One of the first questions homeowners always have about building a second dwelling is about council approval. So do you need council approval to build a granny flat?
According to the NSW Affordable Housing State Environmental Planning Policy all complying residential home-owners can build a granny flat on their property without the traditional council approval process. To be eligible for the “no council approval” process, there are certain site and design requirements that need to be met.
The NSW Affordable Housing SEPP allows granny flats in NSW to be approved as a complying development and all you need to do is get a CDC (complying development certificate) from a Certifier. Alternatively, you can work with a builder like Backyard Grannys and we take care of all the red tape for you!
This legislation means that residential homeowners can save a lot of time and money, as they do not require granny flat approvals on their property. In saying that, the project is subject to some minimum requirements.
The minimum site requirements for a granny flat approval as a complying development include:
The setback requirements to obtain approval for a granny flat is based on your lot size and they are categorised by size ranges in square meters: 450-900, 900-1500 and over 1500. See the setback requirements in the table below:
Approval process aside, there are a few other commonly asked questions from homeowners looking to add a granny flat to their property.
The short answer is yes, you can alter part of your existing house into a granny flat. However, the alterations you make to create the granny flat must comply with specific requirements set out by government and council regulations.
Unfortunately, no, you can not build more than one granny flat on the same property. Residential properties can only have one secondary dwelling alongside your primary dwelling (the main or existing house).
In NSW, the maximum size of a secondary dwelling, like a granny flat, is 60sqm. However, it is possible to build a granny flat with a floor space that is larger than this if your block of land is big enough. However, it’s best to discuss this with your granny flat builder when planning your project.
Our granny flat designs come in 1, 2 and 3 bedroom floor plans, all of which are designed to meet the criteria for a complying development and other specified regulations.
At Backyard Grannys we have built high-quality granny flats for over 10 years for over 1,000 happy customers. Our designs have been honed over years of experience to ensure your granny flat is perfectly suited to your lifestyle, budget and site requirements.
Our expert team can also modify any of our standard designs to suit your personal needs. Contact us on (02) 4947 2800 today to arrange a visit to a display home today and see what a granny flat could add to your property, or check out a virtual tour.
Looking for more information on building a granny flat, contact our team today and we’ll answer all your questions!