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LANDED HOUSE BUILD CHECKLIST

 

 


LANDED HOUSE BUILD CHECKLIST (MALAYSIA) 
FOR ARCHITECT + CONTRACTOR 

  1. SITE & ORIENTATION (MANDATORY DESIGN INPUT) 
    • House oriented North–South (avoid west-facing main glass walls) 
    • Minimise west-facing windows (afternoon heat control) 
    •  Design for natural wind flow (cross ventilation) 
    • Identify slope & drainage flow before final layout 
    •  Ensure no flood risk during heavy rain 
  2. PASSIVE COOLING DESIGN (VERY IMPORTANT) 
    •  Cross ventilation in every room (windows on opposite walls where possible) 
    •  High ceiling design minimum 10 ft (prefer 11–12 ft living area) 
    • Staircase designed as air “chimney effect” (hot air escape) 
    •  Roof ventilation gap / ridge vent included 
    • West-facing walls protected with shading or buffer rooms 
    •  Trees/shading space planned on west side of house 
  3. HEAT CONTROL CONSTRUCTION 
    •   Roof insulation (foil + thermal layer mandatory) 
    • Light-coloured roof material or heat-reflective coating 
    • Heat-resistant exterior paint
    • Insulated ceiling for all upper rooms 
    • Minimise direct sun glass exposure on west side 
  4. WINDOWS & NATURAL LIGHT 
    •   Large windows on North/South sides 
    • Avoid excessive west-facing glazing 
    •  Natural daylight design (reduce need for artificial lights) 
    •  Provision for blackout curtains in bedrooms 
    • Optional: tinted or double-glazed glass for master bedroom 
  5. ELECTRICAL DESIGN (VERY IMPORTANT) 
    • DB BOARD (Distribution Board) 
      •  Separate circuits for: 
        •  Lighting (per floor / zone) 
        • Sockets (per room) 
        • Aircond (each room dedicated) 
        • Kitchen heavy load 
        • Outdoor lighting 
        • Water heater 
      •  Extra breaker slots (future expansion) 
        •  Space reserved for smart breaker upgrade (future-proofing) 
    •  WIRING INFRASTRUCTURE
      •  Extra conduit pipes in all rooms (future smart upgrades) 
      • LAN cable points in: 
        •  Living room 
        • TV area 
        • Study room 
        • Master bedroom 
      •  Extra wall socket points (minimum 20–30% more than standard) 
      • Dedicated power point for router + mesh WiFi system 
    • SMART HOME READINESS
      • Neutral wire available in all switch boxes (for smart switches) 
        •  Smart switch compatible wall boxes installed 
        •  Ceiling power points prepared for smart lighting 
        •  Motion sensor wiring points in: 
          •  Toilets 
          • Corridor 
          • Outdoor porch 
        •  Central control point space (living room recommended) 
    • SOLAR READINESS (FUTURE PROOF) 
      •  Roof orientation suitable for solar installation 
      •  Clear roof area reserved for panels (no obstruction design) 
      •  Conduit pipe from roof → DB board (pre-installed) 
      •  Space near DB board for inverter installation 
      • Ground space reserved for future battery system 
  6. WATER & DRAINAGE SYSTEM 
    •  Proper drainage slope away from house 
    •  Rainwater harvesting pipe routing included 
    •  Space reserved for water tank (backyard/side)
    •  Kitchen grease trap included 
    •  Separate plumbing for garden irrigation system 
  7. OUTDOOR DESIGN 
    •  Shade trees planned on west side 
    •  Backyard space for utility + ESG systems 
    •  Outdoor lighting points installed (front + back + side) 
    • Motion sensor-ready outdoor lighting points 
    • Garden irrigation piping provision 
  8.  ROOM LAYOUT FUNCTION DESIGN 
    •  Living room designed for airflow + entertainment zone 
    • Bedrooms placed away from west heat exposure where possible 
    • Kitchen isolated from main airflow path (heat control) 
    •  Bathrooms stacked vertically (for plumbing efficiency) 
    •  Staircase positioned for ventilation flow (not blocked core) 
  9.  FUTURE EXPANSION (VERY IMPORTANT) 
    •  Structural allowance for future extension (if needed) 
    •  Extra electrical capacity reserved in DB 
    •  Spare conduit pipes in walls and ceilings 
    • Roof structure allows possible solar expansion
    • Space reserved for smart system upgrades 
  10.  ENERGY EFFICIENCY TARGET 
    •  Design optimized for minimal aircond usage during daytime 
    • Ceiling fans planned in ALL rooms 
    •  Natural lighting reduces daytime electricity use 
    • House designed to reduce heat gain first (before adding tech) 
  11.  COMMON THINGS NOT TO MISS 
    •  Enough power sockets per room (avoid extension overload) 
    • Proper placement of WiFi router + mesh nodes 
    •  Outdoor waterproof electrical points 
    • Proper ventilation in bathrooms 
    •  Utility room for DB + inverter + control systems
  12.  FINAL INSTRUCTION TO ARCHITECT 
    •  ðŸ‘‰ “Design the house with passive cooling + energy efficiency as the first priority, and ensure all electrical and structural systems are future-ready for smart home and solar integration.” 

 RESULT OF THIS DESIGN 
 If followed properly, your house will: 
  •  ✔ Stay cooler naturally 
  • ✔ Reduce aircond usage significantly 
  • ✔ Be ready for smart home upgrades anytime 
  • ✔ Support solar system in future 
  • ✔ Have lower long-term electricity cost 
  • ✔ Be easier to maintain and upgrade


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