How to Build a House on Your Sloping Block

Building on a sloping block can introduce many challenges – making it important to know what to look for in a custom home builder. Your new home could be perfectly positioned to make the most of beautiful views, a sense of privacy, fresh breezes and natural light. These diverse sites can also provide the opportunity for architectural innovation and interesting design when it comes to building your custom home. So how do you get started on a sloping site build?

Who to talk to about building on a sloping site
There are some unique complexities to take into account when planning a sloping site build, which we’ll cover in a moment. Intelligent design and planning will be key to ensuring success, so it’s vital to speak with a designer/builder who has experience with a wide range of sloping sites. The builder will topographically survey your site to maximise the potential of the site, while minimising the need for expensive earthworks.
The considerations of building on a sloped site
There are a number of considerations that sloping block builders and designers/architects will take into account before a home is designed and built.

• The incline and positioning of your site, and whether it’s sloping up, sloping down or has a cross fall to factor into design decisions. Good design will make the most of these unique qualities.
• Soil or rock structure, and how this will shape decisions about drainage and foundations.
• Natural light and how this reaches the site. The position of your home and its windows can determine how comfortable your living spaces will be year-round.
• Potential outlook and viewpoint. Thoughtful house plans for sloping blocks can provide unique opportunities to gain extraordinary views that other homes can’t.
• Ventilation and wind exposure. This will ensure fresh breezes can flow through your living spaces, without allowing any gale force winds to cause havoc through the home!

The perceived costs of building on a sloping site
If there’s one factor that makes people hesitant about building on sloping blocks, it’s often cost. Many will envision expensive earthworks and costly problems arising through the building process. While it’s true that there can be some additional costs such as excavation and logistics, the value of working with an experienced designer/architect and builder is that they will use the slope to its full advantage. The right design can remove tens of thousands of dollars from the cost of building with a less experienced team.
What’s more, sloping sites can cost less to purchase and result in you living with a view and a lifestyle that’s absolutely priceless.
The thing about sloping sites is that they’re all unique. The key to success is working with those who offer the services to make your design and build process straightforward and enjoyable.
Explore our portfolio now for inspiration on sloping block house designs, including those on blocks with falls of up to 7 metres. The testimonials from our clients demonstrate our expertise in unique and split level home designs for sloping blocks.