely people use the pump to have a much warmer house than they had prior to installation.) Is your inside house temperature in winter 16 degrees which is the World Health Organization recommendation?

Of the three options you have selected, heat pumps are probably the cheapest of all electrical options to run – BUT the efficient depends on firstly the experience of the installer, secondly the capacity of the model you chose (they work best run at low) and the new generation models seem to have less problems than those installed 4-5 years ago. Fans can be adjusted if noise is an issue.

DVS is a brand of forced air ventilation system – and the above information is required for you to make a decision as to its usefulness for you. Look at 14 June 2006 Consumer (try the library or buy on line) for full information on the different types available.

Storage heating uses power at lower night time rates to heat oil or bricks which release the heat the next day. You will have to check with your power supplier to see if you need an extra meter fitted to know much energy you are using (and therefore chargeable at a lower rate).

Electricity is the cheapest, easiest to use and greenest form of fuel but you are dependent upon constant supply. My suggestion is (depending upon where you live) you have a mix of options to cater for any unforeseen circumstances such as erratic or interrupted power supply.

The heat from the sun is free but to harness it, you need large north facing windows, and a heat sink floor, a method to contain the heat (curtains etc) plus a back up supply to warm the rooms which receive little or no sun, and to supplement this passive form of heating.

Let us know what you chose and why.
Thanks
Gill Warren
Designer, interiors and landscapes



Hi Gill -

What should we plant in an area which has:

Poor
Dry
Stony soil
Not much sun
To match with three maples – one red and two orange/yellow dwarf

Response from Gill Warren:

I think the challenge is to “tie the area together” with mass plantings.

Also to have something doing its thing when the maples are leafless.

How is your budget?

For instance Renga Renga lilies are great as they mass well, cope with the dry and are ok with limited sun, and are cheap to buy and easy to propagate.

However, they can look tatty if they are not groomed periodically, and can be prone to snails.

On the other hand, Clivia miniata are robust, need no grooming, work in the same conditions ( will sulk for first year) have orange flowers in winter when not much else is around but they are much more expensive to buy. Is that a problem? Should not be in the long term as they are a long term plant, but budget may be a consideration.

So

1 - tie the front edge together (and these can flow into other areas to get some continunity with the rest of the garden) with Liriope muscari (white or blue flowers) and Bergenia white
This means you have a fine strap leaf and a broad leaf edging.
2 – use ground covers to be lowish plantings of ground cover camellias (winter action) – check if Camellia quintescence
2 – as above Ajuga reptans “Catlins Giant” – this will spread but not a bad thing re budget and no care etc – shorter than camellias
- and Clivia miniata
3 – add shrub layer of Daphne odora (fragrance, pink flowers, hardy and no care required), mixed with Asplenium bulbiferium (Hen and chicken fern) (so you have round and ferny leaves)
4 – any taller shrubs required, use Pieris which is of the same family as the camellia but wont get too big. Also hydrangeas for summer flowering if there is space, and Loropetalum – can be red leaves and flowers, or cream flowering with green leaves. They are slow but very pretty shape.

Thanks



Dear Gill

I have an old house with a concrete yard and driveway that is starting to crackup in places and my husband who is 83 now is not able to start reconcreteing it again. We have an established garden with shrubs and trees which we enjoy as the native birds, like tuis, bellbird and wood-pigeon come to visit. What would your sugguestion and advise to upgrade the old concrete drive and yard with at the lowest price please?. We have tried to fill in the cracks with more concrete but it just comes out after a while. My husband needs a reasonably smooth surface to walk on as he is slightly disabled with knee replacements. Hope you will be able to help. With Thanks, MyBeau


Thanks MyBeau for the question

1 - Could you rebuild only one part of the yard – make a new concrete path about 1200mm wide where your husband needs to walk.

It could be build on top of the existing drive with reinforcing in it.

If it is 1200mm wide two people can use the path at the same time.

Only pave to the car/house/interesting walking journey so he can get out and about during the day – to see the birds, get to an outdoor table etc.

2 - If you want to have a completely smooth concrete surface, cut the cracks out and fill the 200mm wide cuts with new concrete – may be more reinforcing mesh.

The rest of the drive could be broken up and just use gravel – good for security but will this work for you in the long term – what are your own future needs?

3 - Or ask the local ashphalt contractors if they can cover over the concrete with ashphalt. Ask when they are in the area so it is a little add on job for them in terms of time and equipment to your site.

Let us know what you do.

Thanks for the question
Gill Warren


Colour scheme for Mediterranean styled home – Auckland

Hi -

I have an older style home in a suburb of Auckland – the house faces south over Auckland’s harbour.

While the house is Greek in style, it has a bush setting rather than seaside and I am confused as to what colour to paint the trim.

I have recently painted the house white and now need colours for finish the timber trims.

Help please. MJ, Auckland



Hi MJ

You have a fabulous home which deserves a great colour scheme.

Traditionally Mediterranean styled properties have great contrasts and as you rightly observe the Greek Palette (white and brilliant blue) is less appropriate for a bush setting in NZ.

Your harbour vista would often be blue/grey and our bush is green/grey so “muddy” coloured trims would meld with the surrounds and shell/ concrete entry landscape. Perhaps the brights could be reserved for the planter boxes and bourganvillea on the fences. Orange/blue Strelitzia reginae (bird of paradise) in terracotta pots would enhance the terracotta tiled entry way. Pick up the blue theme with one or three bright blue glazed pots (and planter boxes) with orange Arctotis or gazanias (drought tolerant South African plantings).

Paint the garage doors, exposed roof beams, window joinery and architraves, gate frame, fences, trellis, balustrades
Resene William G55-026-190 (grey green)

Paint the gate, reveals of thickened walls, reveal of garage cutout, in Resene Waikawa Grey B56-043-263 (grey blue)

Paint the side door into the garage white as it is not a feature to enhance

MJ – this colour scheme is relatively “quiet” but will allow the unusual architecture to shine. The plantings and pots which give it a “wow”

bulk – white (as bulk of house is now white)
2/5 William (grey green)
1/5 Waikawa (grey blue)

Gill Warren - DesignfortheWise
Email Gill
Designer – interiors and landscapes

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