About
About Us
About Us
DIY Granny flat is the World’s largest resource for granny flats and garage conversions, with over 1 Million page views and users to date.
But every story has an origin; a reason for existing, and it all started with a property purchase…
Our Story
In 2015 our founder and his wife purchased a home to live in, it came with a large yard and all the space to build a granny flat.
But they struggled to find out where to start and what steps to take, Dean ran into 100+ problems but got there in the end.
Dean launched a website with everything he learned. Discovering a passion to share granny flat information with the World.
Mark Marsden reached out to Dean. He had sold his business in the construction industry, with over 200 staff turning over $35MM a year.
Why this website exists
Dean & Mark formed a partnership to rewrite the script for how granny flats and cabins should be built.
Our Values
We want to craft your future build, your way. With a clear focus on:
Transparency
Highlighting exactly what can go wrong and how to ensure it doesn’t
How to make sure money is saved
How to deal with Councils (and even avoid Councils) to get approval
How to guarantee quality is weaved into every build
How to master the art of great design and follow the “Golden Rules”
Starting as an education company the business expanded into a design and approval firm. DIY Granny Flat now serves clients in every State of Australia, as the complete package for construction.
OVER THE YEARS DIY GRANNY FLAT HAS BEEN SEEN IN:
And on many more platforms…
The Team
Having served 100’s of Clients and advised 10,000’s of people. DIY Granny Flat has grown to includeArchitects, town planners, engineers, cost estimators, a team of project managers and builders so you can realise your dream with little effort on your part.
DEAN ROLLER
Dean is the founder and a director of DIY Granny Flat. The World’s largest resource for secondary dwellings. He loves sharing advice about efficient ways to build and enjoys guiding Aussies on the best ways to save money. He has a degree in engineering and is excited about the future of small homes.
MARK MARSDEN
Over the last 4 decades our Director and General Manager Mark has worked in every part of the construction industry. During his career there is not much he hasn’t seen before. As an engineer working closely with over 340 Councils, 100’s of sub-contractors and 1000’s of clients. Our customers are in safe hands.
OZ GIRISKEN
Oz is our Chief Architect who has served local & international clients over the last 2 decades. Oz has an incredible passion for Architecture and creative design. A problem solver at heart, Oz’s designs wow even the toughest critics. Oz continues to speak at World renowned architectural schools and advises Government officials.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Our network consists of experts who continue to help our clients. We would like to share a special thanks to those who enable us to be the #1 resource in the World.
Jerry Tyrrell is our compliance advisor. He wrote the rule book for Property Inspections in Australia and his personal work has contributed to the Australian Standards (AS) of building. He is a tradesperson, Builder, Architect, Author, and Co-founder of one of Australia’s largest property inspection companies ‘Tyrrell’s Property Inspections’.
Allan Stains is the Godfather of the Australian construction industry. His books are required reading for every single trainee Builder Australia wide; in order to gain their qualifications. Having sold over 1,000,000 copies of his books, Allan is a no-nonsense expert who has helped our clients tremendously.
Robert Wood is a Builder, Drainer, Plumber and Gas Fitter. Over the last 4 decades he has both taught at colleges and practices what he preaches. A genuine person who ensures what is promised; is exactly what is delivered. From a generation where that was everything. Rob advises us on building work and will play a bigger role in the future.
There are many more people who have shaped DIY Granny flat into what it is today. So, we wanted to extend a further thank you to a few more of our contributors. Their expertise has helped demystify the construction industry for all Aussies.