What sets North Lakes apart
Planned from scratch
North Lakes began in April 1999 on a 1,000-hectare site, a Lend Lease and Lensworth joint venture planned for 8,500 houses over 20 years. Until 2006 it was part of Mango Hill.
Homes turned to the sun
In September 1999 the developers signed an agreement with CSIRO for sustainable construction, including solar passive houses orientated to the sun. Mitsubishi Electric lists building orientation among the factors in a proper heat load calculation, so make sure the installer looks at which way your rooms face.
Townhouses and shared walls
In 2021, 12.0% of homes were semi-detached, terrace or townhouses and 84.9% were separate houses. Once the outdoor unit or pipes touch common property, Queensland's body corporate rules apply.
Plenty of tenants
37.3% of homes were rented at the Census. In Queensland, the owner's written approval comes before a new air conditioner is attached.
Houses side by side
City of Moreton Bay investigates air conditioning noise and holds units to 3 decibels above background between 10pm and 7am. Where the outdoor unit sits relative to next door's bedroom matters.
Jobs that come up in North Lakes
Cooling the rooms that missed out. If the living area is cooled and the bedrooms aren't, a split system in each bedroom is the simplest fix, or a multi-split if you'd rather have one outdoor unit.
Ducted for a single-storey house. With roof space, ducted reverse cycle with zones runs every room from one system. A ducted specialist will check roof access and where the return air grille can go.
Servicing a system that came with the house. A unit that's run through many humid summers needs its coil cleaned and its drain flushed. See servicing in Brisbane.
Before a townhouse install
- Read the by-laws for anything about air conditioners, outdoor units or external walls.
- Ask the committee whether the pipes or outdoor unit will sit on common property.
- Get the approval in writing, with any conditions on position or screening.
- Remember you'll maintain what's installed, and may pay extra if it lifts the building's insurance premium.
What we'd do
Our take for North Lakes
We'd start with which way the house faces and which rooms cop the afternoon sun, then size each room for that. In a townhouse we'd sort the body corporate's approval before anyone comes to measure. And we'd want an installer who works on modern estate homes all the time. Send us the job: licence-checked installers who specialise in it see it where we have them, and only the one who takes it on gets your contact details. If no one near North Lakes takes it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in Queensland may get to see it.
