Granny flats offer several benefits and in the last decade have surged in popularity across Australia, as property prices have been steadily climbing. However, apart from adding value to your property granny flats offer great versatility and can be used as a separate lodging space, a play room for the kids or even serve as your man cave!
Building a granny flat can be a stressful process, particularly for the full time professional but it offers a great way to unlock the leverage sitting in your own backyard. NSW Building Solutions are experienced granny flat builders across the region and can assist in making the design and build process as stress free as possible.
In this article we will dive into the facts and some common misconceptions of building a granny flat. We hope that it will leave you in a better position to determine if you want to engage with a specialist from the outset or if you would like to take ownership for some aspects of the granny flat build process.
- Granny Flat Council Approval Process
It is a common misconception that it takes a long time to gain council approval for the construction of a granny flat. Given the direction of housing prices over the last decade in NSW new planning policies have been introduced to increase the supply and availability of affordable housing. Provided all the criteria is met it is relatively straight forward to obtain approval, current approval rates average between 6-8 weeks, while private certification can be done within 10 days.
- Granny Flat Size Restrictions
The minimum size for a block of land to house a granny flat is 450m2. This requirement can vary across local councils across NSW, but as a rule of thumb this is the minimum size to have in mind. There are also certain restrictions on the size of the granny flat itself, again as a general rule of thumb a granny flat must be under 60m2. However, at times exceptions can be made for carports and porches to take up additional space. Lastly, it is also important to keep in mind that you re limited to building only one secondary dwelling on each lot.
- Granny Flat Subdivision
Unless currently allowed under a local planning scheme, the construction of a granny flat doesn’t allow for subdivision of your property. You can still arrange to have a separate mailing address and individual utility bills but subdivision is not allowed.
- Granny Flat Design
It is important to remember you are not restricted to building a granny flat that is detached from the main dwelling. Whilst this is the common design that the majority of people settle upon it is important to consider options that are available such as converting a part of your existing home into an ancillary dwelling or adding an extension to your existing home. Essentially the design you settle on should be fit for purpose.
- Renting a Granny Flat
A granny flat can be used for multiple purposes, so it is important to decide on the predominate use before picking a design. The majority of people consider building a granny flat so they can earn rental income. Irrespective of if your use case falls within or outside this criteria elements such as privacy and accessibility are key considerations when determining rental price and resale value.
- Granny Flat Construction Budget
Just like building a house there are many off the shelf granny flat kits on the market. Going with one of these is definitely a cost-effective option but if you are after a more harmonious design with the main dwelling it is a good option to consider an architecturally designed granny flat. Although this will be more costly it is likely to add more value to your granny flat.
If you would like to discuss anyone of the points further or after more advice in terms of how to go about designing and building a granny flat of your down hesitate to get in touch with one of our team members.