As they are becoming ever more popular, many are starting to wonder and ask – what does a 2 bedroom granny flat consist of?
A 2 bedroom granny flat has all the benefits of an apartment – it is low maintenance, and available in many options. However, just like your house, it highly versatile and can be modified to suit your lifestyle – you can add more bathrooms, more storage space, more windows, more doors, and so much more.
Today I will cover:
- 2 bedroom granny flat designs.
- Discuss how much it costs to build a 2 bedroom granny flat
- “Expandable” granny flat designs
- 2 bedroom granny flat kit homes
- 2 bedroom granny flats with an ensuite,
- 2 bedroom granny flat dimensions
- …Plus ideas people miss when choosing a design.
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Granny Flat 2 Bedroom Designs
2 bedroom granny flats are becoming more popular, as the designs these days can be made to look and feel like luxurious homes. This includes having them customised to suit your main home, such as changing the sizes of the internal rooms, the roofing, and locations of the windows and doors.
An update from the traditional 1 bedroom granny flat, which is best suited for a single tenant or a couple at most, more effort has been put into a 2 bedroom granny flat to provide;
- Variety, with modern, functional, comfortable designs.
- More storage space, or rooms for visitors to sleep over.
- Can include larger decks for outdoor living space
What Does it Cost to Build a 2 Bedroom Granny Flat?
If choosing a builder to construct your granny flat, the average price for a 2-bedroom granny flat is $120,000+
UPDATE: You can find out exactly what I spent when building my granny flat. However, keep reading below to find a list of common “inclusions” from turnkey builders.
For this price and size, standard inclusions that a builder will typically offer are:
Internal:
- Linings for your walls & ceiling.
- A choice of cornice options (EXCEPT straight-edged).
- Built-in wardrobes in bedrooms (without mirrors).
- Flooring.
- Skirting & Architraves.
- Painting (both interior & exterior).
- A washing machine with a splashback behind the tub, and both hot and cold taps.
- A bottled gas hot water system.
- Kitchen with electric oven and cook-top, tiled splashback, slide-out Rangehood and bench-tops (generally laminate, stone may cost more).
- Bathroom with shower and glass screen, skirting tiles, vanity unit, ceramic toilet, towel rail, toilet roll holder and light/fan.
- Hard wired smoke detector.
- 1 x Internal distribution board.
- 10 x double power points.
- 1 x external sensor light.
- 6 x oyster lights.
- 1 x telephone connection point.
- 1 x TV aerial and connection point.
External:
- Structural frame.
- Cladding.
- Wall Ceiling (height 2.44m) & Roof Covering (concrete tiles or Colorbond).
- Termite Control.
- Insulation.
- Roofing, Eaves & Verges.
- Connected Services – Water, Sewerage, Stormwater, Gas, Electricity & Phone services from the main home (to a certain distance only).
- Windows & Glass Sliding Doors.
It is important to note that, for the most part, this price does not include;
- Electrical work – Roughly $5000.
- Plumbing essentials – $5000 plus.
- Metering systems – If the water, electricity, and gas metering cannot be connected from the main home, but instead must be fed independently from the street, metering systems must be installed.
This will cost more, as professionals such as a level 2 electrician will be required.
- Privacy i.e. landscaping, fencing – Especially if you are planning on renting out the granny flat, you may want to spend more on privacy features, which may cost $3000 or more.
- Other costs – You must remember to take into account Council fees, such as those for Certifications, inspections, and contributions.
That is, you Council may impose contributions upon you. Just some of these can be seen in my article “Granny Flat Section 94 Contributions. The Complete List of Fees.”.
If you want to lower the price of building a 2 bedroom granny flat, you can do some of the work yourself as an “owner-builder”.
Expandable Granny Flat Designs
An expandable granny flat is any that is built off-site, such as a granny flat modular home, that expands (stretches) on both sides. A good example is that it is somewhat like shipping container crossed with a piano accordion.
Meaning, they stretch out on both sides, before they are fixed to your land. So, when on-site and complete, it is bigger as it has been expanded.
The benefits of expandable granny flats include:
- They are an affordable option – you will save a lot of money on labour, as they are completed within 2 weeks, compared to the average 18 weeks.
- You can also save on a builder, as most companies will accept your assistance with setting them up if you are an owner-builder.
- You can move in or rent them out in as little as 2 weeks, as they only take about 2 hours to set up on-site once they have been built.
- They have a strong subfloor and can be built on piers rather than a concrete slab – another way to save on costs.
- You can take them with you if you are moving, as they are easy to fold up and move. This also gives them a resale value.
- They can be easily customised – you can add a bigger kitchen, or bathroom when speaking to companies like Van Homes.
2 Bedroom Granny Flat Kit Homes
Many companies who manufacture granny flat kit homes (also known as flatpacks), are now making them with 2 bedrooms. This is proving to be popular for those who need the convenience of a flatpack but also want the extra space/height that an expandable granny flat might not offer.
Flatpacks are granny flats that are prefabricated (built off-site), then delivered to your land ready for construction. Meaning, when they arrive on your property, they will have nearly everything that you require for installation.
I say nearly, as this is just one of the common but little known problems to do with kit homes, that you can read about here.
If you have familiarised yourself with the pros and cons of a kit home, then let’s move on to the companies that build 2 bedroom kit homes. These include:
- Prestige Kit Homes – 1300 653 442.
- iBuild – 1800 679 268.
- Wholesale Homes and Sheds Pty Ltd – 1800 854 975.
- Imagine Kit Homes – 1800 548 723.
- Frame Steel – (07) 3287 5478.
- YZY Kit Homes – (04) 2022 4424.
- Valley Kit Homes – 1300 559 282.
- Steel Frame Company – 0428 724 706.
- Instant Home Solutions – 1300 818 151.
- BriBuild – 1300 886 131.
2 Bedroom Granny Flat with an Ensuite
An example of a great 2 bedroom granny flat with an ensuite can be seen at Granny Flat Approvals.
As mentioned, it is quite a recent design, and the layout makes the most of the allowed 60 square metre floor space, including;
- An open plan kitchen, dining and living area, which reduced the need for internal walls, thus increasing the internal floor space.
- The kitchen ‘backed-up’ against the laundry and second bathroom, which will lower the cost of plumbing.
Also, you can modify the design to suit you. For example, if you prefer, you can always remove the ensuite and add a second bathroom or a storage cabinet instead.
Is There Enough Room for a 2 Bedroom Granny Flat with 2 Bathrooms?
2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms can be fit into a 60 square metre granny flat – in fact, they are some of the most popular designs for student(s) or group housing.
A typical design will have space saving solutions that allow for comfortable living, such as;
- 2 bedrooms will both have ensuite bathrooms, allowing all occupants their privacy.
- Spacious, open plan shared areas i.e. the living, kitchen, and dining area.
- Combined rooms – that is, one of the bathrooms may be big enough to contain the laundry.
An example can be seen at Backyard Grannys.
2 Bedroom Granny Flat Dimensions
A 2 bedroom granny flat is generally 60 square metres. This size is ideal, as it should meet the regulations of to be approved easily. For example, in NSW, you can be approved by Complying Development (CDC), if your granny flat is 60 square metres or less.
Maximum sizes allowable for all states can be seen in this article I have written.
2 Bedroom Granny Flat Ideas
One of the best things about 2 bedroom granny flats is that in their designs there is room for diversity. So, you can change up the plans to suit you, your style, and your property. I will list some ideas below.
One way to design your 2 bedroom granny flat is in an L-shape layout. This means that the;
- Bedrooms will be sitting right next door to each other but hidden from the eyesight of visitors when you walk in the door.
- Open plan living area, which flows into the kitchen and dining area, will dominate the area.
So, the granny flat will look spacious, as not only have you removed some internal walls, but you can let in a lot of natural light, with windows and glass doors. This is proven to have a positive impact on a persons’ mood.
Another idea for design is to have the granny flat in a consistent line. This way, you can place each bedroom on either side of the bathroom. This allows for;
- All occupants to have easy access to the bathroom.
- An acoustic barrier between the bedrooms for added privacy, and
- All tenants to get in and out the front of the granny flat without difficulty.
Due to the symmetrical line of the granny flat, this also allows for a large verandah or decking. It can be an addition placed on either side of the granny flat – that is, the front or the back, which still protects the privacy of tenants in both dwellings.
It will create a great balance of indoor/outdoor living area, allowing the occupants a place to sit and enjoy some sunshine. The best thing about the addition is that it will not take anything away from their allowed floor space, so it can stretch the entire length of the granny flat.
You can add a deck as large as you like and it won’t take up the allowable internal space set by your council 🙂
An example of a great design for a 2 bedroom granny flat can be seen at Backyard Grannys.
This was one of the first 2 bedroom granny flats they ever designed, and remains one of their most popular.
What is so great about this design is that it has:
- 2 bedrooms, both with built-in wardrobes.
- A combined bathroom and laundry in the middle of the bedrooms. This saves space by combining the rooms, allows easy access for all occupants, and acts as an acoustic barrier between the bedrooms.
- An open plan kitchen, living and dining area, which saves space by minimising the number of walls used throughout the inside of the granny flat.
- Cleverly kept, through the use of space saving ideas, the bedrooms and the bathroom away from the living area. This means people are not bothered in their bedrooms when others are up early or late – everyone is happy.
- A lot of windows and big glass doors throughout the entire granny flat, letting in a lot of natural light and allowing you to see lovely views of the outside world.
- A verandah that spreads the whole distance of the granny flat, adding a lot of extra space.
Whatever you choose to do, many companies that create 2 bedroom granny flats will allow you to modify their range of designs to suit you, your style, and your property.
Another option is to speak to a designer, and have your own plans drawn up that will make the best of your property.
Conclusion
2 bedroom granny flats have become more and more popular over the recent years. It’s easy to understand why – they are ideal for low maintenance living, but come with all the benefits of a house.
No longer do you need to feel restricted by the limitations of a 1 bedroom granny flat, which can only fit one person or maybe a couple at most.
A modern 2 bedroom granny flat has a greater:
- Focus on natural light and functional design.
- Space to store your belongings.
- Room for your friends or family to sleep over.
They also have far more variety, and can also be fully modified to suit your site, your style, and your main dwelling. So you can;
- Have them fully furnished.
- Alter the sizes of the internal rooms.
- Change the roofing to make a statement or tie into the primary dwelling
- Move the locations of the windows and doors.
The best thing thing about them is that there is enough space that you can customise the design to suit your requirements.
A 2 bedroom with an ensuite, or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, is possible to fit within 60sqm.
The typical cost of a 2 bedroom granny flat with a builder is, on average, $130 000. However, there are several options to reduce this cost. You can choose;
- To do some of the work yourself as an “owner-builder”.
- An expandable design.
- A flatpack (kit) granny flat.
You can read exactly what I spent when I built my very own 2 bedroom granny flat, I have broken down in detail every cost.