The advantages of a Hi-cast home and how to save money building on a sloping block.

As flat and level land becomes scarcer to source, people are often left with no option but to purchase a sloping site.

The advantage of a sloping site is the potential views whereas with a level site you can have the feeling of being hemmed in.

The disadvantage of a sloping site are the costs involved to build a house on a site that is not level.

However, there are options to help reduce the cost of building and one of these is a hi-cast home.

Whereas with a conventional sloping site design, especially on a downward sloping block, it is common to excavate and have a single storey at the front and double storey at the rear.

The problem here is that the excavation, footings, retaining walls, stairs, removal of spoil, drainage, etc. does not come cheap. The extra costs involved with this work can be in excess of $200,000.00.

If you have the budget for this then everything is fine, however, if you are on a limited budget, a hi-cast home is another option.

A hi-cast home provides a single storey house with either limited or no steps while still providing the views and open feeling.

The garage remains as a concrete slab, while the remainder of the house is supported on steel posts with either steel or timber joists.

Insulation is provided to the underside of the joists in the form of lined foam sheets for excellent thermal qualities.

The area under the house can then be used for storage or garden equipment, water tanks, air- conditioning units, etc. leaving more space in the backyard for landscaping.

The underside can also be lined with various screening or sheeting options to provide weather protection and privacy.

This hi-cast option may not suit everyone, however, if you have a limited budget, the possible $200,000.00 saving can be a great alternative.

If you are interested in building your new home, please feel free to contact our team for a chat. We are happy to discuss your requirements, inspect your block, provide our recommendations and indicative pricing at no charge.