26 Sun Newspapers WEDNESDAY, January 22, 2014.

Tropical Elevated in Prime Location• Tropical elevated Territory home

• Five great sized bedrooms

• Great sized kitchen, open-plan living & dining

Kerri-Ann Laurence 0411 889 778 Open: By Appointment

AUCTION Thurs 30 Jan @ 6pm on site125

Alawa 5 Arthur Street

Licensed Real Estate Agent 3-70 Cavenagh Street, Darwin 8943 3000

Duplex Townhouse with City Views• Open plan living/ dining area & balcony overlooking the park

• Modern timeless kitchen with brand new kitchen appliances

• Fully fenced and beautifully landscaped yard

Annette Gore 0408 036 252 Martin Gore 0417 850 933Open: Wed 5:15-6:00pm or by appointment

$798,500323

Bayview 1/1 Bayview Blvd

Licensed Real Estate Agent 82 Smith Street, Darwin

Lifestyle and Location - Must Sell• Contempoary, spacious townhouse with large open-plan living/dining

• Three good sized bedrooms, master with ensuite and balcony access

• Entertain under the stars with a private courtyard and sparkling spa

Sascha Smithett 0414 909 506 Open: By Appointment

$699,000223

Cullen Bay 3/81 Cullen Bay Crescent

Licensed Real Estate Agent 3-70 Cavenagh Street, Darwin 8943 3000

LUXURY DARWIN CITY APARTMENT• Light- filled and breezy 2nd floor apartment with sea views

• 3 bedrooms, en-suite to master, fully tiled & split air-conditioning

• Open plan living, balcony, secure parking for 2 and store room

Suzi Milgate 0404 222 219

$638,000223

Darwin 5/7 Esplanade

Licensed Real Estate Agent 4A/25 Chung Wah Tce, Palmerston

1UNDER CONTRACT1

Spacious 4 Bed Plus Study Apartment• Lounge/dining area flows seamlessly to the tiled breezy blacony

• Modern kitchen with stone bench tops and quality appliances

• All bedrooms with built in robes, master & fourth with access to balcony

Annette Gore 0408 036 252 Martin Gore 0417 850 933Open: By Appointment

$692,500224

Darwin 12/3 Harvey Street

Licensed Real Estate Agent 82 Smith Street, Darwin

Central Harbour Views• Beautiful inner city apartment with large open-plan living

• Centralised gourmet kitchen, sleek main bathroom with spa

• Enjoy a BBQ on the balcony while basking the harbour views

Sascha Smithett 0414 909 506

223

Darwin 7/5 Cardona Court

Licensed Real Estate Agent 3-70 Cavenagh Street, Darwin 8943 3000

1UNDER CONTRACT1

Family Home Presents Wide Open Spaces• Spacious open-plan living/dining with wrap-around verandah

• All bedrooms with BIRs, A/C, carpet & louvres

• Large 6.2x3m shed with double doors

Clint Dixon 0411 746 667 Open: Sat 11 - 11:30

AUCTION Wed 5 Feb @ 6pm on site413

Leanyer 48 Legune Avenue

Licensed Real Estate Agent 5/48 Cavenagh Street, Darwin 8944 4455

1NEW1

Stay cool when building

Building a house? Don’t sweat it.

ALTHOUGH the weather has

been unusually cool recently, the

Top End is usually sweltering

somewhere in the 30s.

Constructing a home that stays

cool is a priority in Darwin,

Palmerston and the rural area.

Follow these five design tips from

the Association of Building

Sustainability Assessors for a

more energy efficient and

sustainable new home.

‘‘Heating and cooling

accounts for around 38 per cent

of household energy use and

20 per cent of carbon emissions

from a typical Australian home,’’

ABSA chairman Sid Thoo said.

‘‘But by carefully planning and

designing your new home, you

can dramatically reduce the need

for artificial heating and cooling,

saving hundreds of dollars a year

and making your biggest

investment more naturally

comfortable during summer.’’

Before your home design is

finalised do the following:

1. Know where the sun is

coming from. By understanding

the position of the sun in relation

to your building, you can design

the rooms of your home to help

keep out unwanted heat.

Generally windows facing

towards the north in your main

living areas will provide plenty of

natural daylight, without allowing

too much direct sun to enter into

the space.

Allowing the roof to overhang

the external walls by about

500-600mm will ensure no direct

sun will enter, helping prevent

your house from overheating.

2. Choose light reflective

colours for external surfaces.

Light colours help reflect solar

radiation, whereas darker colours

absorb more solar radiation.

If you had two identical

houses, one roof dark and the

other light, the airconditioner in

the dark-roof house would have

to work up to 20 per cent harder

to keep the house cool.

Try to avoid bare metal finishes

such as galvanised roofs; these

reflect a lot of visible light but can

create unpleasant glare and

actually don’t reflect as much

infrared radiation from the sun,

which is what causes your house

to heat up.

3. Make sure you have the right

insulation in the right places.

It’s most important to have the

right levels of ceiling and roof

insulation in place, as a lot of heat

can enter through the roof.

Bulk insulation such as

fibreglass batts, and blow-in

newspaper is best for the ceiling,

while reflective insulation such as

building foil and sarking works

best on the underside of the roof

covering.

4. Position windows and doors

to maximise natural ventilation.

Darwin is located near the coast,

where the difference in

temperature between the land

and sea often creates cooling

afternoon breezes to blow in.

If you place doors and

windows with security and

flyscreens in the right places, you

can use this free airconditioning

to help cool down your home.

The type of window opening

also makes a big difference –

casement and sliding windows

provide more ventilation than

awning windows.

5. Have your new home design

assessed by a qualified

Nationwide House Energy

Rating Scheme assessor

before you finalise the design.

Specially trained NatHERS

Assessors can simulate the

thermal performance of your new

home and help you make good

design decisions before the

plans and specifications get

locked in.

Simple design considerations

that add little or no cost will

reduce the need for artificial

cooling, and make your home

more naturally comfortable.

NatHERS Assessors can help

you choose the best building

materials and right types of

insulation, save money and add

value to your new home.