Building on sloping blocks comes with challenges, and this is discouraging many people from purchasing sloping plots or building on sloping plots. Still, these challenges can be managed to produce rewarding and beautiful building results. One challenge many believe is particular to sloping plots is the building cost, especially from the hired builders. However, the costs are low when you opt for a builder with experience in sloping plots.
The less experienced home builders might have the resume to prove they are competent, but the lack of experience with sloping blocks home design requires them to stick to the basics, which involves losing sloping plains to obtain a leveled plot for building. On the other hand, experienced builders identify the opportunities in sloping blocks and use the plot’s irregularities to their advantage, thus, saving costs in the process. Hence, to help minimize cost when building on a sloping plot, you must identify some mistakes that can occur; they are outlined in this article.
Here are some issues to consider when building on a sloping block:
1: Never mark down the option of a slopping block
One attractive trait about buildings is that the most exciting building in the block of buildings is the one built on a sloping plot. It all depends on your builder’s level of experience. A builder with much experience on sloping plots optimizes the slop in Ng features on the plot to get the best building design, and these designs can be far better than when constructed on a leveled plot. Hence, one mistake you should avoid is marking down the option of building on a sloping block because, most times, you get exquisite designs on those blocks for a cheaper fee than building on a leveled plot.
2: Selection of builder
As mentioned earlier, how well you get the best from a sloping plot depends on the builder you hire; thus, it is a mistake you must avoid. The mistake is hiring the wrong builder for your sloping block because only then does your fear of extravagant building costs becomes real. You want a builder who designs and constructs a building that adapts to the plot’s shortcomings, making the shortcomings a strength for the building. A straight-from-the-book builder will work by the book; thus, opting for a custom builder with proven experience with sloping blocks should be a plus.
3: Orientation
- A house with excellent design credentials is solar efficient, as it considers the sun in its orientation to give it an attractive appeal and more. Hence, the building should be such that it is oriented to offer an outstanding appeal from the inside and outside and must be solar efficient. For these qualities to be achieved, the builder considers the direction of the slope and chooses the location of living areas with this consideration.
Note that the home’s orientation influences the general experience the home offers. While considering all the factors, the correct orientation provides a cost-effective home where comfort is guaranteed, and you will not need to spend extra to get comfort. Many compromises characterize the wrong orientation (a mistake to avoid) to ensure comfort. Still, the point to have in mind is orientation is more important than view as the passive solar gain saves you money on electricity bills on heating and also ensures your comfort.
4: Slope
As hinted earlier, the plot’s slope is considered when deciding on the building to be constructed. The slope is crucial for the building design, where the approach will be situated, and more. Hence, you must pay attention to the slope and work with an experienced builder to use the plot’s slope for the best results possible.
5: Rock
A mistake many builders make is ignoring the existence of rocks in a sloping plot; thus, they make excavations that could have been avoided to save costs. Rocks exist in sloping plots, just a short distance from the ground surface (in-depth). Hence, the designs should be flexible enough to adapt to the rocks present in the plot.
6: Foundation
One mistake on foundations, mainly sloping blocks, is either digging to get a leveled plain for the foundation or raising the foundation above the ground to achieve a leveled plain. These approaches make building on sloping plots expensive, and this should not be. The foundation used for the plot should be suitable; thus, there are better options than excavating to specific depths or elevating to specific heights, which is a mistake to avoid.
7: It is not a house but a home
Avoid building a house and strive for a home. A home is beyond the blocks laid on the plot, as it considers the homeowner and how comfortable they are in the building. Hence, you should work closely with your builder to achieve a home and leave no stone unturned when it concerns what you want in your home. Plus, avoiding this mistake ensures you avoid future hassles that can demand unplanned expenses in your home.
Design Alternatives for Sloping Blocks
An experienced builder who is knowledgeable on excellent techniques for building on sloping blocks and for cost-effective solutions to produce beautiful and satisfactory results. Here is a range of design alternatives to choose from when building on a sloping block:
1: Blocks rising from the road
For a block rising from the road, the best approach is to build the building above or on a similar level to the road and a garage underneath. You can also create other rooms like a rumpus room or a study in place of the garage. The upper part of the house is the living area, as the design can be modeled after a story building, with one level on the lower end of the slope and the other on the upper end of the slope.
2: Blocks that fall from the road
For this design, the living areas can be built on a similar level to the road, and the garage or added features can be situated at the side of the building or behind it. This design can also take the form of a story building but with a split-level foundation.
3: Blocks sloping to the side
This is the cheapest design for a sloping plot but also requires the most care and attention. It features a split-level slab foundation where the loving areas are situated on an ascending or descending slope. The format is yours to decide while working closely with your builder.
Conclusion
Building on sloping blocks might look challenging, but only when treated like a typical building project will you spend more to achieve efficiency and outstanding aesthetics. Still, with the proper steps (as highlighted above), you can achieve the best results for a sloping block for much less than you think. Unique Homes is an award winning luxury home builder that specialises in Brisbane sloping block house designs. ☎ 0477 224 426.