How to design your own home

Schedule of areas

The spaces described in the Performance Specification can be explained and quantified in a Schedule of Areas.

This document is simply a table of the named spaces in the Performance Specification and estimates their likely size. To confirm a likely size use a tape measure to gauge the dimensions of spaces within the house you are living presently. What size are these spaces, are they too big or too small? How many square metres is it? Refer to this construction cost estimator for suggested space sizes.

You will also need to calculate the estimated circulation space required. This item is often forgotten when estimating the size of a home and keeping it to a minimum will reduce the cost of your new home. Circulation space covers all the areas not individually identified in the Performance Specification such as halls, stairs, store rooms/cupboards, plant rooms and lifts etc. In single dwellings for example these areas may range between 10% to 50% of the total floor area. Using 10% for a home is standard but this will need to increase if your wish your home to be truly spacious.

See the article How to read plans page as a guide. Usually a client will have not only a building in mind but also a budget for realising it. The Schedule of Areas is a necessary first step for reconciling the two since approximate budget rates can be applied to different types of floor space to give a first (but very approximate) cost estimate for your new home.

Example schedule of areas