Your second living room – do you need it? (Building tips)

One of the things that I say to my clients is, it’s very important, once you have that three-bedroom home, that you must incorporate a second living room. Would I be right in saying so?

One of the biggest objections that we do find if we have a three or more bedroom home is, where are the kids going to go? What if we have a clash with a TV show, or when the kids get a bit older, if they’re under 10? Well, we can work with it because we’re normally together as a family, but as soon as they want their own space, if we don’t have that second living area, we’ve got a choice– we can either extend and renovate to incorporate that, or we need to move. So if you can design and develop a second living area, it always holds value in a new home.

And outdoor space– I believe the alfresco, the outdoor living space is a must. Do a good old Aussie barbecue.

Yes, yes. And look– I think one of the things that’s becoming more and more popular is the ability to use it year-round, so not just an alfresco area that’s great for the summer months, but something that you can use in winter too. So again, focusing on natural light, the aspect– a northerly aspect– to get that natural warmth through the winter months. It’s a bit nicer in there as well, but in the summer months, you don’t get a blazing westerly sun if you can avoid it, too. So something that’s universal to all seasons can really add benefit and value to a home.