3 things every lifestyle home should have
A lifestyle home is so named because it is more than a typical Kiwi house, which, as described by the Government, is a stand-alone single-family home built with a timber frame and timber veneer.
To be defined as a 'lifestyle house,' the property needs to "have one or more unique features that help improve your daily quality of life". In essence, a lifestyle home is designed to fulfil the ideal lifestyle that is personal to you.
Remember that lifestyle is perhaps less about aesthetics – for example, what roof tiles you choose – and more about improving how you and your family live and interact with the space. Essentially a lifestyle home revolves around three critical factors:
1. Attributes
2. Location
3. Wellness
Attributes
The features of your lifestyle home directly contribute to your quality of life at several levels.
A sense of peace and having fun or a good night's sleep can be improved by the features of your home's build, design, and fixtures or chattels that enhance your living experience.
For example, a sauna, spa pool or swimming pool help to add to your fun and relaxation. If you're a social person, you might find that indoor and outdoor flow, an outside BBQ area, a pizza oven or a glass extension room contribute to what makes a lifestyle property for you.
Included in considerations around the features that contribute to your lifestyle may be essentials like ventilation, heating – choosing between a fireplace and heat pump – or smart home connectivity. Automating your heating, light, entertainment systems and appliances to your preferences can make a significant improvement in how you interact with your space.
Your lifestyle may be about an ecofriendly home that minimises the property's environmental impact – or self-sufficiency, which is a home that supplies its own energy (e.g. solar power), water (e.g. rainwater), sewerage (e.g. passive wastewater systems) and even food needs.
Location
Where you live is a major contributor to the ideal lifestyle home.
Your lifestyle home may be located in a rural setting because you particularly aspire to peace and tranquillity, the smell of a farm and views of rural settings. Alternatively, your lifestyle home could be a house in suburbia with stunning sea views because looking at the sea makes you feel good. You may want to live close to beautiful, scenic walks that challenge your fitness. Alternatively, proximity to work or business may be a factor if you want to avoid the traffic.
If you have a young family, lifestyle choices may hinge on proximity to parks, childcare centres, schools and sports clubs – even local cafes and shops.
Wellness
Insulation, ventilation, heating, lighting and noise mitigation make a fundamental contribution to the wellness of yourself and your family. Nobody can enjoy a lifestyle plagued by mental health challenges, respiratory issues and allergies, to name just a few.
Your choice of everything from paint to floor tiles – even your furniture – can impact your health. For example, suppose you're a pet lover or suffer from allergies. In that case, the carpet you choose will make a significant difference to your lifestyle (sneezing and postnasal drip do not contribute to the enjoyment of lifestyle).
The ultimate aim of a lifestyle home is to be a space that works for you and your family at several levels. It should aim to enhance, improve and facilitate a better way of living by adding convenience to your life, bringing your joy and comfort and ensuring you're in the best health to enjoy it.