Many people dream about owning an acreage property at some point in their lives, for some people the dream becomes a reality. GW Homes have been helping families realise their dream acreage home since 1966. GW Homes has several pre-design homes specifically for acreage and can also custom design and build your dream acreage home.
What is an acreage?
Acreage size can range from one acre to 20,000 acres. For some perspective, an acre is roughly 4,047 square metres. Compared to the average 200 – 350 square metre block in Australia, 20,000 acres represents a huge chunk of dirt. Many Australian acreages are located on the outskirts of big cities or in rural areas and come in a wide range of sizes.
Why build and acreage home?
Acreage living is all about giving yourself the space and freedom to live your life your way. Some people refer to it as rural or country living, but that’s not necessarily the case. There are plenty of acreage plots of land not too far from major population centres too.
Whether you want to escape to the country or stay a bit closer to the city, acreage living is all about lifestyle. Wide, open plots of land with beautiful views and the space to do everything you love. Acreage living doesn’t mean farming either. Of course, all that extra land gives you the option to raise livestock and be a bit more self-sufficient, but it’s not essential.
What are the things to look out for when building and acreage property?
Knowledge is very important when building an acreage property and its very important to be aware of the hidden risks of acreage properties.
Potential risks can include:
- Chemical contamination of land and/or water
- Livestock diseases that may be present in an area
- Plant diseases and pests may be an issue
- Land usage rights can affect what you can use your property for or what outside parties can do on your property
- You may be required by law to control noxious weeds, animals and/or insects
- Drought may make water sources dry up or create severe bushfire danger
Uncovering potential acreage pitfalls can be challenging as vendors may not be required by law to disclose them.
When looking for your dream acreage property, we’d recommend working with professionals. Find a real estate agent who specialises in acreage properties in your area.
Practical points to consider
Some acreage properties don’t have immediate access to emergency services and may be in high wind or bushfire zones. Make sure you ask us when you’re considering if they are experienced with these special requirements.
Bushfire zones & wind ratings
If your acreage is in a registered Bushfire Prone Area (BPA), your build will require special management and build specifications. You may have to use specific fireproofing materials such as fire-rated glass, metal and timbers. Also, if your acreage property is positioned high on a ridge or in an exposed area, your home will be subject to a higher wind rating, which means it will require additional engineering
Access to services
Firstly, you need to know whether your acreage has access to power, water and sewerage, and if you need to arrange connection. If you have to extend power a long way from the road or organise installation, it’s important to budget for these costs. Also, if your site doesn’t have a sewerage system, you may need to allow for a Home Sewage Treatment Plant.
Home Sewage Treatment Plant (HSTP)
In many cases, a HSTP system is required on acreage blocks. Put simply, a HSTP is like a mini sewer plant on your lot. It will be installed in a designated area of your yard away from your home where sewer and grey water are treated before they are safely dispersed onto the lawn or garden.
Water Tank
Depending on whether you can access water in your estate, you may be required to have a water tank on your property.
A water tank and HSTP system do come with some benefits. In some estates you may not be required to pay water rates, plus you can save money on watering your yard.
Driveway
In some cases, you may need to have your home ‘setback’ further from the road, meaning the length of your driveway will increase in size from a standard residential block. We will assist with this when siting your home on your block.
Whatever your plan is for your acreage home, GW Homes can help, from land selection to the perfect home design. To view all GW Homes acreage homes plans and designs, click here. To get in touch with a Building and Design consultant, click here.
