FAQs
For even the most organized and experienced renovators, working through complex council regulations, approvals and restrictions can be a nightmare. Stress less, that’s where we come to the rescue – Ipswich Granny Flats can take care of that for you.
If you are thinking that a granny flat may be the answer to your space problems or perhaps you are looking to increase your rental yield on your investment, here are some FAQ’s that may assist you:
Q. Are there any restrictions on granny flats?
A. Yes, Ipswich City Council has set a maximum size limit on granny flats –currently it’s a maximum of 50sqm of living space with one bedroom, not including car accommodation or outside under roofline entertainment space such as a deck. But the Ipswich Planning Scheme 2024 is under review and potentially the size of the Granny Flat may increase to 60m2, 2 bedroom.
There are of course, other building approval criteria.
Q. Do I require rezoning of my property to obtain building approval for a granny flat?
A. No – a rezoning is not required.
Q. How do I know if my property is suitable? What are the requirements for building a granny flat on my block?
A. As a free service, Ipswich Granny Flats can do an initial assessment of your site to see if your property is suitable for such. Some builders are now charging $500 or more for this service.
Q. Does the granny flat have to be separate from the house, or can it be attached?
A. You can have it attached or as a stand alone building from the main dwelling. It will depend to some degree how the existing house sits on the block, but we can advise you free of charge on this aspect.
Q. Can I have a custom designed Granny Flat?
A. Yes, ABSOLUTELY! We will work with you personally. We design all our granny flats site specific, per property for the perfect fit. No cookie cutter plans here !
We are very pleased to have an architect that’s part of our Granny Flat Team – Russell Wombey, who has had over 50 year’s experience in passive solar house design work.
Q. How complete is the house when it is delivered to my site?
A. We are not a kit home company. All of our homes are built onsite, just like a new home – only on a smaller scale. Once we have the completion and occupancy certificate, we can hand over the keys!! Or if it’s for your investment property, we can assist in finding a suitable tenant … it’s that easy !!
We always recommend a set of professional photos on completion – that way they can be used any time you need to secure a new tenant.
Q. If I want to build a granny flat, how long will it be until I or my new tenants can move in ?
A. Once we have the formal approvals, on average it takes approximately 8 – 10 weeks to build depending on supply and demand.
Q. Do I have to arrange for services to be connected?
A. We can organise service connections, but we can’t organise any NBN connections as Telstra will only deal with the owners direct.
Q. Do I have to deal with council – I have never built a home before?
A. You can have complete peace of mind with an Ipswich Granny Flat build – we handle all council applications, soil testing and any other regulatory issues under most circumstances.
Q. Why would I choose Ipswich Granny Flats over another housing company?
A. A niche was identified in 2011 and Ipswich Granny Flats was born – I saw it as a great opportunity for investors and homeowners alike.
I’ve always been passionate about property and great building design, having bought my first house at 19 years of age – a true property geek ! And have worked in the industry for many years now.
At Ipswich Granny Flats we are passionate about design principles using passive solar orientation and sustainability but also about being affordable to the average mum and dad. We can design something that is suitable for the property but also suits you, our clients needs.
Q. Does my granny flat come with any warranty or guarantees? What if something needs repairing?
A. We provide all the applicable warranties as per any new home in Queensland. And we are more than happy to answer questions you might have during the whole process …
Q. Will one person be my contact throughout the whole process?
A. Yes, I will be your point of contact. But I also include our licenced builder early on in the process – I always think its good for any potential client to be able to talk to the builder himself as well.
We will both look after you throughout the entire process. Once you have signed your building contract our Construction Manager will oversee the project to completion – ready for handing the keys over.