In this video, Colin Fragar, our founder and CEO, provides important information about granny flats.
Click on the “Play” button below to watch now:
Or for those that prefer to read, here is a transcript of the video…
Can a granny flat be two storeys? My name is Colin Fragar, from Council Approval Group. And I have a question here that we often get asked and that is can a granny flat be two stories?
The answer really depends on the local government area that you’re in. I wish I could answer all the questions.
And if you haven’t already, please grab a copy of Your Ultimate Guide to Council Approval. It’s a free magazine that we send out to people. It has a whole bunch of tips and tricks, and maybe some answers to the questions that you have on your mind at the moment.
But really, the best thing for you is going to be a free consultation. So if you would like to claim that free consultation with the Council Approval Group, please go to councilapproval.com.au. What we’ll do is we’ll listen to what you’re trying to achieve and paint a clear roadmap for you going forward.
Two-Storey Granny Flats and Other Tips
But before you go, I would like to answer maybe a few thoughts around that question. So the first is a concept of a two-storey granny flat. That is where it’s stand alone and you’ve got a very small footprint available so you make it two storeys. Now whether you can do that does depend on the legislation you’re trying to go through. So it’s really important that you talk to us.I actually recommend a preliminary planning assessment, which is something that we offer to our clients. It allows us to unpack all of the different rules and to really paint a picture for what’s the highest and best use for your property. It may be that we can do something even better than a two storey granny flat or granny flat. We may be able to come up with a better development scenario for you.
The other thing to keep in mind is some people when they’re asking that question, can the granny flat be two-story, is this. And I start to draw on my own personal experience for this. So we, my wife and I, did a granny flat and it was actually a granny flat above and below was the principal dwelling. But I also have done for clients the opposite where the principal dwelling is above and the granny flat is below.
Please, it’s really important if you do this that you don’t do it illegally. Don’t convert your basement or garage without approval because you will get fined. The fines are per day and they are thousands of dollars. You may also have to demolish it. It’s just a huge amount of stress you don’t have to go through.