In years gone by, homes on rural property were really only the domain of those in the agricultural and farming industries. Farmland was exactly that – land to operate a farm on. These days, many people from all walks of life are looking to pack up and move to the country, so to speak. Escaping the hustle and bustle of cities and suburbs is becoming far more common, and with this comes new expectations around what actually constitutes a farmland home.
There’s something incredibly beautiful about purchasing an open space of land and building your new home, and life, there. Some prefer flat, open spaces while others want to be overlooking gorgeous valleys and rolling hills. Whatever your preference, the actual home design itself should be of utmost importance.
Older farmstead homes have been around for a long time, and aren’t necessarily fitted with all the modern conveniences expected by those making a move from the city to a rural area. This has seen an increase in the number of incredible contemporary homes being built on rural properties, and all of them are unique in their own way.
Here’s a few things you should consider for great rural home design. After all, it’s your dream home, so you want it to be amazing!
Designed to Suit Your Lifestyle
Most importantly, any new home should be designed with your lifestyle in mind. Whether you’re looking to relax in retirement or move to some open acreage to start a family, your home should reflect that. Of course, budget always needs to be a consideration but that’s about the only limits you have.
Rural farmland property gives you so much space to work with, so you can truly design a home that suits your needs. In terms of the internal design, you’ll need to consider whether you want things to be open plan or not. Most modern homes do use open-plan designs because there are many benefits, but it needs to suit your family. If you know your living areas will be used for different noisy activities, obviously you may want to reconsider how open plan you go.
Outside, you have a huge amount of space to work with. This lets you consider things like sheds, storage areas, outdoor dining and entertainment areas, and of course landscaping. As many people do, if you’re looking to take advantage of the land and grow your own food, think about where the best garden areas are, and how you can design the layout to make life easy for yourself.
External Beauty from All Angles
In a standard suburban home setting, most people only consider the front of the house from a cosmetic beauty point of view. Of course, the rest is important, but the view from the street is most people’s major concern. In a rural setting though, the whole of the house is often on display.
This is where professional builders and home designers can really help you harness the surroundings and give your home a touch of beauty from all angles. You’ll need to consider how things like sheds and other external buildings play into the aesthetics of your home. Even the driveways, gardens and landscaping – this becomes more important around the entire home, not just the front.
Rural homes aren’t like your standard house and land packages, so you need to make sure you consider every angle in your new home design.
Make Your Home Part of the Landscape
One very important thing to remember when building rural homes in New Zealand is you’ve got a lot of space to work. You also no doubt have a beautiful landscape as the backdrop. Beautiful home design should work with that landscape, making your home part of the picture. Nobody wants to build an eyesore in the middle of a beautiful, picturesque setting.
Working with expert home builders will help you achieve maximum synergy with your surroundings, taking into account everything from the contours of your land to the views on offer. You want your home positioned perfectly to take advantage of all the beautiful scenery.
You can also make your home part of the landscape by choosing the right colours. There’s an elegant way for your home to stand out without looking garish, and expert designers will understand this. For example, if you’re surrounded by beautiful trees, you don’t want a dark home that blends into the backdrop. But you also won’t want bright yellow walls. Working with the natural elements, you will be able to create a home that remains part of the beautiful landscape for years to come.
Sustainable and Functional Design
Sustainability is high on everybody’s list these days, especially in the business of building new homes. It makes sense that you would want your footprint to be as small as possible, not to mention cost effective. Without question, rural home design gives you even more opportunities for sustainable living, so this should be considered during design.
Firstly, there is functional sustainability to consider. This includes most importantly the home’s orientation in relation to the sun. Your home should be positioned to capture as much natural light and warmth as possible. You can do the same with ventilation if you know where most of the breeze comes from in the area.
Also, you’ll definitely want to consider other sustainable living options. Being in a large open space gives you plenty of opportunity to access green energy sources, particularly solar or even wind power. But there’s many other things to consider such as waste treatment and water tanks. All of these things make your home functional, sustainable and offer long-term cost efficiencies.
Make Sure You Love Your New Home
Most of all, you need to make sure you love your home design. From traditional styles with that country charm through to modern designs with architectural flair, it needs to be something you love. Here at Stonewood, our experts work closely with you, taking all of your preferences into account. It’s our job to design a rural home that works with the landscape, suits your lifestyle, and adds to the natural beauty of your property.
We’d love to start the conversation and find out how we can help with your dream home. Contact us today, and our friendly team will arrange a time discuss your unique needs.
