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WEEKENDER PAGE 14 Saturday, May 24, 2014

weekender HOME&GARDEN

emma.elsworthy@fairfaxmedia.com.auworthy@fairfaxmedia.com.au

EMMAELSWORTHY

HOME

A small fortune at handCOMPACT: A big

granny flat builtby Backyard

Grannys at254 Awaba Road,Toronto, top; and

a true bluegranny flat at

3 Alfred Street,Waratah.

MANYNovocastrianslivingonalargeblockoflandhaveconsideredsubdivisionatleastonce.

If you’re situated in a high-demand area, what could be moresimple and profitable?

Halve your block, build atownhouse at the back and sell.

But subdivision can involvewading through a sea of red tapeover a gruelling time period.

According to the local council,subdividing a property in Newcastleinvolves obtaining a section 149certificate to determine the zoningof the land, the constraints and thestandards that apply, a site analysisthat is in line with council’sdevelopment application guide,checking site constraints and

providing assessments with specialconsultants, preparing conceptsubdivision plans in consultationwith council staff and lodging thedevelopment application, whichincludes a mandatory assessment ofenvironmental effects.

All this just to obtain the greenlight from the council.

Following this, a constructioncertificate application must belodged which involves engineeringdesign plans and a fee.

Further, a subdivision certificate

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Saturday, May 24, 2014 PAGE 15 WEEKENDER

weekenderHOME&GARDEN

Do you know a home the Weekender could feature?Email us at weekender@theherald.com.au.

HOMELY: Backyard Grannys’ design blueprint for a 59.9-square metre dwelling.

SPACIOUS: A two-storey design at 184 Fullerton Street, Stockton,above, is light and bright with sleek, modern finishes, below.

With an average build price of about $110,000 andan average weekly rental pull of around $300, you can

expect about a 14 per cent return on investment – almost10 per cent more than the average rental subdivision.

must be obtained to allowregistration of the final plan ofsubdivision with the NSW Land &Property Management Authority.

It’s unsurprising that anincreasing number of homeownersin Newcastle are considering themuch more streamlined option of agranny flat instead.

With an average build price ofabout $110,000 and an averageweekly rental pull of around $300,you can expect about a 14 per centreturn-on-investment – almost 10 percent more than the average rentalsubdivision.

Leah Jay, owner of Leah JayProperty Management, says manyrenters are seeking properties atthat price.

‘‘The average price of the grannyflat could vary around $250 to $300 aweek, which usually includes waterusage,’’ she says.

‘‘It comes down to supply anddemand, there is a demand for thatsort of accommodation and in thatprice bracket.’’

Alex Mitchell is a director ofBackyard Grannys. He says hiscompany was established ‘‘due to amarket demand’’ for granny flatsthat he observed while working forNulex Construction.

‘‘Nulex Construction first built a

granny flat approximately two yearsago and have completed manygranny flats since that time,however, the brand BackyardGrannys was established just over 12months ago,’’ he says.

‘‘We saw it as a fantasticopportunity to create a brand andbusiness in a niche market.’’

The Affordable Rental HousingSEPP legislation was introducedby the state government in 2009,which allowed property ownerswith a residential zoned blockgreater than 450 square metres insize to build a granny flat in theirbackyard.

All that is required is a complyingdevelopment certificate (CDC),subject to certain criteria being met.

The certificate can can beobtained in under two weeks.

‘‘This means that construction of agranny flat through BackyardGrannys can commence as soon assix weeks from when you sign acontract,’’ Mitchell says.

‘‘The price includes all design,engineering and complyingdevelopment approval and the buildcan be completed in 12 weeks.’’

Despite the moniker of hisbusiness, Mitchell says the use ofgranny flats spans far beyondhousing elderly parents.

While he estimates that about20 per cent of all inquiries are stillrelated to this use, Mitchell saysinquiries can span investment,home offices, teenage retreats andart studios.

Mitchell has built granny flatswith two stories, multiple bedrooms,decks, carports and even balconies.

Backyard Grannys either customdesign or build pre-existing designs,both of which have spanned ultramodern complexes to the traditionalweatherboards.

Mitchell was recently involved inthe construction of a modern grannyflat in Merewether, a suburb whichhe says typically yields far more rentper week than the average grannyflat.

The clients requested acontemporary finish, which wouldbe sympathetic to the style of theirexisting home.

Mitchell and his team installed adesigner bathroom and kitchenusing stone benchtops and two-packpolyurethane cupboards, whichcreated an unlikely opulencethroughout the structure.

‘‘The old associations andmisconceptions people have withgranny flats being a cheap, dodgyshack in a backyard are now a thingof the past,’’ he says.