If you have been looking into building a new home and carrying out some research to get a better understanding of what you are looking for, then you will have almost certainly come across the term passive house. Passive homes are built to an extremely high standard in a bid to make them take as little energy as possible to heat them in winter and cool them in the summer. Here are just 3 of the benefits of building a passive house in Ireland.

1: Big Savings On Energy Bills

Passive houses are designed from day one to be energy efficient and they utilise extremely high-quality components that are purpose-built for the same reason. For example, a passive house window can actually reduce heat loss by over 70% when it’s compared to a double glazed window. Combining this with the high-quality insulation that is used in the walls means that it only takes a very small amount of heating in the winter or cooling in the summer to maintain comfortable temperatures in your home. The amazing heat retention capabilities of passive homes are just the start, if you add solar panels to your home then you could be making huge energy savings in your home for many years to come.

2: Good For Your Health

As passive homes are virtually sealed shut, to meet the strict standards, they have advanced ventilation systems installed. These ventilation systems work 24 hours a day to bring in a supply of fresh air while simultaneously removing pollutants, toxins and odours before they reach unhealthy levels. The air in your home is fresh all day every day without having to extend any effort on your part. These ventilation systems also filter out pollen from outside which can be a huge bonus for anyone who suffers from hayfever.

3: Peace & Quiet

One of the most underrated benefits of building a passive house is how quiet they are when you are relaxing inside. The level of insulation is so high that it greatly reduces the noises that come in from outside and make it possible to enjoy peace and quiet in your home. This is especially true when your home is in an urban area or next to a busy road and can greatly increase your enjoyment of your home.

There are so many reasons to build a passive home when building a new home for your family. You make big savings on heating bills, the constant flow of fresh air and filtration of toxins can be good for your health and you can relax peacefully in your home even when you’re living in a busy and noisy area. Thinking about building a passive house? Book a consultation with Sigma Homes today!

If you have come to the decision that it’s time to build your own house from the ground up, it can seem like a daunting task. There are so many steps and decisions laid out in front of you that are crucial in determining how you want to spend your time living in your new home and how it can work with you to complement your lifestyle. Here are 4 things to consider when building a new home.

1: What Are The Key Features You Need?

Every home, just like every person, is different. Arriving to your first meeting with your builder/architect armed with a comprehensive list of the key features you require of your new build is a great way to get off to the best possible start. Maybe you need a drive in garage with enough space for a 4×4, an open plan kitchen and a home theatre room. Communicating these ideas early on will generally speed up the build as there will be less back and forth on design changes.

2: Furniture/Cabinet Placement

To make the most of your property you should be thinking about where you plan on placing all of the furniture and cabinets in your home right from the initial design. Think about how you plan on living in your home and if there is really enough space to include the furniture you want. If you think there won’t be enough room, you can always discuss it with your architect and use their experience to help you come up with the best solution.

3: Builder’s Reputation

The design and build team you choose for your project will have a huge bearing on your overall success and satisfaction with the build. Your dream home is in their hands, so you should always be sure that they have a good track record of completing new builds on time and on budget, and that they are easy to contact and communicate with. Typing the building company’s name into Google, checking the testimonials on their website or their Facebook reviews are usually a good indicator.

4: The Angle Of Your Home

You might have a beautiful design for your new home that ticks all of the boxes, but if it’s dark and lacking in natural light it can take away from your enjoyment of everyday life in your house. A simple way to get the most possible natural light in your home is by discussing the best angle for your home. Changing the angle by just a few degrees can mean the difference of a cold dark room, or one that gets hours and hours of sunshine every day.

If you plan on building a new home make sure to outline all of the key features you want included, think about where all of your furniture and cabinets will be placed, ensure the design and build team you choose has a great reputation and discuss the angle of your home early on with your architect.

Book your new build consultation with Sigma Homes today by visiting us online or by calling us on 021-436-5866.

When building a new home, one of the things that you should always be considering is the best ways to take advantage of natural light, and how even small changes in your architectural planning can make a huge difference when it comes to letting in more light. Here are 4 reasons natural light is important in your home.

1: Energy Conservation

The obvious way that natural light reduces your dependence on electricity, is that you won’t have to turn on your lights in dark rooms as often and you can leave them off for longer as the day turns to night. However, natural light can also help reduce your heating bills. The sun coming in through your windows in the morning time and throughout the day will actually heat up your rooms, you may still have to use your central heating system but for a bit less time each day. When building a new home, conserving energy wherever possible is always high on the list of priorities.

2: Better Views

More natural light means more windows, and more windows means more views. If you’re building a new home in an area you love, being able to see that area is a huge bonus. That comes with the added bonus of being able to easily keep an eye on the kids while they play outside without having to constantly go back and forth from that one window that has a good angle of the garden.

3: Healthier Indoor Plants

Plants need the natural light of the sun to survive and be healthy. Having a home with plenty of natural light is the easiest way to keep your plants thriving and detoxifying the air. More natural light gives you far more opportunities to grow indoor plants to decorate your home.

4: Increased Vitamin D

When your skin is exposed to the sun it makes vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for healthy bones, immune systems, intestines, cardiovascular systems and much more in both children and adults. Due to the weather, Irish people are generally lacking in vitamin D so creating a home that helps you get the most natural light can only be a good thing.

When you are designing your new home, natural light is hugely important. It can help you save money on your energy bills, open up more views to look out at, give you far more opportunities to easily grow indoor plants and it increases your vitamin D production.

If you have been thinking about designing and building a new home, book your consultation with Sigma Homes today by visiting us online or by calling us on 021-436-5866.