Granny Flat Extension: Things to Consider Before Building One in Your Backyard
12 April 2023In the world of building and housing, granny flats are the newest big thing. People are turning to granny flats as a solution to rising rental costs, rapid home sales, and growing populations and families. Let’s dig deeper into what a granny flat is and what to consider before building one in your backyard.
What is a Granny Flat?
A granny flat is typically a smaller, separate residence with the same area and zoning as the primary residence. Granny flats, often called cottages, farmers’ houses, or guesthouses, are more than just places for the elderly to live in the community. Due to the lifting of zoning restrictions around residential properties by many Cities and Shires, savvy homeowners worldwide are building granny flats in their backyards to generate additional income, support their families, or improve their quality of life.
What is the Difference between Granny Flats and Tiny Homes?
Unlike tiny homes, granny flats are permanent, fixed structures that can be up to 700 square feet in size. Granny flats got their name from the multigenerational families that housed their elderly relatives or grandparents to keep them close in their final years. Still, they have evolved into multipurpose structures to serve all members of the family and even the general public.
Things to Consider When Building a Granny Flat in Your Backyard
- Access – With the council’s size restrictions, building a granny flat is excellent, but will potential visitors or tenants find it useful? Think about how they will enter the property and whether they can do it without entering your living area by walking on a path or over the lawn to their property.
- Parking – Not every backyard has a parking spot or a side entrance. To ensure an efficient and effective lifestyle, consider whether your renters or visitors might park on the street or in a designated parking lot.
- Privacy – The granny flat faces your home, right? Careful planning can significantly increase privacy. The functionality and comfort of both houses will be enhanced, and the granny apartment will be used to its fullest potential by positioning windows and doors away from the main house or designing entrances that won’t interfere on your own.
- Landscaping – How do you now make use of the backyard? Even though it may seem insignificant, if the area where your granny flat will be located is currently home to a clothesline or a temporary soccer field, make sure you have a plan for where they will go after it is constructed. Existing space for a backyard will go a long way towards improving your lifestyle, your tenants’ future lifestyle, or even the value of your home.
Granny flats are a popular and successful concept gaining traction in Melbourne and elsewhere. They provide innovative and practical solutions for working from home, making extra money, or sheltering loved ones. With careful planning and design, we at Prestige Construction and Design Sydney can assist you in creating a granny flat that complements the look and feel of your primary residence.
Call us at (02) 9888 3202 to speak with a member of our helpful team, and we’ll help you start designing and building your ideal granny flat so you can begin enjoying the advantages of adding a granny flat in your backyard as soon as possible.
