As vacant land in South East Queensland becomes more scarce, more and more people are choosing to build on steep or sloping blocks. And while building a home on a sloping block does bring its own challenges, the rewards can be great too.
But did you know that not every Brisbane builder has the specialist experience needed to successfully design and build on sloping blocks? Some project home builders may try and build on steep blocks, but they simply don’t have the expertise needed to get the absolute best result for their clients. There is a better way.
The GW Homes design & build team are highly experienced in building on sloping blocks right across South East Queensland. To help you get the most out of your home design for a steep site, we sat down with the expert GW Homes design team to find out the five most important things you need to know when building on a sloping block in Brisbane.
1. Have your builder inspect your sloping site before you begin
Good sloping block home design comes from having a thorough understanding of the particular sloping home site. So it really pays to make sure your builder gets ‘hands on’ with your site as the very first step in designing your home. We may also recommend having a property survey done to get the full picture of your Brisbane sloping home site.
The GW Homes team are always happy to make an on-site inspection of your sloping block. By seeing your site for ourselves, we make sure we have a great feel for the design challenges of your particular sloping site, so that we can create the best design solutions for your new home.
How do you choose the right block of land for your new home? Find out how here.
2. Balance your sloping block house design with your finances and the site’s features
To get the most out of your sloping site, it’s all about balance. Like all home builders, you’ll no doubt have financial boundaries to consider, alongside a ‘wish list’ of sloping block home design features and of course, the particular layout of the sloping site.
It’s easy to see that for inexperienced or project home builders, designing and building on a sloping site can present quite a few challenges. But for an experienced and capable sloping site builder like GW Homes, it’s just another factor taken into account with our comprehensive design service.
Sympathetic home design for your sloping site means that, instead of simply excavating into your sloping site, GW Homes may recommend a split level design, or including internal stairs within your home.
Above all, we work with your steep block, not against it. With outstanding sloping block home design, we can strike that all-important balance between design, cost, and the features of your Brisbane sloping block.
3. Think about the orientation of your sloping site
Blocks don’t all slope the same way! Does your site slope away from the road, or rise up from it? Does the block slope from left to right, or the other way around?
GW Homes will design your home to ideally suit the characteristics and particular orientation of your sloping block. For example, if your block slopes up from the road, it can make sense to place a garage underneath the front of the home. Or, if the block slopes down from the street, you might be better off with a split level home design that hugs the slope, perhaps with a rumpus room or family room at the back of the home.
4. Plan well to overcome sloping block drainage issues
Of course, with sloping land comes potential drainage problems as rainfall runoff travels over your steep block. But they’re far from insurmountable.
Clever home design and thorough planning by GW Homes can overcome any potential drainage problems before they occur.
5. Choose a specialist sloping block builder
We’ve saved the most essential consideration for last. When designing and building your dream home on a steep block, it’s so important to choose an expert sloping block builder who can help you make the most of your investment.
There are plenty of project home builders in Brisbane who’ll happily take your money and tell you they can build on a sloping block. But that’s simply not the best way to go. Building on a steep or sloping site is different – and your home design and building process needs to be handled differently.
At GW Homes we employ a specialist engineer for sloping block projects. Our building supervisors are highly experienced in managing the demands of sloping site house builds. And all our team understand how to plan your sloping site build for the most efficient, hassle-free and cost-effective outcome.
Find out more about building on a steep or sloping site today
Having a planned 6 month build turn into a 3 year slog is no fun for anyone. So to get your sloping block home design and build process off to the best start, and ensure a seamless build throughout, talk to the specialist South East Queensland sloping block builders: GW Homes.
Take the first step in designing the ideal home for your sloping site. Get in touch with GW Homes now or call us today on 07 3393 1399.
