Few Q on all time hit 'Granny Flat'

[PropertInvestor]

1. As per my understanding we can get approval for building granny flat either from Accredited Certifier or Council. Is this correct ?
What is difference in terms of getting approval from Private certifier or DA to council.

2. What are the things to look for before buying house with a view to build granny flat ? (Like it should be more than 450 sqm)

3. How to make sure granny flat meets following requirement as mentioned in affordable house doc on govt. site

a) The combined total floor area of the house and the granny flat complies with the floor space area controls in the local environment plan
b) The granny flat meets planning controls such as building height and setbacks, floor space ratios, and open space in the local environmental
plan and/or the complying development provisions in the Affordable Rental Housing SEPP
c) The granny flat meets the requirements of the Building Code of Australia

4. What type of land is best to develop granny. Is it corner block ?

 

[Propertunity]

All the answer to these Qs will vary from council to council.

Best to ask a Private Certifier in the council area where you are intending to buy/build - they will know it all for your particular circumstance.

 

[devo76]

Council sucks. My property has a council approved attached granny flat with seperate entrance. Happy days you would think. But when it comes to building another house on the back( dual oc ). They now consider the flat to be a dual oc not a granny flat !!!!!!!! Only way I can get the da accross the line is to build an all weather enclosed connection to the house and remove the laundry making the house a shared laundry. It's crazy that the nsw rules allow detached granny flats yet my council are making me join an already approved and built one !!!!!!!!

That's my rant.

 

[Rockstar]

That's my rant.

Devo, I thought I read in the GF legislation that you can only have 1 of either a dual occ or granny flat. ie: you can't do both on the one block and you can't have a granny flat on a strata titled dwelling.

 

[devo76]

Devo, I thought I read in the GF legislation that you can only have 1 of either a dual occ or granny flat. ie: you can't do both on the one block and you can't have a granny flat on a strata titled dwelling.

Not sure about that but my da includes subdivision of the new dwelling so it should have been ok. In the end I have to play the game. The connection to the main house will add value and it can still be locked to maintain the seperation. Basically it will not be considered a flat. Just an extention of main residence. I don't care as long as the floor plan ia approved. I could always apply to get it approved as a granny flat after the subdivision under the new rules but if it's already da approved (as an extension)by council at that stage there is probably no point.

 

[brazen]

Hi,

The answers to your questions:

- If the property qualifies, you can totally bypass Council and go to a Private Certifier instead. This is much better due to time, cost and less beaurocracy. In order to qualify, quite a few numeric and prescriptive controls must me met. Some of these inculde:
- Land must be at least 450 sq m, min. 12 m wide.
- Not Bush-Fire Prone or Flood-Prone land.
- Depending on size of the block, roughly 25% of the land (after development) must be landscaped area (turf/gardens). Min. 1/2 of this area must be in the rear yard (after developement) and not little strips of land. i.e. can't be cumulated from 1m wide strips of turfed land.

Things to look for when buying land
- Sewer Easement location. If the Sewer mains is in the proximity of the proposed structures' location, expect to pay about $1,500 to mitigate it.

- Slope. Its much better if the property slopes to the street; if not, there should be a registered drainage easement available. Otherwise you'd have to go through a horrible process of offering monetary compensation to downstream neighbours, plus pay for a new easement. Cost is $25,000 or more.

- Trees. Tree regulations ignore boundaries, so if a protected tree is within 4m of your proposed location, be prepared for expensive removal fees, or refusal to remove it. Remember that the rear setback requirements for Granny Flats are usually 3m (5m if its over 900 sq m). so a tree at the rear is usually ok, whereas a 'significant' native tree at or near the side boundary is usually bad.

- Corner blocks are prefered but not essential for obvious reasons- access, drainage, privacy, investment potential etc.

- The SEPP requirements for height, size, BCA compliance and design can be met through thoughtful design and don't usually pose a problem.

- Floor Space (combined) to be max. 330 sq m for blocks under 600 sq m. If the land is over 600 sq m, then its 380 sq m. Calculation includes upper storeys but excludes awnings, eaves, paving/driveways and swimming pools.

- Site Coverage (covered roofed areas) to be min. 50%, 40% if the land is over 900 sq m. If the house is 2-storey and floor space is say 200 sq m, then only 100 sq m is considered as 'site coverage'.

I Hope this helps you.

P.S. For developers, I charge a fee to investigate all of these axioms plus pipelines/easements, do searches and check against the State and Local Planning policies etc. Not trying to advertise, just responding to a PM.

Brazen.

 

[Rockstar]

Good info Brazo. Where you been mate?

The only questionable piece of info is the minimum 25k to create a drainage easement. A friend of mine is constructing a duplex at present and had to create an easement through 2 properties. I am pretty sure it cost him only around 5k for surveyor, legals and registration.

 

[Savanna100]

I think what brazen means is that the granting of an easement by the neighbour, who has access to the sewer tie or the like in their yard, is the $25k mentioned. The things you mention are regulatory fees.
The $25k buys a "right" being offered by the neighbour.

 

[Rockstar]

Sure Savannah, I guess this is all negotiable though. In the case of my friend, he negotiated extraordinarily well. Amazingly the neighbours didn't ask for a cent.

 

[Steve Fitz]

Council sucks. My property has a council approved attached granny flat with seperate entrance. Happy days you would think. But when it comes to building another house on the back( dual oc ). They now consider the flat to be a dual oc not a granny flat !!!!!!!! Only way I can get the da accross the line is to build an all weather enclosed connection to the house and remove the laundry making the house a shared laundry. It's crazy that the nsw rules allow detached granny flats yet my council are making me join an already approved and built one !!!!!!!!

That's my rant.

A number of councils are being approached about this very subject in Perth. Costs of living are rising as is affordability in housing, so granny flats are a great way of servicing higher density living and/or providing a bit of extra income from student letting etc..

It'll be nice when the change finally comes.

 

[brazen]

Good info Brazo. Where you been mate?

The only questionable piece of info is the minimum 25k to create a drainage easement. A friend of mine is constructing a duplex at present and had to create an easement through 2 properties. I am pretty sure it cost him only around 5k for surveyor, legals and registration.

Hi Rockster Been working like 100 hrs a week!

The 25k is an average approximation. It includes (approx)
the Surveyor $1200
Drainage Engineer $1200
Registration Fees $1500
Compensation to Neighbour $15,000 (some accept less...but rarely under 10k)
Physical Works (Labour)- $6,000+

I've only seen 1 case in 12 yrs where a downstream neighbour allowed an easement for free. I think she had dementia?

So I didn't just pluck that figure out from nowhere, it's something I deal with every day

 

[PropertInvestor]

Thank you brazen

 

[reeco]

A number of councils are being approached about this very subject in Perth. Costs of living are rising as is affordability in housing, so granny flats are a great way of servicing higher density living and/or providing a bit of extra income from student letting etc..

It'll be nice when the change finally comes.

Heard anymore on this one steve? Do Perthites have different set of rules in general? Then say in comparison to NSW..

 

[BV]

Trees. Tree regulations ignore boundaries, so if a protected tree is within 4m of your proposed location, be prepared for expensive removal fees, or refusal to remove it.
Brazen.

Brazen

If you go through a private certifier do you still need to seek council approval to cut a tree?
Does the council allow the removal of gum trees if the tree is in the proposed location?

Can you use the existing property sewer line to connect to or do you have to run a separate line to the front of the property?

Cheers

 

[brazen]

Brazen

If you go through a private certifier do you still need to seek council approval to cut a tree?
Does the council allow the removal of gum trees if the tree is in the proposed location?

Can you use the existing property sewer line to connect to or do you have to run a separate line to the front of the property?

Cheers

Hi Bill,

Thats a good question. Generally speaking you need separate approval for tree removal. Its better in most cases, where you need to remove a SIGNIFICANT NATIVE TREE, to apply to Council for the entire project.

Re: Sewer
Yes you can use the existing 'private' service line... Council will however write a condition into the approval that you get a Sydney Water 'Stamp' on the Site Plan from a Sydney Water Quick Check Agent. This stamp is always required before works commence.
Building anywhere near a Sydney Water 'Board's Sewer' (The Mains Line) will mean additional infrastructure costs i.e Peg-Out, Engineer etc. costs an additional $1,800 or so.
Whatever depth the sewer mains' line is, you must be twice that distance away from it. So if the Sewer Mains is 2 m deep, you must be 4 m away from it to avoid the additional cost mentioned above. Ridiculous rule but there it is.

Council don't want to know about sewer, electricity, gas, water or data lines but they're required to prescribe that stamp I mentioned above.

P.S. My website is intentionally closed right now because Im going overseas for 3 weeks. I just don't want any new work at the moment- first holiday in 5 yrs. cya's after that xo