Granny Flats have come a long way from being a guest unit to accommodate “grandma”, “grandpa” or another relative. Granny flats were seen back then as a cost-effective and long-term approach to caring for an elderly rather than putting them in assisted living facilities that cost twice as much. But now, granny flats are seen as a possible solution to homelessness in Australia. Furthermore, these granny flats could be a family’s way to increase household income.
Affordable housing has been one of the growing problems across Australia. There is an increasing number of people who cannot afford to pay rents or buy houses. A coalition of social groups called Australians for Affordable Housing has made an approximation that there are now hundreds of thousands that are homeless. About 22, 000 applicants have lined up for social housing in Western Australia at the end of July last year. This was the all-time high recorded for these applications, many of which have been waiting for years.
A survey conducted by government last year to find out how many people in Perth are homeless showed that seven out of ten are living in the streets or in cars. Only about 12% were able to find temporary housing. Repossession and escalating prices of homes or apartments for rent are among the reasons for this dilemma. The government said that they are committed to decreasing this number by half. They seek to offer shelter for everyone by 2020.
With a new amendment in housing driven by planning minister John Day, most homeless people from Perth see granny flats as a way of acquiring affordable housing. With possible removal of the requirement that tenants should be a relative or family member, there will be alternative low-cost housing options for the people. There would be retirees or small families who would want to rent out their backyards to students, single people, or immigrants.
Also, Mr. Day said that floor space allowance for each granny flat will increase from 60 to 70 square meters. Furthermore, minimum lot size required by the planning department for single houses will also decrease from 350 square meters to 260 square meters. But, they will still require building licenses regardless of the lot size.
A granny flat is a long-term investment. Building a granny flat will not only add value to your property but can also provide additional income from the rentals you get. Let’s say you build a granny flat for $100,000 in Perth. Upon completion, you can get a tenant to pay $450 per week minus mortgage of $200. That would be a gross yield of 23% or an additional household income of $13,000 per year.
Homeowners looking in to see if their property qualifies should keep in mind that normal planning requirements will still apply. Some might think that building granny flats is easy. They may want to do these themselves but they should keep in mind that depending on their location, there are certain requirements as stated above that applies and that only experts in this buildings can do.
With the amendment coming through possibly on August this year, many building companies have seen this opportunity to grow their businesses. Now there are several businesses that cater to this growing trend in housing reform. Granny Flats Perth WA is among them. It is a building business; specializing in building quality Granny Flats. There flats range from $60,000 to $100,000.
If you want a long-term investment and additional household income, building a granny flat is the answer. Granny Flats Builder Perth can help you with that and rest assured that the job is done. You can check there website at http://www.grannyflatsbuilderperth.com./our-design/.