How To Make a House Low Maintenance
How do you want to spend your evenings and weekends? Do you look forward to repainting the decking or trying to scrub stains out of your kitchen countertops?
Using durable, low-maintenance materials when building your own home can offer a lifetime of benefits as a homeowner.
Choosing a home with easy maintenance saves you time and money and enables your home to always look its best.
Repair costs are minimal and environmental benefits are an added advantage. But how can you choose a maintenance-free house?
Our expert guide provides everything you need to know to make a house low maintenance.
What Is a Low Maintenance Home?
A low maintenance home is a property that requires very little maintenance and repairs, utilising sustainable construction techniques.
Choosing strong, long-lasting materials and clever designs is crucial for an easy life! You may never need to replace the roof, or slave over the lawnmower every Sunday again!
Why Should I Choose a Low Maintenance Home?
A low-maintenance home requires less time and money spent on maintenance year after year.
The maintenance of a property in Australia costs between 1% – 2% of the property value per year. So, if your home is worth $700,000, you should expect yearly maintenance costs to reach between $7,000 – $14,000. That is an expensive yearly cost!
Choosing a low-maintenance home will dramatically reduce the amount of maintenance your home requires. Costs will plummet and your free time will skyrocket!
Some materials you choose for a low-maintenance home may also reduce the amount of energy your home uses, reducing your costs further!
How Do I Choose a Low Maintenance Home?
The simplest way to choose a low maintenance home is to make your home yourself! Choose a cunning layout and the smartest materials to enjoy your home once the build is complete.
Opting for a house and land package can ensure that you choose the best location and low-maintenance home you desire.
Your initial outlay may be more expensive as you create your home with low-maintenance features. However, over time, you will reap the rewards financially, socially, physically, and mentally.
You will have more free time on your hands to spend in the way that you wish! Manual labour tasks are reduced and the financial costs of repairs and replacements are significantly decreased.
Get a free Australian mortgage assessment today.
How Can I Make My Home Low Maintenance?
The materials used and the features adopted when building your new property can create a low-maintenance home to enjoy.
Here are the top 7 ways to make your home low maintenance:
1. A Cunning Landscape
A beautifully landscaped lawn takes a lot of work! You need to regularly trim and water your lawn at the exact times of the day and evening that work with your location’s climate.
Choosing synthetic turf and areas of hardscape will mean very little maintenance is required in the future.
You will never need to water, mow, or weed your lawn again! Your lawn will remain lush, green, and well kept without any effort from you! Include a clever irrigation system to prevent any problem spots.
Add in some low-maintenance plants for an effortless look and perfect contemporary living!
Hardscape areas may need an occasional hose down or powerwash to keep the stone looking clean. Although this low maintenance task is minimal compared to regular watering, mowing, and weeding!
2. A Forever Metal Roof
What can you expect from replacing your roof? Roofs are expensive yet are prone to leaks. You may need to replace a traditional roof in Australia every 20 years with periodic leaks a real possibility.
If you live in an Australian state that experiences harsher climates and weather conditions, your roof may need to be replaced sooner.
Choosing metal roofing for your low-maintenance home can more than double your roof’s longevity. Your home will look stylish and will provide durable armour to protect your property from the climate and wear and tear.
3. Classy Quartz
Using quartz countertops in your low-maintenance home can reduce the amount of maintenance you need to complete.
Quartz simply will not stain when you spill liquids over the countertop, reducing scrubbing times and the need for replacements.
4. Durable Hardwood Flooring
Which type of flooring do you prefer in your home? A luscious carpet or a tough hardwood?
Whilst carpet looks and feels great when it is first fitted, it is difficult to keep clean. You may find that you need to regularly employ the services of a carpet washer to keep your carpet hygienic. Even so, after a few years, a full replacement may be required.
Hardwood flooring lasts such a long time! Any mess is easy to clean up and you can maintain a hygienic and gorgeous home.
A hardwood floor is a low-maintenance material that is also extremely popular with interior designers.
Get a free Australian mortgage assessment today.
5. Easy Clean Lines
What features of your home collect the most dust? It is probably the skirting boards and any cornices inside of your rooms.
When creating your own home, opt for clean lines to reduce the need for dusting and wiping. Ensuring that dust has fewer places to build up will save you a great deal of time regularly!
6. Simple Fencing
Does your exterior fence require a yearly paint job, taking up a full weekend of your leisure time? Choose a low maintenance fence material when creating your home!
Materials such as vinyl, composite, or wrought iron last so much longer than wood. These materials rarely need maintenance and are strong enough to never need repairs.
Adopt this method when choosing materials for decking and porch flooring, using materials that offer longevity and low maintenance.
7. Vinyl Siding
Protect the outside of your home with vinyl siding. You can choose from a range of gorgeous, modern colours that will make your home stand out from the crowd!
Vinyl siding prevents the need to repaint the exterior of your home. You can easily clean vinyl siding if required, with modern materials providing waterproof, self-cleaning properties.
Whilst you will need to pay quite high installation costs, less maintenance is at your fingertips! Whilst there is no such thing as zero maintenance, lower maintenance options are available!
Can I Build a Low Maintenance Home in Australia as an Expat?
Yes, you can build a low maintenance home in Australia as an expat! Odin Mortgage brokers are experts in expat mortgages, whatever your circumstances.
We can find you a great deal on a construction loan to finance your new home build in Oz!
What Is a Construction Loan?
A construction loan is a home loan tailored to a new build. As an Australian expat, you are at no disadvantage over a resident Australian. Odin Mortgage will get you approved to buy your Australian property so you can build your own home with a construction loan.
A construction loan covers the total finance for house and land packages. Find the block of land that you want to build on and ask a qualified designer to create customised plans.
When approved, the construction loan will pay for the land purchase and then will release instalments gradually to finance the build. You will need to submit evidence to the lender that the prior construction stage has been met before the subsequent instalment is released.
You will only be charged interest on the money you have already received, however. Therefore, if you have received the finance for the land and the first build instalment, your repayments will only cover these amounts.
Repayments will increase as each instalment is released for the construction.
Can a Foreign Citizen Apply for a Home Loan in Australia?
Odin Mortgage can find the best home loans in Australia for foreign citizens as well as Aussie expats.
The process for foreign citizens to buy a home in Australia is more expensive and more complicated, however.
The Foreign Investment Review Board
You must gain approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board before being able to buy a property Downunder.
The Foreign Investment Review Board aims to maintain a fair property market for resident Australians, preventing too much foreign investment. An application to the FIRB costs $6,350 currently if the property you wish to buy is under $1 million. Fees are much higher for more expensive houses.
It is vital to apply to the FIRB if you do not hold Australian citizenship or permanent residency in Australia. Failing to do so when buying an Aussie property may result in a $3,300,000 fine and up to 10 years imprisonment.
Stamp Duty Surcharge
An additional cost for foreign citizens to pay when buying an Aussie property is the stamp duty surcharge. This cost is in addition to the standard stamp duty fees applicable to all home buyers in Australia, which vary from state to territory.
Standard stamp duty fees usually cost tens of thousands of dollars. There are exemptions in some states for first home buyers, although this is not applicable to foreign citizens.
As a foreign buyer, you will need to pay around 7% or 8% of the property value as an extra fee.
For example, a foreign buyer purchasing a $700,000 home in NSW will need to pay total stamp duty and surcharge fees of $83,110.
Check out Odin Mortgage’s Stamp Duty Calculator today and learn everything you need to know about Australian property stamp duty fees!
You simply need to enter the state or territory the property will be bought in, the value and your details. Discover instantly how much stamp duty fees and foreign buyer surcharge you will need to pay.
Get a free Australian mortgage assessment today.
Contact Odin Mortgage Today!
Get in touch now with Odin Mortgage! We can help you secure your home loan for a property in Australia, whatever your circumstances!
Discuss with us the possibility of refinancing overseas easily and quickly if you want to raise equity.
We never charge you to use our service so contact Odin Mortgage and request a call today! Our fees are recovered from the lenders who are used by our broker customers.
We will help you secure the finance to buy a home in Australia, whether you are an Aussie expat or a foreign buyer.
We are experts in securing construction loans so you can build your own home in Oz!
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a home low maintenance?
A low maintenance home requires little input from you. Build your dream home using long-lasting materials and opting for materials with synthetic and metal properties.
For existing properties, discover home renovation tips for properties in Australia and make your home low maintenance!
How can a mortgage broker help me when I live overseas?
Odin Mortgage are expert brokers in Australian home loans for Aussie Expats and foreign buyers! We will compare home loan interest rates from an array of lenders to get you the best deal.
We are armed with the latest and greatest up-to-date advice and lender deals to discover your perfect home loan. Read our FAQs today to understand who Odin Mortgage is and how we work, finding the best loan for you!
How can I find out my current borrowing power?
Use Odin Mortgage’s Borrowing Power Calculator today and discover YOUR borrowing power! Calculate how much you can borrow for a mortgage in Australia today!
You will simply need to enter your details and the details of your desired interest and loan term. Our expert calculator will tell you instantly how much you will be able to borrow on an approximate basis over the loan term!
We offer a wide range of calculator tools on the Odin Mortgage website. You can discover your likely repayment amounts by using our Australia Mortgage Repayment Calculator. Or, use the Stamp Duty Calculator to find out how much stamp duty fees are required.
Discover how you can increase borrowing capacity for your home loan and maximise how much you can borrow!
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