Stupid headline aside
Dr Sebastian Pfautsch, an expert in urban planning and management at Western Sydney University, said the image of Mickleham left him feeling “angry and hopeless”.
“Angry because of the continued ignorance of builders and those that approve the new settlements. Hopeless because it is obvious that homeowners don’t care either,” he told news.com.au.
Professor Pfautsch said he was stunned builders were “making the same (design) mistakes” that had been repeated for decades in Australia.
“Badly insulated, single-glazed, black roofed, entirely unshaded homes will rely entirely on airconditioning at any outdoor temperature above 28 to 30C,” he said.
“They become very expensive to operate in summer. In the cost-of-living crisis today, people already make decisions between food on the table or running the airconditioning.
“Imagine what these families will endure in 20 to 30 years.”
Topping the “absurdity”, he said, was that many of the homes likely featured front and back yards made from plastic
Reality is, it is cheaper to pay for aircon than pay extra+interest on properly build one. Solar panels will cost 10k but combining with aircon provide same level of comfort as well insulated house which will cost $200k more with similar cost to run.
I’m curious where you got these numbers from.
A “standard” house build is $200k-$300k, it doesn’t seem right that adding double glazing and proper insulation to every wall and ceiling would double it, not even close.
Someone in this thread on Reddit suggested under $15k for the above. https://www.reddit.com/r/AusFinance/comments/1dkyokv/how_much_extra_would_it_cost_to_build_a_super/
An estimated 15% reduction in running costs (affecting both heating and cooling) would be at least hundreds of dollars a year, the extra insulation would pay for itself within a decade, completely ignoring the side benefits of increased house value and a quieter house.