How to Design a Home that Creates Community

There's something you probably don't know about me, but I thought this is a good place to be real with you... 🙈

I wanted to share with you why I added 'Community Design Consultations' to my business, instead of only doing one to one design consultations with everyone....and it has to do with what I have personally gone through...maybe you can relate!

My husband and I don't have much close family around us, most of our immediate family lives outside of Sydney or overseas. Aaaand.... with Sydney prices skyrocketing, 🚀 and us planning to have kids, we craved for that close-knit community.

We looked at buying land with friends, or buying a house that could have others living in it with their own entrance (such as a dual occupancy) that we could rent out. We would choose someone we got along with to be our dear neighbors.

That's why I now provide 'Community Design Consultations'.... because if you are in the same boat as us, you might also consider buying and designing a property either with friends, or having extra space for others that you could create long term friendships with in the future and share the financial load of the property.

If you are interested about what this would look like, keep reading.

If you can't keep up with Sydney house prices and desire a close-knit community around you, I think you'll enjoy reading more about it here.

I share:

-Design tips for community style living (without affecting your privacy!)

-Some local council rules that might apply

-Mindset shifts and possibilities around community living for the future of housing

This would apply to you if you're:

-A mum who wants support and community

-A business owner who needs to connect to other business owners

-A couple with kids whose parents don't live nearby

-An elderly person seeking to live with family or others

Housing prices are skyrocketing in Sydney, more so after the pandemic hit, they are actually predicted to rise more than wages next year!

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that weekly wages rose by 2.2% nationally over this year, while house prices boomed by a massive 21.9% annually.

The median house price in Sydney in 1981 was $78,900 which was 5 times the national full time average annual earnings of $15,800. In 2021, the median house price in Sydney is 1.3 million - this is 14 times the average income!

I tell you this so you can look at alternative ways to get yourself or your kids into the property market. The future of housing could be different in a world where people are craving more connection after long lockdowns and travel bans, and where housing prices keep going up.

Imagine how this could work if you were a new parent and had your friend next door, another parent. You would both be on maternity/paternity leave and would help each other out with your kids and responsibilities, while having another adult to talk to right next door! I get how difficult it is for parents to get the kids out the door, I know a lot of parents that miss out on connecting to others because it gets too hard with their children's routines.

Imagine if you were a small business owner and you just needed to bounce ideas off another small business owner - you would support one another and work so well together, you would start to create partnerships and referral programs with each other!

Imagine if you were a couple with kids sharing this crazy season with another couple together, all the highs and lows, in close proximity!

And finally, imagine if you were an elderly person, living in a multigenerational home, living adjacent to your loved ones!

Three Design Tips

Now that I have covered some ideas and got you thinking this COULD be a possibility, I have included three design tips to consider if you purchase a property to include others while still maintaining your privacy:

1. Separate entries and exits to the property

If the occupancies are on top of each other, one entry can located via stairs, and the other via the side on the ground level. The stairs entry can either be external or internal- depending on how much overlap you require with the other occupiers. I suggest designing an area at the front of the stairs where conversations can occur. This would be instead of only having stairs with no space to mingle. Sometimes the most meaningful conversations happen at the entry, and it is worth considering this space in a dual occupancy property. This area could include plants, mailboxes and a sheltered delivery area. I also suggest having additional side entries to the property.

2. Think about which spaces you would like to share and which ones you would like to keep private and separate. You might share a studio workspace together; this could be beneficial if you are business owners desiring this. You might want to share an area where your kids can play together, or your babies can crawl throughout, whether it be an indoor or outdoor area.

3. Think about minimum size of spaces that you are comfortable with. Adding another occupier in the property might mean reducing the overall sizes of rooms or having less number of rooms. Make sure you follow residential design guidelines - something your architect can help you with.

Local Council Regulations

Finally, a bit of precaution here, make sure you are following local council rules! You would not want to end up with a development application that is rejected.

Please make sure you check local council rules, your architect can also check this for you. There are instances where you cannot have a second oven in the property of a dual occupancy (two properties on one lot of land.)

Sometimes real estate agents talk about possibilities of renovating a property to create a dual occupancy - however if you check the local guidelines there are strict kitchen regulations.

You might get around the rules by adding a BBQ outside or a benchtop oven, but you should always check that this is okay. If there are any issues with a second oven, you might need to consider including someone who won't be cooking much or coming to an arrangement to cook and dine together in a shared kitchen and dining area.

Another item to check is the building heights. Sometimes you can add a second floor to your property even if the surrounding houses are all one level high. The council rules might have been updated and houses in the area might not have been renovated or knocked down since the updates.

So there you have it! If this makes you consider creating a 'community' type project with your land or property, or even if you would like to learn more, feel free to contact me. I am here to help you achieve your property dreams!

Talk soon,

Linette