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The Rise of Smart Home Technology: The Future of Living

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In this age of technological advancement, our homes are becoming smarter, more efficient, and more connected than ever before. Incorporating smart home technology into your custom-built home is not just a trend but a step towards embracing the future of living. From enhanced convenience and comfort to increased energy efficiency and security, smart home technology offers a multitude of benefits. This article will explore the possibilities and advantages of integrating smart home features into your new home with ZAC Homes, many of these features are available through our supplier partners at HPM/LeGrand.

Enhanced Convenience and Control:

Imagine controlling your lights, thermostat, security system, and entertainment devices with just a tap on your smartphone or a simple voice command. With smart home technology, you can effortlessly manage and automate various aspects of your home. Whether you want to adjust the temperature, dim the lights, or play your favourite music, smart home devices provide unparalleled convenience and control, allowing you to personalize your living environment to suit your preferences.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability:

Smart home technology can significantly contribute to reducing your environmental footprint. From LeGrand’s MyHome temperature control units that learn your preferences and optimize energy consumption to their Netatmo automated lighting systems that turn off when not in use, these technologies promote energy efficiency and help you save on utility bills. Additionally, monitoring devices can provide real-time data on energy usage, enabling you to make informed decisions about energy conservation.

Enhanced Security and Peace of Mind:

Your custom-built home deserves the highest level of security. Smart home technology offers advanced security features such as smart locks, surveillance cameras, motion sensors and even a smart weather station that can be accessed and utilise voice control. Receive instant alerts on your smartphone in case of any suspicious activity, ensuring the safety of your loved ones and giving you peace of mind, even when you’re away from home.

Integration and Future-Proofing:

When building your custom home, it’s essential to consider future needs and advancements in technology. By incorporating smart home infrastructure during construction, you create a foundation for the seamless integration of new devices and technologies as they emerge. This future-proofing approach ensures that your home remains up-to-date and adaptable to changing technologies, enhancing its value and desirability.

Incorporating smart home technology into your custom-built home is an investment in the future of living. From convenience and energy efficiency to security and integration, smart home features offer a host of benefits that can transform the way you live. Embrace the possibilities and speak with a ZAC Homes sales consultant who can help design a custom home that embraces the power of smart technology, providing you with a connected, comfortable, and sustainable living environment through our supplier partners HPM/LeGrand.

Build a new home with ZAC Homes

With ZAC, you will receive exceptional customer service, and the ZAC Homes team will make the journey of building your new home as fun and exciting as possible.

ZAC Homes builds with trust, respect, integrity and pride, which we work hard to deliver to every client. Call us on 1300 350 793 or send us an online enquiry and our team will work with you to design and build your dream home.

Changes to the NSW BASIX Scheme

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Changes to the NSW BASIX scheme

The NSW Government has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 to help improve the quality of life for the people of NSW to protect the environment and maintain a strong economy, which means reducing energy consumption in measurable ways.

What are the changes to the BASIX scheme?

  • A minimum standard of compliance with the Building Code of Australia’s energy efficiency requirements is being increased from 6 stars to 7 stars (out of 10).
  • Energy consumption stringency increased, varying with building location and type.
  • There will also be a new provision introduced to calculate and report the embodied emissions of building materials in the building. There is no specific target or benchmark, but information must be reported on the embodied emissions through a new calculator.


The key changes that will impact new builds are:

  • R6.0 Bulk Insulation to all trussed ceilings (excl. Outdoor Areas)
  • Double Glazed Low-e Clear to all windows/sliding doors (excl. Bedrooms & Wet Areas)
  • R2.5 HD Insulation to all external walls including Garage internal walls
  • Use of light roof colours
  • Thermal wall wrap to all external walls

Please note that the key changes noted above is an estimate of the products the homes may need to meet the BASIX requirement. These inclusions are subject to change without notice and will be determined once the BASIX assessment has been completed on the home. Modifications

What will this result in?

  • Cheaper energy bills. You’ll use less electricity so your bills will be cheaper – saving as much as $980 a year on energy bills, according to a NSW Government website
  • More comfortable homes. Your home will be naturally cooler in summer, warmer in winter, which means you won’t be turning the heater or air conditioner on as often.
  • Fewer carbon emissions. This contributes towards our goal of net zero homes by 2050.

How will the changes impact my ZAC Homes project?

You can expect additional costs due to the building components required to meet the standards. These costs will vary depending on the home design, climate zone and location, it will also include other factors like neighbour shading and proximity to other buildings.

How do I beat the BASIX price rise?

If you have yet to engage in the building process with us, you must start the process as soon as possible to ensure your CDC or DA application is lodged and accepted on the Planning Portal with a valid BASIX certificate prior to 1st October 2023.

Where can I learn more?

To learn more about NatHERS, a star rating system that rates the energy efficient of a home based on its design here.

Our experienced team is here to support you at every step of the way, visit one of our Display Homes at Marsden Park or Box Hill to start your home building journey with us!

How to design a bathroom in your dream home

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Monochrome modern bathroom design

Choosing the right bathroom look and layout is an important part of designing a dream home. Making significant changes down the track is both inconvenient and costly so you want to get it right with a timeless bathroom layout and design.

If you’re building a new home the amount of choice you have with bathroom design will depend on which building option you take. With ZAC Homes your choices will vary from our Fast Track with an off-the-plan design to My Style where you can modify an existing design, or our Tailored Approach which gives you complete flexibility with a custom design.

Even with an off-the-plan design, you’ll still have choices for fittings, tiles, and colours, but with a custom design, you will have many more choices around layout, size, finishes, fittings and more.

When choosing the best bathroom design for you and your family, you want to strike a balance between a design that reflects your personality, and designs that will stand the test of time and won’t need frequent updating.

Choose function over fashion

The explosion of renovating blogs and websites, reality TV shows, and social media means that bathroom design ideas have never been as plentiful and available. But it can also provide endless choices, and a focus on the appearance of your bathroom, rather than the function.

Of course, it’s important to have a bathroom that looks good, but you don’t want to be a bathroom design fashion victim and find your beautiful new bathrooms appear dated in just a few years.

In the long run, the functionality of your bathrooms will become much more important than how it looks.

Choose a timeless colour palette

The colour palette of your bathrooms refers to all the colours including the paint or wall finishes, tiles, tapware, fittings, and even the towels and ornaments. And remember, that modern homes have more than one bathroom. Often there’s at least one main bathroom, an ensuite bathroom, and a powder room – all of which require their own design treatment.

Using a neutral colour scheme in your bathrooms produces a classic, timeless design. Neutral colours get a bad rap for being plain, or even boring, but neutrals like beige, taupe, stone, greys, and browns are the cornerstone of great design. Using the contrast of light and dark neutrals such as greys in a bathroom can create a restful oasis.

In smaller-sized bathrooms, teaming white and neutrals will create the appearance of more space.

Black and white is also another way to create a timeless design. White is crisp and clean, while black is perfect for creating a feature.

By choosing a neutral design you can add a splash of colour with your paint or textiles. Adding bold colours with towels, bathmats, candles and other accessories is a much easier and cheaper way to change the look of your bathrooms. Colour can also be introduced with paint which is easy to change as fashions move on. Incorporating neutral coloured natural stone also has a timeless look. A natural stone benchtop can be a focal point that is easy to accent with other items such as bathroom fixtures.

Tapware choices

On home renovation shows you’ll see plenty of gold, brass and more recently black tapware and accessories, and while they look great, if you want a truly timeless bathroom, look no further than chrome. Chrome works well with most bathroom designs and colour schemes and does not wear and corrode like gold and black. Although, if you really want the latest look in tapware, you can quite easily update tapware down the track. Obviously, there’s a significant cost involved and fixtures that are attached to tiles will not be so easily replaced, but it is an option.

Add plenty of storage

Bathrooms, particularly those used by several family members can be cluttered when there isn’t enough storage incorporated.

Storage options include vanities, wall-mounted cabinets, recessed nooks, towel rails & hooks, and shelving, and all need to be incorporated in bathroom design for a functional and aesthetically pleasing room.

A mirrored wall-mounted cabinet is the best way to gain additional storage in your bathroom without creating any extra clutter and it will look great if it’s recessed into the wall for a seamless look. Each bathroom will have different storage requirements depending on its uses. A guest bathroom will require less storage, than an ensuite bathroom that is used regularly, but storage for spare towels, toiletries and supplies will still be needed.

Get the lighting right

Getting the lighting right in your bathrooms is important for functional and aesthetic reasons. Adequate lighting to vanity mirrors is needed for shaving and makeup application so think about lights above the mirror or mirrors that come with built-in backlighting.

Like all parts of your dream home, natural light in your bathrooms is desirable, but privacy is also important. If you can’t have a large window, a skylight is another option to provide ambient light throughout the daylight hours. The amount of natural light your bathrooms receive during the day will also influence your colour palette choices.

Should the ensuite bathroom be different?

All the bathrooms within your home should match the overall style and décor of your home, but you don’t need to have identical colours, fittings, and fixtures in all your bathrooms.

When ensuite bathrooms were first included in modern homes they were merely a small utility room adjoining the master bedroom. Now the ensuite is an extension of the main bedroom and is a very personal space. Like the other bathrooms in your home, a timeless look will be achieved with a neutral colour palette but by adding new towels and high-end accessories you can make your ensuite into a luxurious oasis.

Designing your bathrooms with ZAC Homes

ZAC Homes has many years of experience advising hundreds of clients on bathroom design. Our in-house design team is on hand to provide advice and guide you through your choices.

We enjoy taking on a challenge and helping families build their new home in their dream location. ZAC Homes builds with trust, respect, integrity and pride, which we work hard to deliver to every client. Call us on 1300 350 793 or send us an online enquiry and our team will work with you to design and build your dream home.