The ultimate Granny Flat Masterclass – 7 of the most painful mistakes you need to avoid at all costs!
Before deciding on your new Granny Flat, there are at least 7 painful mistakes to avoid to ensure your investment is not only designed, fit for purpose – But you also end up with a beautiful new Granny Flat, guaranteed to increase your equity and mitigate any risk of or concerns with non compliant solutions. The Granny Flat Masterclass was held at the Build & Design Center in August of 2024 and hosted by Adrien Mamet of Mamet Homes.
This represents PArt 1 of the presentation where we covered the traps and pitfalls to avoid when considering building a secondary dwelling like a Granny Flat
Contingency Plan – Its always a great idea to think about what the secondary use for your brisbane granny flat will be. the Granny Flat Masterclass outlines many ways that your Granny Flat can have a second life
The second painful mistake with Granny Flats is selecting a budget imported granny flat. The Granny Flat Masterclass highlighted the massive issues with these types of units! From a compliance issue through to the quality of the builds – so many people have been caught out purchasing an imported granny flat, only to be left heartbroken when they realise they cant get them through councils – which leaves them un insured!
This Granny Flat Masterclass explained how SQM rates can get skewed due to the smaller footprint of these types of dwellings. So many people focus on the SQM rates of dwellings, but these often are skewed by the big builders anyway to fit a specific narrative. If you’re focusing on the SQM rate, then this is the wrong metric to use when selecting someone to build your granny flat!
Another area to watch when thinking about a Granny Flat – Kits. Granny Flat Kits should be selected carefully to mitigate risks. Anyone can put together a Granny Flat Kit to re sell, and thats the issue. You dont need to be overly knowledgeable and there is very little risk to the retailer, who is just acting as the middle man. Once again, you have added another person sticking their finger in the pie, and the only builders who will build a kit, are often very in experienced – if they even have qualifications!
The Granny Flkat Masterclass also covered Building Brokers – There was a lot to cover as building brokers can often be a non necessary expense, or they could lead you to the wrong builder!
One area that many people dont realise could be an issue is fitting out an old shed to become a granny flat. Asides from potential mould issues, most sheds are not designed to take the added weight of internal linings!
Scope creep was one of the last mistakes covered in the Granny Flat Masterclass. This is one are where clients often blow their budget by adding extra items during the build. This can often play havoc with your project budget and time lines!
There was one last element we felt we had to ad to The Granny Flat Masterclass – The changes to the NCC Building codes, or better known as The National Construction Codes of Australia. These codes recently went through a total overhaul, and the new codes had an enormous impact on Granny Flats.
