PRACTICAL advice for house hunters and renters has been developed by the Western Australian Planning Commission.
The housing guide offers advice on what questions to ask when purchasing or renting a house or apartment and covers 10 principles of good design such as light and ventilation, functionality, sustainability and landscape quality.
Part of the state government’s Design WA initiative the guide is the first in a series aiming to help people understand the benefits of good building design and how it can affect the way they live.
The proposed Design WA stage one policies, including state planning policy 7: design of the built environment and the apartment design policy are expected to be finalised in early 2018.
Planning Minister Rita Saffioti said buying a home could be an overwhelming process and people did not always get what they expected.
“We want to empower people to make better choices when purchasing or a renting a home,’’ she said.
“Good building design benefits us all and does not cost more if considered early.
“It is often about simple things such as making a house or apartment easier to heat or cool by considering where windows are located or if insulation has been used.’’
She said work had also started on Design WA stage two, including policies for precinct design, neighbourhood design and house design.
To download the guide visit http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/designwa
