Find NSW house plans that fit your block

Building a new home in NSW

Whether you are buying in a Western Sydney estate, doing a knockdown rebuild on the Central Coast or adding a second home for rental income, the same two things decide whether a plan works on your block: the way it is oriented to the sun, and the NSW planning rules that apply to your site. Dudils only lists plans an architect has reviewed for north facing living, then matches them to your exact block above. This guide covers the rules that shape what you can build, and where in NSW people are building.

BASIX and the 7 star NatHERS standard

Every new home in NSW needs a BASIX certificate, which sets minimum standards for energy and thermal comfort. Since the standards rose in 2023, new homes must reach an average of 7 stars on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS), up from around 5.5 to 6 stars before. Orientation is the cheapest lever you have to hit it. Turning the main living areas to the north so the low winter sun warms them, with eaves to shade the high summer sun, lifts a home's rating before you spend a cent on extra insulation, glazing upgrades or heating. That is exactly what every plan on Dudils is reviewed for. Browse the passive solar house plans to see designs built around it.

Dual occupancy, duplexes and the Housing SEPP

Recent NSW housing reforms have made it easier to put two homes on one block. Under the state Housing SEPP, dual occupancies and semi detached homes are now permitted in the R2 low density residential zone across NSW, with further changes allowing low and mid rise housing near town centres and stations. As a guide, dual occupancy is generally permitted on lots in the R1, R2, R3 and R4 zones from a minimum lot size of around 450m² and a minimum width of about 12m, subject to floor space ratio and height limits. Rules vary by council and a handful of LGAs are excluded for bushfire and flood risk, so always confirm what applies to your block with your council and the NSW Planning Portal before you buy or design. For a plain English walkthrough of the policy, read our architect's guide to the Housing SEPP. If a duplex or granny flat is on the table, browse the duplex and dual occupancy plans, granny flat plans and homes with a granny flat, each reviewed so both dwellings can still face north.

Where new homes are going up in NSW

Most new house and land activity in NSW is concentrated in a few growth corridors. Knowing your block size and orientation matters most here, because estate lots are narrow and the difference between a north facing block and a south facing block changes which plans will work. Not sure which yours is? Our guide to working out which way your block faces takes about two minutes.

• Western Sydney and the Aerotropolis. The new Western Sydney Airport, the Bradfield city centre and suburbs like Leppington, Austral, Oran Park, Edmondson Park, Marsden Park, Box Hill, Riverstone and Schofields are where most of Sydney's new estates are. Lots are typically narrow, so a plan drawn for a narrow frontage matters.
• Central Coast. Strong knockdown rebuild and new build demand from Gosford up to Wyong, much of it single storey for downsizers and families. Building here? Read our architect's before you build on the Central Coast checklist.
• Hunter and Newcastle. Growth around Newcastle, Maitland and the Hunter, with steady demand for duplexes and dual occupancy.
• Illawarra. Wollongong and the surrounding coast, where orientation and views often pull in different directions and the right plan reconciles them.

Find NSW house plans by what matters

Start with your block above, or jump straight to the plans that suit a NSW build:

Planning rules in NSW change and vary by council. Use this as a starting point and confirm what applies to your block at the NSW Planning Portal spatial viewer.