Skip to content

How to design a good holiday home


Building or buying a holiday home is the dream for hundreds of New Zealanders, and a fair amount of people that have visited this great country. At the pinnacle of recreation destinations in Aotearoa is the South Island.

From ranging peaks to rolling hills the beauty of the South Island captures the heart of anyone and everyone that visits. Calling it home is a gift that many people enjoy but for others simply having a holiday home there is good enough. As Genius Homes only supplies prefab homes to the South Island of New Zealand we have met many people that have fallen in love with this beautiful region and are looking to build a holiday home. In this article, we look at what makes a good holiday home and what you should consider when choosing a holiday home design in New Zealand.

Buying vs building a holiday home

Building is becoming a very popular option and a quick search for 'holidays homes for sale in the South Island' shows that some are already fetching some high prices, pushing the dream out of reach for some people.

The cost of buying a holiday home drives many people to research building a home instead. But the idea of managing a building project when you're not based in the same area as the builders can be a stressful idea to many people. After all, if you're living in Auckland and building a holiday home in Wanaka it's not always going to be possible to fly down to check on the build and ensure the many moving parts are coming together perfectly. Even in today's remote world, there's nothing quite like knowing exactly where in the process your house is, and that it's in good hands.

The South Island's beautiful geography can also play a role in creating some equally diverse weather patterns. From early snow to late rain this stunning region can experience all four seasons in a single day! This can cause unexpected delays in building as tradespeople experience challenges in having supplies delivered, or key team members finding themselves snowed in or flooded out.

All of the above adds to the reasons why people end up looking at prefabricated homes.

Built-in a factory they are less prone to delays and unexpected hiccups because deliveries are always to the same location and much of the build happens indoors - great for when the weather turns!

Having the holiday home or bach built in a factory by one company also reduces the stress on anyone trying to manage the build from out of town. One phone call can answer questions about electricians, plumbing, glazing and painting. And like any home, build you're free to come and see your house being built at any stage. We can even send you photos of your house being built if you can't make the trip to Timaru.

Having helped over a hundred people build their South Island holiday home we thought we'd give you a few key points to consider if you are considering embarking on the journey to build your own.

The perfect holiday home design

Holiday homes nzDesigning a holiday home can be very personal. Given a limitless budget, you may want a sauna, surfboard washroom or bike garage to be a key feature of your home. Assuming you don't have a limitless budget, but still want to have a practical, enjoyable and possibly multi-purpose space we've decided to showcase a few things you should consider, and a couple of our plans which you can use as inspiration for your own design.

A holiday home with plenty of storage space

When you come down to the South Island for your holiday you want to know that almost everything you need to enjoy your trip is waiting for you in your new home. Having a garage or lockup can be the perfect way to store bikes, kayaks or even a small car to get around in. We can work with you to include a garage in your design.

Our plans feature built-in wardrobes in almost every room so you can leave your thick ski jackets and boots stored away without lugging them back on the plane. As some developments in the South Island come with covenants that restrict outbuildings such as sheds it's always worth ensuring you can meet most of your storage needs within the main dwelling, or checking the covenants beforehand.

Clever entrance designs

After a long day hiking, biking or skiing you're going to want to get home and get clean as quickly as possible.

Dragging mud through the house isn't fun, after all, it's not really a holiday if someone is having to spend their downtime tidying up! So creating a practical way to manage the muck means you can enjoy the South Island's many adventure pursuits without bringing the great outdoors, indoors.

Having a separate laundry room that features external access means you can get inside and dump the dirty boots and jackets, and sometimes even shower off, before entering the main house. Designs such as the Tasman and the Huxley or the 2-bedroom Oxford all feature laundry rooms catering for this exact need. Other designs, such as the Sefton can easily have their configurations adjusted to include this feature, should you wish.

House layouts with extra rental capabilities

When you're not using your holiday home why not share it with someone looking to enjoy the great outdoors? Many people rent out their holiday homes to tourists using platforms like Bookabach and Airbnb and can earn enough to make a dent in the mortgage by doing so!

You can either rent out the entire property and include a lockbox so people can access the keys or you can amend the design of the house so only certain rooms can be accessed, allowing you to keep your possessions based in the property even with someone renting it out. We've created a few homes where additional access points have been added, and extra doors built-in, so locks can segment the house very easily.

If you don't fancy renting out your home then why not choose a design where an annex is already built-in? The Kingston features a main 3-bedroom home and a double bedroom self-contained annex easily allowing one or both areas to earn a passive income.

Designs that maximise the scenic views

Almost everywhere you look in the South Island there's a view to die for. From blockbuster mountains to shimmering lakes and oceans there is truly something for everyone. Even the rolling farmland for which the South Island is famous looks like a work of art.

To make the most of this epic scenery the best design for a holiday home includes big windows to harvest these amazing vistas. And with modern technology, a big window doesn't need to mean a big hole in your heating bill! The BenmoreTaieri and Kyeburn are three designs in our three-bedroom range which are all designed to maximise your views. But smaller floor plans don't always mean a smaller view. The Pukaki and Tarras also do a great job of doing the scenery justice.

Whatever your dream holiday home or bach we're here to help make that a reality. We have the experience and expertise to translate your vision into a plan, and we have a proven history of delivering homes to give you the peace of mind needed when you're trusting your home design to us.

To find your dream home plan use our free online tool, or talk to a specialist by requesting a call back

Find your dream holiday home or bach by discovering our holiday home designs new zealand

 

The latest Genius Homes
catalogue.

24-05-03-GH-2024-catalogue-mockup-1-1-1