Top 5 priorities when designing a granny flat.

​​At IK Building and Construction, we meet with Townsville and north Queensland home-owners regularly to design custom built granny flats.

With the rise of popularity for granny flats to be used as tiny stand-alone homes, teenager retreats, a residence for retirees or as a home office, we thought we’d share our 5 top tips with designing a granny flat:

1. Customisation. Think about how you want to customise the space to suit your needs. Is it for your parents, your kids, yourself or perhaps you plan to rent it out. You’re building from scratch, so why not have it exactly how you want it.
2. Return on investment. Think about whether you are renting out the space, adding additional value to your home or saving on rent for the kids or your parents. Whichever angle you’re taking, consider the return on your investment.
3. Finishes. Think about whether you want high end finishes like 2 pak painted cabinetry and stone benchtops, or if you want basic laminate finishes. The finishes in a granny flat can be an area to save money or an area to really make it something special.
4. Utilisation of space. Consider what storage you need and how many square metres the project will be. You can utilise clever storage ideas like additional cupboards in the laundry, or a two-way access bathroom rather than an ensuite to give you what you want and save you buying excess furniture.
5. Open plan design. A modern open plan design can allow you to incorporate living, dining and kitchen into one open space. You will need to consider if this suits your needs, or if separate spaces are what you really want.