That wasn’t the direction taken on this project.

During our early conversations, it became clear that preserving the character of the existing home was important to the owners. They wanted a generous new living area that felt contemporary, opened up to the outdoor space, and blended naturally with the house they already loved.

Instead of extending under the existing roof, we designed a prefabricated addition linked to the main house through a glazed connection. It proved to be a surprisingly efficient solution. By preserving much of the original structure, we avoided many of the costs and complexities that often come with conventional extensions.

The challenge was making sure the new addition didn’t overpower the original home. The existing stonework already had plenty of character, so the design needed to complement it rather than compete with it. We ultimately chose dark timber cladding for the new structure, creating a clear distinction between old and new while maintaining a cohesive overall look.

The large glass openings were another important decision. Standing in the completed space, you can look directly across the terrace and pool area, with natural light reaching deep into the interior throughout the day. Even on overcast afternoons, the room feels bright and connected to the outdoors.

Because much of the construction was completed off-site, the installation phase moved far more quickly than many people would expect. Several neighbours stopped to ask how the project seemed to appear almost overnight once work commenced on site.

Today, the extension serves as an additional living and entertaining area, but the flexibility of the layout means it can easily evolve over time. It could become a home office, a guest retreat, accommodation for family members, or simply a quiet place to escape the busier parts of the house.

What stands out now that the project is complete is how naturally the extension sits alongside the original home. Visitors are often surprised to learn it wasn’t part of the original build. For us, that’s usually a good sign. The best additions don’t compete with the existing house—they simply make it work better.

For more information

Garden | Studios.

The post A Modern Extension Without the Usual Compromises appeared first on Completehome.

The tiny house movement has gained a lot of traction in Australia in recent years, with more and more people realising you can pack a lot into a small space without compromising on style, functionality or liveability. This revolution in thinking — in tandem with the ever-growing need to provide families with a range of flexible, affordable and design-led multigenerational living options — has spurred home builders and granny flat designers to greater heights.

“Granny flat designs have become much more stylish and the designers more savvy in ensuring all space is used correctly. A granny flat is definitely not just a converted shed out in the backyard any more. It is expected to be well-thought-out with exceptional storage and space-saving solutions while offering high quality inclusions to match the main house,” says Nathan Thurston, McDonald Jones Homes’ marketing manager.

The use of the granny flat has also changed. “The term granny flat has now evolved to encompass a place where grandparents, adult children or siblings can live. The cost of living is high, so a granny flat keeps different generations together and alleviates financial pressure. This might be because it provides a cost-effective way to look after elderly parents or is a means to help adult children save for a deposit on a home of their own,” says David Bourke, marketing manager for Clarendon Homes.

Infinite variety

There is no shortage of companies specialising in granny flats, and that includes modular experts such as Parkwood Modular Buildings, but, increasingly, they’re being offered by the big volume home builders such as Clarendon Homes, which offers internal granny flats integrated into the design of the main home as well as one- and two-bedroom detached granny flats. McDonald Jones Homes also offers a standalone option with a choice of one or two bedrooms and either an alfresco or patio.

For those who prefer an attached granny flat, Rawson Homes gives families that option with some of its homes. Because the dwellings share a fully compliant fire wall, this allows them to be classed as separate dwellings, giving you the option to rent out the granny flat for income if you don’t plan to use it for your extended family. Stroud Homes, on the other hand, offers both attached granny flats (available with seven of their home designs) and a choice of one- and two-bedroom standalone dwellings.

Says Nicky Lowson of Stroud Homes Northern Rivers, “External granny flats ensure privacy and separate living and access, while with attached, under-the-one-roof designs you are only separated by a party wall.” Adds David, “With a detached granny flat, yards can be fenced off to give to give the feel of a separate property. This is particularly popular on a corner block.”

Myriad uses

According to research conducted by Gateway Credit Union in 2016, the top uses for granny flats are additional space for recreation (32 per cent), a home office (25 per cent), additional rental income from tenants or Airbnb (23 per cent), house aging parents (20 per cent) and enabling children to stay at home longer (17 per cent). The research also showed one third of homeowners are currently considering the addition of a granny flat, with a further 22 per cent saying that they may consider this in the future.

“The cost of living and the aging population has really boosted the granny flat market as we see families moving back in together. University-aged children are also living at home longer and this gives the opportunity to stay at home but have privacy and a space to call their own. The granny flat can then be used at a later stage for elderly parents — it’s quite flexible,” says Nathan.

“A granny flat can also be a great source of income for homeowners to rent it out or make an income from Airbnb. In Sydney, a two-bedroom granny flat could achieve a weekly rent of approximately $350,” he adds. Of course, a well-designed granny flat can perform other important roles, too — as guest accommodation, a home office, a studio, a pool house or a prayer room. Or its role can change as the family’s needs change.

The practicalities

All states and local councils have strict planning and building regulations regarding the approval, construction and use of granny flats. That said, in NSW the approval process has been made easier to meet the growing demand for more affordable housing options. In NSW, council approvals may take just six to eight weeks whereas in Victoria and Queensland, the process may take up to a year.

Generally speaking, a granny flat needs to be under 60sqm to comply but regulations vary, as does the minimum land size needed. A good guide is to have at least a 450sqm block but consideration needs to also be given to the size of the main home. The combined size and footprint of both the main home and granny flat must be under a certain amount to comply.

Never forget that with all dual occupancies you need to obtain development consent from the local council before proceeding. This means a Development Application must be lodged with council before building while any adjoining party walls must also be suitably fire rated. And you need to check with the council in regards to a range of issues, from zoning and covenants to costs of contributions. Also remember that building a granny flat does not permit the actual subdivision of your property, unless it’s already allowed under a local planning scheme.

Now or later?

“If you’re building a new home and have plans for a granny flat down the track, there are a number of reasons it makes sense to consider doing both at the same time,” says Nathan. “Constructing them in unison means you can integrate both designs to achieve a natural flow between the two buildings and ensure their overall styles complement each other.

“What’s more, you’ll be able to make the two dwellings look the same with matching fixtures and fittings without running the risk of materials being discontinued over time. There are also significant cost benefits to building them together because it is far more efficient and cost-effective to do so when you already have workers on site.”

Nicky agrees, saying it makes financial sense to build them together and that it’s a trend she’s seeing in new builds and knockdown-rebuilds. “While building a granny flat will cost slightly more than just building a much bigger house to accommodate everyone as you have another kitchen, bathroom, laundry etc to fit out, building it at the same time as the home is more cost-effective — as is building an attached granny flat as opposed to a detached granny flat,” she says.

The financial side

“A home will always have a higher resale value with a granny flat as there is additional space for the family or even an additional source of income, and this is very attractive for the astute investor or owner-occupier,” says Nathan.
And if you’re wondering if a granny flat is a good rental prospect, it depends. If it’s well designed and well-built, is in an area where people are looking for reasonably priced or short-term accommodation, and is close to public transport and shops, then it can provide a decent return.

That said, granny flat rental regulations vary from state to state, so check first before making any decisions with rental potential in mind. In fact, thoroughly research all aspects before deciding to build a granny flat, whatever your goal. Says Nicky, “Definitely look at all the costs and potential benefits. Consider things like liveability, how you’ll use the dwelling, what future income you might make and your property’s resale value. Rules, requirements and fees can vary from council to council so you need to do your research before you start with plans. The best idea is to find a builder who can help you with the entire process, from planning to handover.”

The post Granny flats are not just for grannies appeared first on Completehome.

If you’re still under the impression that a granny flat is a bare-bones proposition — something basic that provides for life’s necessities and nothing more, think again. And if you believe that your only options are to have it attached to the main home or built as a freestanding dwelling, there’s good news. Clarendon Homes is offering the multigenerational family a very exciting option — an internal granny flat in which style, comfort and a touch of glamour are the hallmarks.

The Bayside 41, shown here and on display at the Parklea Super Centre in Stanhope Gardens, NSW, is a case in point. Under its roof you will find an internal granny flat with a smart, space-maximising floor plan and a modern, luxurious interior design. This is an acknowledgement that the occupants of the granny flat deserve the same high level of finishes and fittings, attention to design detail and liveability as those dwelling in the main home.

Fully-functional and self-contained, the granny flat is ideal for a range of situations that require additional family members to live-in. It might be used for an adult child who is trying to save money for a house of their own, elderly parents or in-laws. Or it might just be that you have extended family members or friends who regularly come for lengthy visits.
The internal granny flat has one bedroom and one bathroom, a private kitchen, an open-plan living and dining area as well as a sliding glass door that opens onto a side patio or garden. It also offers occupants a separate side access, providing a sense of independent living.

The main home is designed for the larger family with a choice of four or five bedrooms. If you don’t need the fifth downstairs bedroom, that space can be used as a study or home office. At the heart of the home is a gourmet kitchen that sits adjacent to a spacious lounge area and next to a light and bright dining space. Upstairs there are four bedrooms and a leisure area.
The same colour scheme and palette of materials was employed in both the main home and the internal granny flat. This includes Quantum Quartz Storm benchtops, Polytec Notaio Walnut joinery throughout, and smooth 600mm x 600mm tiles in the granny flat and to the ground floor of the main dwelling. As to the design of both, the look is clean-lined and contemporary.

Clarendon’s internal granny flat provides a clever layout option that can be employed with a number of its designs. By building a home with an internal granny flat, you have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that however your family’s needs change, you’ll have it covered. As you can see, a self-contained living space is the ideal way to future-proof your home, ensuring you have all the flexibility and functionality you need, whatever is to come.

For more information

Clarendon Homes

Photography by Maree Homer & Florian Groehn

Originally in Build Home Magazine Volume 25 Issue 3

The post Touch of glamour: a chic home design with granny flat appeared first on Completehome.

Joe Simundza of Southern Belle Constructions, who describes himself as a conventional old-school carpenter/builder, is right at home doing cut on-site framing and pitched roofing. He’s building another house for his family at Church Point in Sydney’s north and in doing so, he is drawing on his 36 years of experience — and his love of a challenge.

The site of Joe’s new home has a 22-degree slope which, when you reach the bottom third, becomes a 30-degree fall. “You can walk along the top part but it’s hard-going. I’ve built a number of homes on steep blocks like this but they’ve been timber pole homes,” says Joe with a smile. One of these pole homes was so impressive it was featured on the TV show, Best Homes Australia.

In addition to the steep slope, the site presented other challenges: limited space in which to work, bad access for equipment, and overhead powerlines which prevented the use of cranes. This meant the cost to manually move materials down and across the site would be astronomical.

“Because of the weight, extra complexity of the site and restricted use of equipment, I decided not to build a timber pole-style home like I had done before. I guess I’ve been there, done that,” explains Joe. “Instead, I decided to use the Boxspan Steel Flooring System from Spantec — mainly because it is lightweight, has a range of bearers and is easy to handle. I had used their steel bearers and joists before but only for floors in small, tight extensions.

“Once we poured the footings, it was time to really get out of the ground and deal with the slope, so we used what came naturally — we used gravity to our advantage,” continues Joe. “We rolled tin sheeting into half U-shapes and, in stages, laid each roll down the 89m length of the block. Then we simply let gravity do the work and the beams easily slid down the sheeting. This process saved us many days and a lot of back-breaking work, because the beams are so much lighter than what I have used on other sites.” Boxspan steel beams are made of high-tensile steel which allows them to be very strong, yet lightweight.

The thing that totally surprised Joe was how quick the steel kit flooring system was to put in. “It’s not rocket science to put it together,” he says. “We had four floor areas to install, starting with the lowest and smallest on the block — the granny flat. Even though this was the smallest of the floors, it took a bit longer than the others given the 30-degree slope and the time it took to get our heads around the piers as we were over-thinking it.”

It took two to three days to install the granny flat floor and about a day each to install the subsequent three floors. “Normally, when you complete a particular job, you’re happy it’s over, but the boys and I felt we could continue with another and another as we really had gotten into the groove of screw-fixing instead of using our nail guns,” says Joe.

“It may sound odd given my background as a chippy, but I’m sick of nailing timber blocking between timber floor joists and dealing with squeaky floors. If we did the floors in timber bearers and joists and timber poles like I’ve done previously, we would have taken a hell of a lot longer to level and complete each floor platform. Because we used the Boxspan flooring system, we saved around four to five days per floor, or about 16 to 20 days for all the floors — and we saved about $20,000 on machinery.

“Another benefit of using the Boxspan Steel Flooring System is we didn’t need to incur the added expense of retaining walls as we followed the gradient of the land with little disturbance to the site,” he adds. Joe is currently finishing off the suspended top garage levels and driveway, both due for completion in early 2018.

This steel kit flooring system is delivered in kit form to site with bearers and joists cut to length. Perimeter bearers are marked with joist locations and pre-punched ready for brackets to be screw-fixed. Brackets and screws are part of the floor kit, along with detailed working drawings to make installation easy.

Ezipier adjustable piers and the Ezibrace subfloor bracing system were also incorporated into this kit, with pier posts cut on-site close to the required height. Final modifications were made with the adjustable Ezipier heads to get to the correct floor level.

Spantec Systems delivers to most areas Australia-wide.

For more information

Spantec Systems

The post Working smarter: overcoming a steeply sloping site with steel kit flooring appeared first on Completehome.

There are countless benefits to working from home — no daily commute or annoying co-workers among them — but there can be challenges. For example, if you have a house full of children, getting peace and quiet in those tumultuous hours before and after school can be near impossible.

Building an office in the garden can be a great solution and it’s one that increasing numbers of Australians are doing. Your garden can provide a light-filled and serene space in which to work. In a large garden, an office can be nestled into the landscape and located some distance from the home, but even in smaller outdoor spaces, an office can be seamlessly integrated. Some garden offices are pre-fabricated pods, some are converted shipping containers, others are custom-built structures, but they all offer the benefit of an office away from the noise and distraction of family life, not to mention a leafy outlook. Of course it’s not just our home offices that are taking root in the garden. There are art and yoga studios, gyms, teenager retreats, and outdoor living spaces that double as a spare bedroom when guests come to stay.

The easy life

The growing interest in garden offices and backyard studios is mostly about convenience. “People are looking to make life easier,” says landscape designer Phillip Withers of Phillip Withers Landscape Design. “It’s also about finding ways to cost-effectively use the space they have and add value to their property. Some people just want a backyard office or studio because they want to be able to open it up to the garden and enjoy the sight of green-filled spaces. This ability to create a connection to plants and get away from the house is a winning combination for many.”

“We are starting to see an increase in people who run their own businesses and many companies are beginning to see the positive benefits of staff working from a home office,” says Tony Atkinson, director of Inoutside. “People are also attracted by the versatility. These sorts of home offices can be used for more than one purpose. I think the main reason for the increased popularity of these structures is that people want and need more space as their family grows — and they want an adaptable space that might go from being an office to a rumpus room as needs changes.”

Range of choices

Prefabricated units, from companies like Inoutside, Harwyn and Archiblox, makers of the Backyard Room, are an easy and stylish option offering a broader range of choice than you may think.

“When choosing a studio/office, consideration should be given to level of finish, detailing, insulation (acoustic and thermal), what maintenance is required, if any, and if there are any hidden costs,” says Jason Fremder, managing director of Harwyn. “Good design is good design. Choose a product that is stylish and contemporary unless you want the cabin look. Our pods are used widely as home offices, music rooms, play rooms, guest rooms and living quarters. There are standard configurations that we offer and customers can choose from a range of optional extras.”

Repurposed shipping containers are another way to go. You can buy one and do the conversion yourself, but most people prefer to call on a company like Royal Wolf, which produces the Outdoor Room modified container with lighting, air-conditioning, timber flooring and glass sliding doors. Custom-built structures are ideal if you have a tricky site or very particular needs, but whatever route you take, consider just how adaptable it will be — now and in five years’ time. You may work on your own now but if you needed to fit a second worker, could you? And if you decide to retire, could your outdoor office easily become an art studio or a play space for the grandkids?

Planning ahead

If you want to build a permanent structure in your garden, the first thing is to check with council and determine what planning permissions are needed — and even if a building permit isn’t needed there will still be restrictions.

“Our units, for example, are class 10A structures so don’t need approval, but there are still guidelines that you will need to keep in mind governing such things as boundary off-sets and storm water connections,” says Tony. “Also you cannot build within one metre of easements. There might be other restrictions if you live in a heritage, flood, termite or fire zone. It’s always best to check with your local council before you go ahead.”

Philip adds: “I would then look to engage a landscape architect or designer as placing a permanent studio will affect the whole garden. You want someone who can help you determine how you can get the best use out of the office or studio, how it will sit within the garden and its relationship to the architecture of your home.

“When thinking about the design of the studio and surrounding space, make sure you tick all the boxes so you capitalise on function. You might want the structure to look out or open onto the garden. Maybe it needs to be multi-functional, allowing enough room for gym equipment while servicing the three people who may be working in the office on a daily basis. Perhaps you want the studio to double as an extra bedroom.”

Integrated look

You don’t want your new office/studio to look like it’s been plonked in your garden, so the landscaping around it and the way it connects to other outdoor elements is vital. If you want to make the structure feel embraced by the garden, introduce some garden beds nearby and some screening plants behind or to the side — the latter is also a great way to have a bit of privacy from neighbours. If you have lawn, having it sweep up to greet the structure helps to integrate it into the wider garden, but having to walk across that lawn to access the structure may not be ideal, especially when the ground is soggy after rain. A path that crosses through or runs beside the lawn is more practical. You may even want to cover the path with a solid-roofed arbour to enable all-weather use.

If your home has timber cladding or a rendered finish, reference that in the facade of your studio. Suppliers of prefabricated studios will each offer a different choice of exterior finishes. Inoutside, for example, uses cedar, render and Colorbond.

Adding a deck or an area of paving, where a bench seat or a small table with chairs can be placed, extends the use of the office or studio and further connects to the wider garden environment. Introduce some potted plants or a green wall and the integration with the garden is complete.

Down to business

“Backyard studios and pods have matured along with the changing nature of work. Individuals are effectively their own CEOs, running their personal employment like their own company,” says Jason Fremder from Harwyn. “A backyard pod or garden studio is the spot from where many of today’s businesses are operating. Technology is enabling people to work effectively and efficiently from the comfort of their backyard.”

According to Tony Atkinson of Inoutside, the backyard office makes economic sense. “High property costs and office rentals have helped to drive our business. It’s much more cost-effective and productive to work from home. There’s no long commute in traffic, no fuel and parking costs, and no office lease.”

And with adult children living at home for longer, sometimes there just isn’t a spare bedroom to convert to an office so taking it outside can be the only solution.

Written by Karen Booth

Photography by John Sutton

Originally in Outdoor Design & Living Issue 34

The post Office, studio or living room? Look to your garden appeared first on Completehome.