Garage Conversion into a Granny Flat for Sydney & Rural NSW- 6 Very Important Tips.
If you’re considering converting your existing garage (Garage Conversion Approval) into a granny flat, here are 6 useful tips on the thought processes involved and whether it’s worth doing:
1. Setbacks (900mm or more): If the walls of the garage are less than 0.9m from the side or rear boundaries, you’ll need a fire-rated-wall on that part of the structure. Please also note, the fascia and eaves (if any) must also be fire-rated. as well. This is a Building Code regulation. There are other regulations regarding setbacks & fire-rated-walls which you can check out HERE.
2. Minimum Internal Wall Height (2.4 m): The internal wall height of the living room, dining room and bedrooms must be a at least 2.4 metres. If it’s a cathedral or skillion-roofed ceiling, the average wall height must be used. This means measuring the maximum wall-height, then adding it to the minimum wall-height and finally dividing it by two (getting the average). This will tell you if the ceiling height is adequate for granny flat approval.
3. Floor Drains: The bath (or shower) and the floor of the bathroom must have a floor-drain for waste-water. This means concrete-saw-cutting the slab OR installing a raised concrete floor in the bathroom, so that you can run the 50mm drain pipes outside. This can be legally achieved since the Building Code says that the bathroom (and kitchen) do not need a 2.4m high wall- they get away with being only 2.1 metres high. Good news!
4. The Frame & Slab: An Engineer will need to certify the Frame and Slab as being compliant with the Building Code of Australia (BCA). We can arrange this for you as part of your granny flat conversion approval and our experienced Engineer will visit your site to inspect these critical elements for compliance with the BCA. he will then issue your Certificate for structural integrity.
5. BASIX (Energy Efficiency): The new granny flat conversion will need to have a BASIX Certificate. This means an energy efficient Hot Water System (HWS), a Rainwater Tank for storm-water drainage, adequate ventilation in the bathroom and adequate glazing (windows).
6. Termite-Proofing and Water-Proofing: The existing slab must be checked for termite-resistance and certified by an accredited termite expert. The bathroom must also be leak-checked and certified by a qualified Waterproofer. if you need help with this, just ask us. We have people who do this for us on a regular basis and they know what needs to be done, plus their prices are very competitive.
So if you follow the tips above, in conjunction with the other rules listed in our Granny Flat Conversion page HERE, you’ll be well on your way to having a seamless garage to granny flat conversion designed, approved and built.
Warm Regards,
Serge Panayi – Granny Flats Sydney (NSW) Pty Ltd
