Quality Over Quantity: Why Bigger Homes Aren’t Better Homes in 2026
For too long, the Australian housing market has equated bigger with better.
More rooms. More square metres. More “wow factor” on paper.
Yet in 2026, it still surprises us how often clients are encouraged to choose a second lounge room or another guest room over thermally broken windows, healthy indoor air quality, thermal comfort and the long-term performance of their home. We need to stop building for every one else and build for ourselves and what we truly need.
At Two Hammers Construction, we believe it’s time to challenge that thinking even though it may ruffle a few feathers! Lets build homes that prioritise quality, wellbeing and longevity over size.
Bigger Doesn’t Mean better
A larger home doesn’t automatically improve lifestyle. In many cases, it does the opposite.
Oversized homes often result in:
Higher construction and running costs
Increased energy consumption
More unused or poorly planned space (hello expensive storage)
Compromised build quality due to stretched budgets
Less investment in insulation, glazing, ventilation and thermal performance
Loosing intimate family moments because you don’t share spaces anymore.
We regularly see clients pushed to increase floor area — while critical elements like window performance, airtightness, moisture control and ventilation are reduced or cut entirely.
A better home isn’t measured in square metres.
It’s measured in comfort, efficiency, health and experience.
Prioritising Health, Comfort and Indoor Air Quality
The quality of the spaces we live in directly impacts our physical and mental wellbeing.
A truly high-performance home should support:
Clean, filtered indoor air through mechanical ventilation
Thermal stability via continuous insulation and reduced thermal bridging
Natural daylight and passive solar gain
Low-toxicity, durable materials
Consistent comfort across seasons
Moisture and condensation control
We would always rather see a client invest in:
High-performance, thermally broken windows
Better wall, roof and under-slab insulation
Airtightness detailing and smart ventilation
Passive solar design and climate-responsive planning
Fewer rooms — but better, more beautiful ones
Because a smarter, healthier home will outperform a larger compromised one every time.
Build What You Need — Not What the Industry Tells You to Want
There is a cultural pressure to “maximise the build size” — to get the biggest house possible for the budget.
But when we step back and ask how people actually live, most families don’t need more rooms.
They need:
Spaces that feel generous through height, light and proportion
Living areas that connect meaningfully to outdoor spaces and gardens
Calm bedrooms with good air, warmth and acoustic comfort
Flexible spaces that adapt over time
Homes that feel grounded, effortless and restorative
Quality of space will always outperform quantity of space.
Beautiful Homes Are Designed — Not Upsized
A truly great home is defined by how it feels to live in, not how large it appears on a floor plan.
We believe in creating homes that prioritise:
Passive solar design tailored to the WA climate
Thoughtful ceiling heights where they add real value
Outlook, orientation and connection to landscape
Carefully considered gardens that extend the living experience
Materials that age gracefully and reduce long-term maintenance
A sense of calm, restraint and architectural integrity
A well-designed high-performance home can feel far more luxurious, generous and refined than a poorly planned 300m² one.
The Future of Sustainable Building Is Better — Not Bigger
As construction costs rise, environmental responsibility becomes more urgent and homeowners increasingly prioritise health and energy efficiency, the real question isn’t:
“How big can we build?”
It’s:
“How well can we build?”
At Two Hammers Construction, we’re committed to building high-performance, sustainable homes in Margaret River and the South West that prioritise:
Build quality
Energy efficiency
Indoor air quality
Longevity
And the lived experience of our clients
Let’s move past the obsession with size.
Let’s design and build homes that genuinely support wellbeing, reduce environmental impact and elevate daily life.
Quality over quantity — always.