Granny flats suit many needs
Maxable Space and Backyard Grannys Australia have partnered for a blog collaboration to provide some inspiration on how you might be able to utilize a granny flat in your backyard.
Maxable helps homeowners maximize their property through the construction of a granny flat in America. While Backyard Grannys are a leading granny flat builder in Australia having built over 500 granny flats since 2011.
The decision to build a granny flat on an under-utilized parcel of your land is not a simple question of “will it fit”? You firstly you need to confirm if the planning authorities will permit the construction of an additional dwelling on the land, however, careful thought is also needed on the impact a granny flat will have on liveability.
There are many uses for a granny flat and in Australia, Backyard Grannys have built granny flats for many different reasons.
Whether it is to create additional living space for guests or family members, utilizing your property and creating short-term holiday accommodation or simply as an investment property, there are many ways to utilize a granny flat for your block.
Here are some examples of granny flats built by Backyard Grannys, that are not for the traditional purpose of housing elderly parents.
Create more living space with a granny flat
If you are planning a granny flat to increase the amount of available living space to cater to your family, friends and out-of-town guests, then aesthetics and features will be the focus.
Last year Backyard Grannys was approached by a Sydney family to build a granny flat that would function as a pool house and a space to accommodate visitors. We knew the brief would call for the epitome of modern living while optimizing space in the backyard.
We created a granny flat that has a real sense of space – with a skillion roof and raked ceilings in the living, kitchen and dining areas, and a wall of glass sliding doors overlooking the sparkling inground pool.
The kitchen became the internal focal point, featuring stone benchtops that extend across a center island bench, complete with a generous breakfast bar, and sleek bamboo flooring throughout added a luxurious touch.
Externally, beautiful travertine tiles connect the patio and pool areas and a retractable awning was installed to keep the paved areas cool in summer and protected from the elements. The inclusion of an outside shower to wash off sand following a day at the nearby beach was a practical bonus to complete the space.
And finally, the external façade of the granny flat matches the main house, tying the whole property together. A perfect outcome to ensure maximum use of the land, at a construction cost of just AUD$154,000.
Use your granny flat as an AirBnB
Maximizing the use of land to generate an additional income stream for the owners of a picturesque property was the decision maker to build a granny flat in the Hunter Region, north of Sydney.
Under instruction to ensure the living area and tiled patio be oriented north-facing to soak up the afternoon sun, this compact yet welcoming space includes all the features required for short term holiday accommodation.
It has two bedrooms, an open plan living/dining/kitchen area, and a combined bathroom/laundry, which is ample space to accommodate four adults comfortably for a short stay in the well-known Hunter Valley wine region.
Costing just AUD$121,000 to build, the granny flat is currently advertised on AirBnB for AUD$220 per night, providing an excellent return on investment. And the owners are thrilled with the result:
“We got everything we wanted and it was a quality result, we found the people very obliging and courteous, nothing was too much trouble. Our granny flat is quality workmanship and we are very proud of it. We have had many people staying in our granny flat and everyone always has good comments about how great it is.”
Create a second income stream with a granny flat
Investors in Australia are also flocking to the granny flat market as an alternative investment to apartments.
Historically, cities around Australia were divided into suburbs where a quarter-acre block was the norm. The size of the backyard was just as important as the size of the house as the Australian climate provided year-round opportunity to spend time outdoors.
Today, while rare, there are still quarter-acre blocks throughout suburban cities and savvy investors are snapping them up to create contemporary spaces that are apartment-like on the inside and have liveable outdoor spaces.
This granny flat built in the Newcastle suburb of Jewells was finished with a mix of contemporary designer external elements, combining vertical Linea and Horizontal Matrix cladding. A tiled alfresco area with a Blackbutt hardwood privacy screen was added to the design to serve as a functional extension of the living area.
Inside, the granny flat’s crowning piece is the designer kitchen featuring a custom glass splashback, Essa stone benchtops, and a breakfast bar. An investment of just AUD$215,000 was all that was needed to create this exceptional space, a figure the investor knows was money very well spent as this is now being rented out for $425 per week.
About Backyard Grannys
Backyard Grannys is an award-winning, Australian owned and operated company. We build designer granny flats throughout the Sydney, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, lower Hunter, and Port Stephens regions of the state of New South Wales.
Our expert team is committed to providing our clients with the highest level of service and quality workmanship. We treat each granny flat that we build as if it were our own and work collaboratively with you to ensure your granny flat is designed and built on schedule, to the highest standard and within your budget. Visit https://www.backyardgrannys.com.au/
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