Welcome to 2025!
January 8, 2025
Are you ready to start the process?
Happy New Year, everyone. After two weeks of unwinding, we are back and ready for an amazing year ahead. We hope your Christmas break was filled with all the trimmings and plenty of celebration and relaxation.
If you’ve been considering starting a Granny Flat
in 2025 for a family member or additional income, now is the time to begin the process. We often hear feedback that most people don’t think they have enough room on their property for a Granny Flat, but we are custom builders who specialise in secondary dwellings. We can create a Granny Flat that adheres with setbacks, and services and pays homage to the main dwelling externally; compliance is key!
From contact with our team to handover, you can expect a journey of approximately 6 – 8 months. The overall timing depends upon the speed at which plans are finalised by the client, and council timelines. Once we are on-site, things move quickly, and things happen fast.
Just a reminder that our Granny Flats are not ‘plonk ons’, ‘tiny homes’ or ‘relocatable homes’, they are built like any new home; with building approvals, foundations, and the full works up to 80m2... just minus a couple of bedrooms & garage off a standard modern Australian home. All Granny Flats include 2 AC units, ceiling fans, dishwasher and kitchen appliances, flyscreen, roller blinds, and stone benchtops – just to name a few items.
We look forward to hearing from you and wish you a wonderful year ahead.
So, you're ready to build. Maybe it's a Granny Flat for Mum, a teenager retreat, or a smart way to boost your property value. But before the dream takes shape, there's the not-so-glamorous hurdle of building approvals. We hear this question all the time from families across the South East Queensland: "How do I get building approval quickly and without all the runaround?" We've helped countless Queensland families cut through the red tape and get their Granny Flat projects moving faster. Here are our top tips to avoid lengthy approvals and start building sooner. First things first – the aim is to qualify as a Secondary Dwelling. We'll share how you can do this below, and knowing these secrets is where you're going to save both time and money! Secondary Dwelling Code: Your Fast-Track to Approval By following a few simple rules, you'll be able to have a Private Certifier approve your Granny Flat instead of your local council. This isn't just a faster turnaround time – it can also save you thousands of dollars. Even better, if you're adding a Granny Flat for additional income, you'll start seeing a return on your investment much sooner. Why Avoid Development Applications? All councils, including the City of Gold Coast, follow a standardised development assessment process guided by the Planning Act 2016 and the Development Assessment Rules. This process involves several lengthy stages, including application, referral, information requests and then finally the decision from Council. Fortunately, the City Plan supports secondary dwellings, therefore if you have followed the requirements and provided the necessary documents, in most cases you will get approval. This is however where you'll spend months waiting and where possible, want to avoid. Our Top Tips for Qualifying Under the Secondary Dwelling Code Here's how to stay within the rules and fast-track your approval: Stay Off the Boundaries There are minimum distances that secondary dwellings must be built from your boundary lines. Knowing what these are and building within those requirements will save you significant time when it comes to approvals – and determines which approval pathway you'll need to take. Stay Under 80m² - size matters There are a few variations, but keeping your Granny Flat under 80m² on the Gold Coast will mean you'll be eligible to classify it as a Secondary Dwelling, which means faster approvals and lower costs. Note: Each council varies slightly on sizing, just contact us to find out more. Build Within the Correct Zones For most areas, your Granny Flat needs to be built within a specific distance of your main property. On the Gold Coast it's 20 metres for a rural property, or 10 metres from eave to eave on a low/medium density home, but again this can vary depending on which council area you're in. Building your Granny Flat within these requirements can again avoid delays. These requirements will be available from your local council and providing you abide by the zoning regulations; you can proceed under the Secondary Dwelling pathway. The Bottom Line If you go outside these rules, the council gets involved as your project becomes "code assessable" and a Development Application will need to be lodged. This means months of waiting and thousands in additional costs. Stay within these simple guidelines and you can obtain Secondary Dwelling Code approval via a Private Certifier – meaning no council delays, faster approvals, and money saved. The best part? We've already decoded this process for you. Ready to build your Granny Flat smarter, not harder? Contact us today and discover how our proven process can get your project approved quickly and built to the highest standards. Let us help turn your vision into reality!
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