Even the name ‘granny flats’ can bring on a bit of a vision: a little old flat, with a grandmother living out the back. But over the decades, granny flats have evolved, modernised and are an incredible living and financial opportunity for property owners. They’re helping with the housing crisis, keeping families together (ageing parents living close by, moving-out age children having a safe and viable option) and improving the value of your property. At Acrow, we build detached granny flats, as they are the most valuable and functional type of granny flats. But, it’s not the only type of granny flat, and we sometimes find people are a little confused about what one is, and between the kinds available.
There are three types of granny flats:
Detached
These are the granny flats that you will see while visiting an Acrow Granny Flat display. They are basically the floorplan and function of a standard home, but on a smaller scale and they sit detached from other dwellings on the property. There are regulations about placement on the property, where proximity to the border lines and neighbours comes into effect. This is the most popular kind of granny flat, and allows people to live separate and independent lives, while still being close by.
Home within a home
This is more of a renovation to an existing home, than a new build granny flat. In-home granny flats use the existing dwelling, knock out walls and reconfigure to create independent living – separate bedroom, living, kitchen, bathroom and no internal access. This is a choice made often by families who are looking for multi-generational living arrangements, have a dwelling that can support internal granny flats but their property cannot house a detached granny flat. It’s also an option for very elderly or sick parents or older relatives, where it might feel safer to have them inside the home.
Home-Extension Granny Flat
This option also uses an existing dwelling, however does not change the internal design. Instead, it is an extension of the house that suits independent living and has an external access door only. The extension is either on the same level and extends the overall square metre of the house, or is an additional storey on a house, where a staircase with external access is built. This is a less common choice, but does work for people who have limited space in their existing dwelling and on their overall property.
The choice of granny flat each comes with different considerations, regulations and cost, and it’s important to understand how that fits into your budget, land and house size, and overall needs for a granny flat. For more information on detached granny flats, call our knowledgeable and friendly team today.