Bella Vista Granny Flat Project
Granny Flat Project – Bella Vista
Bella Vista is a suburb in the Hills Shire District of north-western Sydney. It is a central business district with great employment statistics and it is a diversified demographic. The demand for granny flat rentals is quite high as small families and singles search for affordable rental housing solutions. This is part of a growing trend for Granny Flats in Australia.
This Bella Vista property required demolition of two existing sheds, a carport and some concrete removal before we could begin construction of the new granny flat. The Owner chose a design based on The Susana floor plan. The property slopes gently towards the street and is quite wide, at just over 16 metres. Moe importantly, the distance between the main dwelling and the rear boundary was just under 18 metres, which is quite good for promoting separation and privacy between tenants. The Owner is an investor building his first granny flat with us. We were of course happy to help with all of his project questions, ranging from best use of materials to cost effective design and landscaping.
The Design
The Susana design is well-suited to this Bella Vista property because of its width and access to sunlight from the rear. We tweaked the design slightly to maximise exposure to the winter solstice and for minimising heat gain in the Summer time. There is no fee for customising one of our two bedroom granny flat templates. We just needed to meet all NSW BASIX prescriptions for water and energy efficiency. The Susanna design is great for separation of bedrooms from the main living area via a small hallway. Along the hallway, we have a laundry and bathroom combo, which helps to further separate the different rooms as well. Granny flats have limited space and this design allows for maximum use of all spaces without overly compromising on living, dining and kitchen areas. Of course, there’s always a compromise so we try to articulate the design for best internal access.
You can view similar granny flat projects here.