What you need to know to future proof your home

 It’s fair to say that the world has gone through a period of accelerated change in recent years. Aside from the significant impacts of COVID, the effects of climate change are becoming more evident and, as countries around the world look for alternatives to fossil fuels, many homeowners are beginning to understand the implications at home, in the form of rising energy prices and greater weather extremes.

For those contemplating renovating or completely rebuilding from scratch, the idea of future proofing your home is beginning to take hold. But what does it mean to create a home for the future?

In general terms, a future-proofed home is one that is designed for longevity, with enough flexibility and sustainability built into it to provide residents with a comfortable lifestyle for decades to come. This means creating spaces that are not only comfortable to live in but have low running costs without the need to dramatically upgrade or alter aspects over time.

For some, that can entail embracing new technologies, which may come with substantial upfront costs, while for others, the focus is very much on design.

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 Architect Caroline Pidcock says the beauty of future proofing through design is that anyone building or renovating can take steps to make it part of the construction process. Whether you  plan to stay put or you have one eye on resale, she says the principles of a sustainable lifestyle still apply.

“There are three things anyone can do, whether or not you’re embarking on a major building project,” she says. 

“Firstly, make sure the external building envelope is as well sealed and insulated as possible. Secondly, we need to understand and work with the sun – where we want it and don’t want it – and work with it to capture its energy for our own use.”

The third measure, she says, is to step away from fossil fuels such as coal-fired power and gas, towards renewable sources of electricity.

“You should totally electrify your home,” she says. “Having a gas cooktop is like having a smoker in your home. If we totally electrify and make the building envelope as efficient as possible, we’re on the way to future proofing.”

In terms of design, Pidcock says it’s time to rethink the open plan living model in favour of more flexible spaces that can be opened up and closed down to allow for more efficient heating and cooling as well as better thermal and acoustic comfort for everyone.

“We need to rethink how much space we need,” she says. 

“That might mean the end of the open plan living dream. Adding doors is good from a thermal and acoustic point of view and the ability to close or open the spaces as you need them. 

“That flexibility of space is useful and important.”

For Dr Trivess Moore, senior lecturer in RMIT’s School of Property, Construction and Project Management in Melbourne, the focus is very much on the ability of current housing stock to cope with the climate extremes many Australians are already experiencing.

“The majority of existing and new housing in Australia is not suitable for performing in our current climate,” he says. “This means we have a high reliance on mechanical heating and cooling to stay thermally comfortable, resulting in high energy consumption and bills. 

“The majority of the housing stock performs between 1.5 to 3 stars on a scale of zero (worst) to 10 (best). In some cases, households will find their housing unliveable for periods of time if we see climate change much further.”

Government regulation, such as the Building Sustainability Index (Basix) legislation introduced in NSW in 2004, has gone some way to make new housing stock more future proofed, says Moore, as have rebates to encourage Australians to take up renewable energies such as solar panels. The result is that one in three Australian households have installed solar panels, according to figures from the Clean Energy Regulator, the highest domestic uptake rate in the world. 

While battery storage systems are still prohibitively expensive for many, all indicators are that they will be a necessary part of any future proofed home, thanks to their ability to store energy from renewables to be used on demand.

Managing diretor of Qcells Australia, Jin Han says the sooner you can install a storage battery, the sooner you can make the most from solar energy supplies generated on your own property. He says there are options for those who would like to avoid the initial outlay.

“This can be addressed with green loans and financing,” Han says. 

Qcells has partnered with Arcstream financing, allowing homeowners to bundle monthly payments with their energy plan. 

“For example, before solar your bill is $200 per month, add solar and battery and energy plan with no upfront payment, and pay $180 per month consistently, and be paying off an asset that you then own.”

Even some volume home builders are now offering battery storage packages and EV charging points.

Managing director of Volkswagen Group, Paul Sansom says once drivers move past concerns about ‘range anxiety’ for their cars, homes and residences equipped with EV charging stations will quickly become more desirable.

“Neither new houses nor new apartment buildings will be feasible without easy access to renewable EV charging; no more so than a home without internet access,” he says.

Further proof that the future of living is already here.