3 things to consider before building your granny flat
Building a granny flat can help increase the value of your property, maximise your rental return, add additional living space for a growing family or older family members, or help service the loan secured to your primary residence. Below are 3 things to consider before building your granny flat.
1. Can you build a granny flat on your property?
The minimum lot size and frontage required to build a granny flat differs amongst local councils, but a good guide is a minimum area of 450m2 and a minimum frontage of 12m (under the SEPP).
Your block may satisfy the minimum lot size and frontage requirements, but the shape of your land and positioning of the primary residence may make it difficult for your proposed granny flat to satisfy the building and planning controls of the SEPP (State Environmental Planning Policies) or DCP (Development Control Plans).
Your granny flat can’t be built over a stormwater easement. Most properties will not be affected.
2. Lodge a DA or CDC application?
You will need to consider whether to lodge a DA through your local council or a CDC application through your private certifier. Both have different planning guidelines for granny flats.
For Example, under the SEPP (CDC) the dwelling must remain 3m from the rear boundary (for lot sizes of 450-900m2), but under particular DCP’S (DA), your granny flat can sit 0.9m from the rear boundary. Therefore, if you are designing a granny flat on a smaller block under the SEPP you may be compromising the backyard area of the primary dwelling, in this case you may consider a DA application to increase the proximity between the primary and secondary dwelling.
CDCs are a fast tracked approval process and are often approved in less time than a DA (length of DA process varies, depending on project and local council). If your property meets the criteria to be eligible for CDC approval, and the planning requirements under the CDC satisfies your desires for your granny flat, lodging a CDC application would likely be recommended.
3. Brick veneer or cladding?
When choosing the material for the external walls of your granny flat, it is helpful to understand the pros and cons of both brick veneer and cladding.
Brick veneer Pros
Brick veneer, for many, has a more aesthetic and modern appearance.
Virtually no maintenance is needed. It is a durable material, resistant to extreme weather conditions.
Brick is a thick and dense material making it a good choice for sound insulation. The closer your granny flat is positioned to the primary residence the more you should consider brick.
Brick veneer Cons
Brick veneer has a total thickness of 250mm, which means your internal wall will encroach a further 150mm into your internal living space when compared to a cladded stud wall. You could potentially lose 10% of your internal living space, which is valuable space given the tight floor area constraints for granny flats (60m2).
It is more costly, especially when compared to vinyl cladding options.
Cladding Pros
The main types of cladding used on granny flats are usually fibre cement and vinyl. Cladding is usually cheaper than brick, which is important to consider when building your granny flat for investment purposes.
Cladding means you can avoid encroaching the additional 150mm into the living space of your granny flat, therefore maximising your internal floor space.
Cladding Cons
Cladding options are not as durable as brick and usually require more maintenance.
Cladding like fibre cement needs to be re-painted throughout the life of the structure, and is more prone to impact damage.
Cladding is relatively thin and in turn lacking the sound insulation qualities that brick possesses.
Contact Zuri Construction today
We know it can be a lot to take in if you haven’t been through the process before, so feel free to contact us today if you have any questions regarding your granny flat build. We can arrange a free consultation to help guide, design and build your future granny flat at a competitive price.