The WA Government’s DesignWA, an initiative to ensure that good design is central to development in Western Australia, has published a free guide on how to choose a well-designed home. What to look for when choosing a well-designed house or apartment outlines 10 principles of good design to be considered when buying or renting a house or apartment. The 10 principles include context and character, landscape quality, built form and scale, functionality and built quality and sustainability. Each principle contains guiding questions people can ask before renting or buying.

The principle of functionality and build quality includes consideration for whether the space is adaptable over time and whether internal finishes are of good quality and easy to maintain. The principle of sustainability includes energy efficiency, with specific questions on window orientation, cross ventilation and a minimum 6 star NatHERS rating.

DesignWA is currently guided by a number of draft documents, including a Draft State Planning Policy and a Draft Apartment Design policy. These documents are expected to be finalised in early 2018.

More information here.