Owning a property in Wollongong comes with the bonus of beach views in a spacious retreat from Sydney's expensive, high-stress atmosphere for a fraction of the price.
Whether your beach house is used as a holiday home, investment, rental property or family relocation, thoughtful design choices can enhance natural light features and coastal surroundings to improve overall home value and enjoyment.
Wollongong has a subtropical climate, being so close to the ocean. Temperatures in summer vary between 28°C to 17°C, and feel much colder in winter due to strong ocean breezes. This all impacts the design of your home and the need for a quality local builder who can match your home's architecture with the environment so you and your family can enjoy a bright, airy living space in the warmer months, and an insulated interior for other chilly periods.
Nonetheless, residents on the south coast enjoy a stable and pleasant environment compared to the rest of the country. Emphasising natural light in the design of your dream home allows you to enjoy the panorama of the landscape: gorgeous whites and blues of the horizon peering through your window, while also increasing your vitamin D.
Moreover, you'll find the quality of your sleep improving by living closer to the beach, as sea air is typically cleaner and has higher oxygen levels than inland air. Sea air and good sleep help maintain serotonin levels, allowing elevation of your mental health and general mood. Such a close connection to nature has visual and physical health benefits, increasing your property's overall aesthetic appeal.
To enhance ocean views, you want a house layout that maximises the brightness and tranquil lifestyle of your surrounding environments.
As a rough guide, floor-to-ceiling windows, large windows and sliding glass doors will offer you and your friends uninterrupted views of the coastline, especially when coupled with an open floor plan, balconies, decks, veranda or a patio.
Furthermore, take advantage of the tranquility of your vista in your interior design with colour palettes and materials that allow for a bright, seamless reflection throughout the property. Glass, mirrors and light-coloured surfaces on walls, doors, and various well-used rooms like the kitchen, create a façade where the interior matches the beauty and essence of the seaside. Even if it's grey outside, your living spaces will still have the ambience of a beach haven.
Unless any structural issues arise during your renovation or home build, there's no reason you can't increase the amount of natural light in your Wollongong home, even if the land it's on is not right on the beach.
Want more sustainable inclusions and styling ideas for your Illawarra home? Turn your attention to the following green features in your house plans that will minimise your emissions through passive solar designs without detracting from the beach vibe.
Double-glazing or tinting windows are popular methods across Australia to reduce energy bills and consumption. Window tinting reflects and absorbs solar power, blocking 80% of heat entering your home during the Australian summer, and acts as an insulating barrier during winter to retain warmth.
Alternatively, double-glazing is when two panes of glass are separated by a layer of gas to minimise heat transfer between panes, thereby creating a more regulated and constant year-long indoor temperature.
Passive solar design involves design processes that leverage the sun’s heat to reduce energy consumption without reducing the amount of light entering the home. These design principles will similarly increase energy efficiency with features tailored to the Wollongong environment, including high airflow, lighter colour palettes on the roof, windows and walls, insulation, an airtight design, and purposeful attention to the house's orientation.
In Wollongong, living areas to the north and bedrooms and service areas to the south. Likewise, north-facing windows maximise solar gains in coastal climates.
As a team of local builders with decades of building experience in the Illawarra region, A Class Building & Construction knows what approach is needed to get the most out of your Wollongong beach view and natural sunlight with a personal touch.
We're passionate about our commitment to building high-quality home designs that are both eco-friendly and meet the specific needs of homeowners. Give us a call today at 0414 183 503 for all your questions answered by the home builders you can trust.
