Why are houses in New Zealand and Australia so cold? (new home, live in)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Many people from Europe especially the north move to NZ and OZ partially for the better climate and lifestyle which it brings. What you will find most ironic after having spent a winter in a NZ, Melbourne, Sydney and even Perth is that you would be more comfortable in a Northern European home during winter than you would here. This is due to how poorly insulated houses are, a lack of double glazing until recently but MOST of all a lack of central heating. Everyone envisions NZ and Australia as these Tropical paradises that don't need to be built to the same standards in the west, how wrong they are. First of all only the northern tip of NZ is subtropical and significant parts of the country see winters lows in the single digits right down to zero with high altitude areas receiving minus temperatures. In Melbourne you get frosts, Perth and Sydney you can get temperatures down the the low single digits at times so it DOES get cold.
What frustrates me is after all these years not enough has been done. People still mainly rely on an air conditioner unit used in reverse (heatpump) to keep warm and most houses only have one unit meaning the rest of the house where it doesn't heat including the bedrooms freeze. When will central heating become a standard in this part of the world? I remember when we were building our first home the building company stated they didn't even need to put in any form of heating for it to pass building code, i couldn't believe it when i heard this. How long will people here accept this?
Many people from Europe especially the north move to NZ and OZ partially for the better climate and lifestyle which it brings. What you will find most ironic after having spent a winter in a NZ, Melbourne, Sydney and even Perth is that you would be more comfortable in a Northern European home during winter than you would here. This is due to how poorly insulated houses are, a lack of double glazing until recently but MOST of all a lack of central heating. Everyone envisions NZ and Australia as these Tropical paradises that don't need to be built to the same standards in the west, how wrong they are. First of all only the northern tip of NZ is subtropical and significant parts of the country see winters lows in the single digits right down to zero with high altitude areas receiving minus temperatures. In Melbourne you get frosts, Perth and Sydney you can get temperatures down the the low single digits at times so it DOES get cold.
What frustrates me is after all these years not enough has been done. People still mainly rely on an air conditioner unit used in reverse (heatpump) to keep warm and most houses only have one unit meaning the rest of the house where it doesn't heat including the bedrooms freeze. When will central heating become a standard in this part of the world? I remember when we were building our first home the building company stated they didn't even need to put in any form of heating for it to pass building code, i couldn't believe it when i heard this. How long will people here accept this?
How long is "winter" in most of Australia? Most places it's not more than 5-6 weeks. It's literally the middle of winter here and it's 14 degrees. I just don't think it gets cold enough for long enough in most parts of Australia for people to want the added expense of central heating. It's pretty common in Canberra, Victoria and Tasmania.
Some of those McMansions out west would cost a fortune to keep warm given they're built out of cardboard and their nights are significantly colder than coastal Sydney. If I lived in southern NSW I'd want the things you described. Ditto in Victoria. In fact I'm pretty sure it's been standard on new homes for decades down there.
FWIW, I have underfloor and roof insulation, ducted a/c into the bedrooms and gas heating downstairs. This is in a 120 year old double brick terrace. I have zero problems with keeping warm and because of high ceilings mean I rarely need to run the a/c in summer. That's by design. They were built in an era when you could warm places up but you couldn't cool them down.
Who on Earth thinks of NZ as being a tropical place?
Winter is not long enough in most of the country to bother having central heating. I love winter. We have aircon which we use, ceiling insulation, a fireplace, a few spot heaters. I sleep so much better in the winter and I love having my electric blanket, which I turn off when I go to bed. Never leave the heating on overnight.
I hate sleeping in heated rooms. We were in Japan last year and kept asking our guide how to turn down the heating in our rooms. She said the westerners complain that the heat is too high and the Asians that it is not high enough.
My kids lived in London for years and used to enjoy wandering about inside in short sleeves in winter.Swore that when they were back home they would have English standard central heating. Of course they do not, costs too much to run.
I am sad that we probably have only about four weeks of serious winter left.
How long is "winter" in most of Australia? Most places it's not more than 5-6 weeks. It's literally the middle of winter here and it's 14 degrees. I just don't think it gets cold enough for long enough in most parts of Australia for people to want the added expense of central heating. It's pretty common in Canberra, Victoria and Tasmania.
Some of those McMansions out west would cost a fortune to keep warm given they're built out of cardboard and their nights are significantly colder than coastal Sydney. If I lived in southern NSW I'd want the things you described. Ditto in Victoria. In fact I'm pretty sure it's been standard on new homes for decades down there.
FWIW, I have underfloor and roof insulation, ducted a/c into the bedrooms and gas heating downstairs. This is in a 120 year old double brick terrace. I have zero problems with keeping warm and because of high ceilings mean I rarely need to run the a/c in summer. That's by design. They were built in an era when you could warm places up but you couldn't cool them down.
Who on Earth thinks of NZ as being a tropical place?
Many people in Europe see the North Island that way when in reality only a small portion of it is subtropical
My kids lived in London for years and used to enjoy wandering about inside in short sleeves in winter.Swore that when they were back home they would have English standard central heating. Of course they do not, costs too much to run.
If you properly insulate a house you could run central heating reasonably cheaply. Of course UK houses are by and large cubby houses compared to the size of Australian houses. But as you say it's just not worth the cost of installing central heating for one month of the year. The Sun is also much warmer in winter here than it is in Europe. Yesterday I had all the doors and windows open to get some air through the house. I wasn't cold at all. I guess the OP does live in C'Church and if I lived there I'd want some serious insulation and heating.
If you properly insulate a house you could run central heating reasonably cheaply. Of course UK houses are by and large cubby houses compared to the size of Australian houses. But as you say it's just not worth the cost of installing central heating for one month of the year. The Sun is also much warmer in winter here than it is in Europe. Yesterday I had all the doors and windows open to get some air through the house. I wasn't cold at all. I guess the OP does live in C'Church and if I lived there I'd want some serious insulation and heating.
Also, when our lives are normal many people are away for a few weeks in winter, making central heating even more unnecessary.
Many people from Europe especially the north move to NZ and OZ partially for the better climate and lifestyle which it brings. What you will find most ironic after having spent a winter in a NZ, Melbourne, Sydney and even Perth is that you would be more comfortable in a Northern European home during winter than you would here. This is due to how poorly insulated houses are, a lack of double glazing until recently but MOST of all a lack of central heating. Everyone envisions NZ and Australia as these Tropical paradises that don't need to be built to the same standards in the west, how wrong they are. First of all only the northern tip of NZ is subtropical and significant parts of the country see winters lows in the single digits right down to zero with high altitude areas receiving minus temperatures. In Melbourne you get frosts, Perth and Sydney you can get temperatures down the the low single digits at times so it DOES get cold.
What frustrates me is after all these years not enough has been done. People still mainly rely on an air conditioner unit used in reverse (heatpump) to keep warm and most houses only have one unit meaning the rest of the house where it doesn't heat including the bedrooms freeze. When will central heating become a standard in this part of the world? I remember when we were building our first home the building company stated they didn't even need to put in any form of heating for it to pass building code, i couldn't believe it when i heard this. How long will people here accept this?
People are free to heat their home anyway they like. What is the problem?
No one moving to NZ thinks they are moving to a Tropical paradise.
I love winter in Brissie though. The only heating I use is to sometimes close a window if it is a bit windy.
Our fire is lovely tonight! But I saw photos of the grandkids at the beach today. Short sleeves and shorts, wading in the water.
Reminds me of being in Townsville one July. Wandering along the row of restaurants at night, dressed in short sleeved summer clothes.We were laughing at the locals in their coats and scarves, all rugged up for their two weeks of what they call winter.
However I imagine that in Christchurch there is more need for properly warmed houses.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
