{"id":7070320,"date":"2026-09-30T18:10:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T18:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7070320"},"modified":"2026-09-30T18:10:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T18:10:20","slug":"where-i-spent-and-saved-building-an-energy-efficient-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7070320","title":{"rendered":"Where I Spent and Saved Building an Energy Efficient Home"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Building an energy efficient home doesn\u2019t mean spending more money on absolutely everything.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest things I learnt building our home was where spending more would actually make a difference<\/strong>, and where it wouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Our home achieved an 8.3 star NatHERS rating<\/strong>, but we certainly didn\u2019t choose the most expensive option at every turn. I\u2019ve shared more about how we achieved the rating in Building an 8 Star Energy Efficient Home<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now that we actually live here, these are the areas where I think spending more was worth it, and where I\u2019m glad we saved.<\/p>\n

WHERE I SPENT MORE<\/h2>\n

Double glazed windows<\/h3>\n

This was absolutely somewhere I was prepared to spend more.<\/p>\n

We used double glazing throughout, but it wasn\u2019t simply about buying better windows. Their size, placement, orientation and shading were all considered as part of the design.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s little point paying for high performing windows and then putting huge expanses of glass in all the wrong places.<\/p>\n

Would I spend the money again? Absolutely.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Insulation<\/h3>\n

Insulation isn\u2019t particularly exciting when you\u2019re choosing all the beautiful parts of a new home, but once the walls are closed up, you don\u2019t get another easy opportunity to improve it.<\/p>\n

We used R2.3 under the slab, R2.7 in the external walls and R6 in the ceiling<\/strong>, plus acoustic insulation internally in selected areas.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s money you don\u2019t see, but you definitely experience once you live in the house.<\/p>\n

Airtightness<\/h3>\n

Another thing nobody sees!<\/p>\n

We used a quality Pro Clima building wrap and paid attention to sealing and taping the house.<\/p>\n

Good insulation is only part of the equation. Reducing uncontrolled air leakage helps the whole building envelope perform better.<\/p>\n

For me, this was worth spending money on while we had the opportunity.<\/p>\n

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Orientation<\/h3>\n

This one didn\u2019t necessarily cost us more, but it may be one of the most valuable decisions we made.<\/p>\n

Our main living areas face north and open onto a northern courtyard, allowing us to take advantage of winter sun while controlling the harsher summer sun.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re still designing your floor plan, get this right before worrying about finishes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Good orientation is free once the house is built.<\/p>\n

Solar<\/h3>\n

Our house is all electric and we installed a 13kW solar system<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It was a considerable upfront investment, but I wanted to think beyond the cost of building and consider what the house would cost us to run for years afterwards.<\/p>\n

WHERE I SAVED<\/h2>\n

Fewer downlights<\/h3>\n

I didn\u2019t want a ceiling covered in downlights, so we used lighting much more deliberately.<\/p>\n

Wall lights, pendants and task lighting give us light where we actually need it, while also making the house feel much nicer at night.<\/p>\n

Less technology<\/h3>\n

I didn\u2019t want to rely on expensive technology to make a poorly designed house perform better.<\/p>\n

The fundamentals came first:<\/p>\n

Orientation. Insulation. Glazing. Shading. Airtightness. Cross ventilation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Technology can complement a good house, but I don\u2019t think it should have to compensate for a bad one.<\/p>\n

A simpler material palette<\/h3>\n

You don\u2019t need an expensive finish on every surface.<\/p>\n

I repeated materials and colours throughout our house, then chose particular areas where I wanted to spend more.<\/p>\n

This helped keep the house cohesive while allowing us to put more of the budget into the things that would actually affect its performance.<\/p>\n

WHERE SHOULD YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re building an energy efficient home on a budget, I wouldn\u2019t start with:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat energy efficient products should I buy?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019d start with:<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can I make the house itself work harder?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get the floor plan and orientation right first. Then concentrate your budget on insulation, glazing, airtightness and shading.<\/p>\n

Some of the best decisions we made aren\u2019t the things people notice when they walk through our front door.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re the things we notice every day when we live here<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where I think the money is worth spending.<\/p>\n

Planning an energy efficient home?<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve put everything I learnt designing and building our 8.3 star NatHERS rated home<\/strong> into my Energy Efficient Home Guide.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s designed to help you make smarter decisions before you build, when those decisions can make the biggest difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n