Today, we’re focusing on home renovations in good old ‘Straya, because home renovations and interior upgrades of all kinds require a little more thought when the warmer climate is a very pressing consideration. For example, you wouldn’t want to copy the example of the disproportionate home insulation needed in cooler climates. So, where do we begin?

It’s time to consider shutters (for at least ground level windows)

Plantation shutters offer increased security at ground level - and you can fit the whole house with shutters for a stylish upgrade if you wish. The thing with the climate down under is that the oppressive heat means we all need ventilation. No matter how well designed your home, even if it is shaped and angled and facing the right way to deflect as much of the sun’s heat as possible, you can’t get away from the fact that living in Australia is like walking past a roaring pizza oven, only, when you walk away, the heat follows. Try as we might with our building designs, our homes need help keeping cool. That’s where shutters come in, because you can’t leave windows wide open and unattended - especially ground floor windows.

Heat rises - your ventilation needs to take height into account

Ever wondered why air-con units are high upon walls? Ever wondered why the large silver air-con systems that tunnel and snake around the ceilings of supermarkets are so high up? Heat rises. That’s why upgrading your home in a hot climate should always include placing ceiling fans in the most used rooms (sky lights are another form of ventilation that can help deal with the rising heat).

Domestic sprinkler system

Fire is the enemy, and unfortunately, hot climates attract fire. Government data shows that house fires are frequent - take Victoria in 2014, where 3,000 house fires were reported and recorded. That’s over 8 per day (8.219 if we’re being exact). That’s a terrifying amount of house fire. The solution? Many people don’t even know that these options exist, but you can invest in a domestic sprinkler system. By all means, take the usual routes along the way, by which we mean looking into an upgraded smoke alarm system and fire extinguishers of different kinds placed strategically around the home, but for perhaps the ultimate in fire safety you need look no further than a home sprinkler.

Last tip … use fire resistant materials only

Carrying on from the last point, we’d just like to make quick mention of fire resistant materials. Whether you are upgrading your home in Oz or whether you are reading up on tips for upgrading your home in any other country with a hot climate, you need to consider only using materials that are fire resistant. Why? Because fires can start where direct intense sunlight comes into contact with things like the curved glass on a candle jar - this can focus the light onto nearby materials such as curtains or bedding or carpets. Without hammering the point home, upgrading your home in warmer climates should always mean paying due consideration to fire proof materials.