We make the planning process as easy as possible for our clients with plans that are highly regarded for their precision and clarity.

The Early Stages

Building a new home, or renovating your current one, is one of the biggest financial commitments you will make. With this in mind, you should take the time to consider certain things that are important to you.

At N A Hill Designs, we take pride in delivering your dream home, starting with your ideas and making them a reality. We will help you develop a flexible design that fits your lifestyle and reflects your current requirements, while also accommodating for potential future changes such as a growing family.

What are your needs?

Spend some time identifying the fundamental elements of your project. Rather than rushing into the most exciting part, the actual design of your floor plan, start off with the basics. Spend some time identifying your building needs and, even more critical to your success, your limitations.

Knowing your reasons for moving forward with a new build, and anticipating your future plans, helps you develop a design brief that your designer can turn into a viable house plan. If you are unclear of your requirements or you try to accommodate conflicting needs, you may be disappointed with the outcome.

To get this stage right, consider the following:
– Your budget. You need to have a realistic idea of how much you can afford.
– What you currently want out of your home compared to what you will need in the future.
– Style. Decide whether you want a single, double or a multi-storey home, and choose an architectural style. For example, do you prefer a contemporary or a traditional style home? The type and style of home you want largely influences the house plans and budget.

Developing a design brief

Now you are ready to start thinking about the design of your new home. Taking into consideration the aspects from the first two stages, think about the following inclusions:

– Privacy
– Living spaces
– Furniture
– Home study / Office
– Chef’s / entertainer’s kitchen
– Parent’s / teenager’s retreat
– Guest accommodation
– Games / rumpus / hobby rooms
– Utility room
– Media room / Home theatre
– Storage
– Outdoor spaces
– Access

Determine your budget

Building is not a cheap exercise but with good planning and the right advice from both your designer and builder, you can minimise the chance of a large cost overrun.

A builder will price every part of the build from the drawings but during the design phase, it is impossible to estimate the cost of all works, this is where a square meter (sqm) rate is implemented.

Depending on the size and complexity of the project, and whether it is a new build or a renovation, $1,800 – $2,500/sqm is a good general figure to guide you regarding construction cost.

Once a project progresses this figure can be refined.

Communicating your ideas

Now that you have developed your design briefs and have an idea of budget, you need to convey these to your designer. Here are some great ways to communicate your thoughts:

– Pen and paper. You don’t need to be an architect to draw a simple house plan. Simply put pen to paper and scribble down your ideas.
– Social media. Sites like Pinterest can be fantastic for users to ‘pin’ their favourite images to a virtual pin board and share them. This very popular site is a great resource for effectively communicating your design ideas.
– Existing houses. If you see a house that you love or a style of house you’ve always wanted to live in take a quick photo for reference.

The more information you can give to your designer, the easier it will be to indicate the direction you would like to head in.

The Design Process

Client Brief

This is the basis for your design. This is where you communicate to your designer what you want in your home. Details like budget, styles and photos will all help the designer to understand your end goal. The client brief usually coincides with the first site visit where you designer can assess the requirements of your site.

Fee Proposal

Once the initial site visit and the client brief are completed we will produce a fee proposal. This outlines all design fees involved in the project (excluding council fees, and consultant’s fee).

Concept design

This is a set of plans created from the client brief. The purpose of these is to make sure the overall design is in line with your initial ideas. Details like window placement, materials used etc can be refined once this initial concept has been approved by the client. Any major changes to the plans after the approval of the concept design may incur an additional fee.

Plans

Architectural plans are the next stage, based on the approved concept design that has been refined to include all the information required by council to approve a Development Application (DA).

Once a Development Application (DA) has been approved, a set of Construction Certificate (CC) plans can be issued. This is a more detailed set of plans for your builder and other consultants, such as engineers, to work from.

The Approval Process

Architectural Plans are either submitted to council for the approval of a Development Application OR submitted to a private certifier for approval of a Complying Development Certificate.

Once you have either your DA or your CDC plans go to a licienced engineer to produce engineering documentation.

Once engineering is complete a private certifier will issue a Construction Certificate and your builder will be able to put forward an accurate fee proposal for you.

If you accept the fee proposal construction can commence.

To find out more about N A Hill Designs or for additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would love to hear about your dream project.

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Why a granny flat?

Do you have an aging family member you need to provide for? Or an adult child who needs some independence? Or … are you looking to make some extra cash by renting out a secondary dwelling on your property? Or perhaps becoming an Airbnb super host?

An affirmative answer to any of the above means that adding a granny flat to your property could be the perfect solution for you.

Access.

The next thing to consider is your block’s suitability and access. If you are building to accommodate a family member separate access might not be an issue, but if you are building to rent you might want to ensure that everyone has some privacy.

Properties on a corner block or with back lane access are perfect, but there are ways to incorporate access on standard blocks. Discuss access with your designer – it is a consideration that should inform the overall design.

Available space.

For rentals in particular you need to ensure you have enough space to avoid the two properties encroaching on each other, particularly if the main dwelling is also a rental. The idea is to create maximum income from your investment without affecting your initial investment or income. Often your designer can suggest innovative ways to maximise the potential of your site.

You also need to consider where the services for your existing home are. Power, water, stormwater drains, sewers, easements and more can all have an influence on your build and on approvals. Again, your designer can help you with this.

Speaking of approvals …

Council requirements differ across regions and states. In NSW there is nothing too problematic and in many cases you can have a building certifier approve the build without the need for lodging a development application. Your designer can walk you through the approvals process or take it on as part of the contract.

The fun part.

Once you have dealt with these initial considerations you can start working with your designer to flesh out your granny flat design. Bear in mind that NSW has a maximum square meterage of 60sqm for these kinds of secondary dwellings.

Choosing a style.

Many things can influence the style of your build, including the existing dwelling. Usually a style that sympathises with the dwelling, or with the position on the block, is best. You might like something that imitates the style of the main home, or you might choose something completely different that blends with the garden. The choices are literally endless.

You can go to your designer with a good idea of what you want – any reference material you have is a great start. Equally, the conversation can start with a blank page. Your designer should be able to gauge what might work for you and put forward some suggestions.

Inclusions.

Granny flats can be simple one room structures – basically a freestanding bedroom, rather like the garages converted for teenagers in the 80s – or they can feature multiple rooms plus amenities. Many are simply small homes, with bathroom, kitchen, living and one or two bedrooms.

Also think about other inclusions your granny flat might need. These could include features like outdoor living areas, storage, landscaping and parking space. Or they might be specific to the intended use – for example if you intend to accommodate an elderly relative you will have to consider their level of mobility, both now and in the future.

Cost and investment.

A sympathetic design and quality materials are more likely to add value to your property over time. Although it’s not advisable to skimp on construction materials, clever use of space and selection of interior finishes can definitely keep money in your pocket. This is where a good understanding with your designer is invaluable.

As with any building project it is important to get it right on ‘paper’ before you break soil. Your designer can take your site and needs into consideration and deliver a bespoke result, tailoring it exactly to your needs.

Having a good idea of what you are up for from the beginning is obviously important, particularly if you’re looking for an income stream. And prices can vary greatly with granny flats depending on style and size. Your designer will work with you and your budget.

Lastly …

If you don’t have that patch of scrappy lawn down the back of your block, maybe think about going up. Remember The Fonz’s flat over the Cunningham’s garage? It might be the perfect option for that noisy teenager or those regular visitors!

Talk to NA Hill Designs about the many options available for granny flats and secondary dwellings, and what might be right for you.

The post Granny Flats: The Secondary Dwelling Revolution appeared first on N A HILL Designs.