Granny Flat

[damo76]

My mum told me the other day that she would like to put a granny flat in my back yard as she doesn't want to rent privately.
I said it would be fine and she said she would like to spend $60k.
I have been looking around and it seems there are 2 types, the type that gets built in the back yard and the type that gets trucked in.
I have had some quotes already with summit homes wanting $130k for a 70sqm fully fitted granny flat built.
Transportables well they seem to be around $80k for a rectangle granny flat and that is excluding site costs and service hook-ups.
I don't really trust myself to build one or put one together.
Any of you guys have a granny flat or getting one, are the transportable ones suitable for permanent living?
I live in Bunbury W.A and there doesn't seem to be many people that do it in W.A. Strange thing is you could build a house for $130k and summit want that for a grannyflat.

Thanks

[buggerlugs]

Have you seen the one's Bunnings do ?

[Top_Ghia]

We had one built earlier in the year. One bedroom, combined kitchen and living room and bathroom/laundry. It's quite well finished and was built on site for around $65k. This includes all site costs like plumbing and electricians. The only thing that wasn't included was the split system A/C. It's quite nice with a reasonable finish.

But a word of warning. Know what you are getting into. Things haven't gone well for us and I ended up kicking my mother out in rather dramatic circumstances. You really need to talk everything through and maybe even get a formal agreement drawn up by a lawyer.
We discussed all aspects of it before anything was signed or built but week 1 after mum moved in she started back pedaling on everything she had agreed on including only wanting to now pay half of the original weekly figure that she came up with.
So mum now hates my guts and is talking like she never wants to see me again. I feel poorly about how I treated her but feel I had little choice and had to do what is best for my family.

Another thing to consider is just how disruptive the construction will be. It only took about 6 weeks to build but we felt like prisoners in our own house. They destroyed my entire backyard and dug up just about the entire block. It poured rain about half way through the build and my whole property was a quagmire for weeks, right from the front gate. It's going to take years to recover as I don't have the money to landscape.
So mums stuff is being moved out in the morning and her flat will go up for sale as it is removable.
Want to buy it?

[mik]

Originally Posted by Top_Ghia

We had one built earlier in the year. One bedroom, combined kitchen and living room and bathroom/laundry. It's quite well finished and was built on site for around $65k. This includes all site costs like plumbing and electricians. The only thing that wasn't included was the split system A/C. It's quite nice with a reasonable finish.

But a word of warning. Know what you are getting into. Things haven't gone well for us and I ended up kicking my mother out in rather dramatic circumstances. You really need to talk everything through and maybe even get a formal agreement drawn up by a lawyer.
We discussed all aspects of it before anything was signed or built but week 1 after mum moved in she started back pedaling on everything she had agreed on including only wanting to now pay half of the original weekly figure that she came up with.
So mum now hates my guts and is talking like she never wants to see me again. I feel poorly about how I treated her but feel I had little choice and had to do what is best for my family.

Another thing to consider is just how disruptive the construction will be. It only took about 6 weeks to build but we felt like prisoners in our own house. They destroyed my entire backyard and dug up just about the entire block. It poured rain about half way through the build and my whole property was a quagmire for weeks, right from the front gate. It's going to take years to recover as I don't have the money to landscape.
So mums stuff is being moved out in the morning and her flat will go up for sale as it is removable.
Want to buy it?

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with your mum, my dear old aunty(now deceased) some years ago intimated she would like to do the same thing with us, as much as i loved and was very close to my old aunty, having been around the traps i said probably not the best idea(and thats apart from the fact our place is quite small), so it never happened.
There is an old saying "Never go into business with friends or relatives " i`d say for 99% of the time that also includes living with them , because more often than not you wont stay friends for too long, this has been my experience anyway and it is a rule i follow from life experiences.

i dont suppose using your granny flat thing might be able to be used for keeping a border? i`m thinking possibly you could screen some students that would be low risk tenants and might help recoup a few bucks ??

[damo76]

Gees, sorry it didn't work out with you and your mum. 65k is pretty good, who did you go through? Mum would like a 2 bedroom granny flat, she will be paying for it so probably the only thing i'll charge is power.
I'm in a new house anyway most of the back yard is sand so i don't really mind if they make a mess, still haven't decided on what type of gardens i want.

Those ones from bunning's look good but i would like a builder/ transportable company to sort everything out.

[EA2BA]

Originally Posted by damo76

Gees, sorry it didn't work out with you and your mum. 65k is pretty good, who did you go through? Mum would like a 2 bedroom granny flat, she will be paying for it so probably the only thing i'll charge is power.
I'm in a new house anyway most of the back yard is sand so i don't really mind if they make a mess, still haven't decided on what type of gardens i want.

Those ones from bunning's look good but i would like a builder/ transportable company to sort everything out.

It might be possible to have separate power meter and water meter to the granny flat even if just a sub off your's, I would investigate that, it will be on your property but at least you will know the exact bill.

[Phildo]

Originally Posted by damo76

$60k. $130k. $80k. $130k.

Surely you could get a shipping container for a bit less than that. Portable dunny, cut some holes in the container for windows and you're all set.

Bonus: Easy to move from house to house.

[Tonz]

Seek out council legalities.

[danzvtil]

Crikey, living with ur mum? When I moved into my own place mine decided to drop in while I was at work and leave little food parcels in the fridge which was nice. She then started to change the sheets on my bed which I had to nip in the bud as it rather creepy, and I cant guarantee who or what shell find in there.
I would carefully consider the effect on you, your spouse, or your ability to find one when word spreads that you live with your mother.

[6t6m]

I know of a company called UniPlan Group that make a lot of cabins and granny flat type things for holiday parks. They are on the east coast but I think they supply buildings all over Australia. Might be worth checking out.

[buggerlugs]

Mate down the road had one transported onto his block down the back from his house for his mum. She paid for everything. They stumped it all, part of the package, 2 bedroom. He is on 2 acres thou and a lot easier to get it down the back. His mum lived in it for about 7 years before she carked it. Now his daughter lives in it. Mate wants to retire soon and move up north, sell the house he is in and take the transportable one with him..........

[Franco Cozzo]

Turn it into a meth lab

[Top_Ghia]

Originally Posted by mik

i dont suppose using your granny flat thing might be able to be used for keeping a border? i`m thinking possibly you could screen some students that would be low risk tenants and might help recoup a few bucks ??

No. That wouldn't be legal. Technically it's a dependency unit, which means only a dependent can live in it. Can't be your kids and can't be rented out. And we really wouldn't be interested in renting it out.
Anyway mum paid for the unit so morally it belongs to her, even though legally it's my property. So she will sell it to recoup some of her money.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Top_Ghia

No. That wouldn't be legal. Technically it's a dependency unit, which means only a dependent can live in it. Can't be your kids and can't be rented out. And we really wouldn't be interested in renting it out.
Anyway mum paid for the unit so morally it belongs to her, even though legally it's my property. So she will sell it to recoup some of her money.

ok , ah well, it was just a thought.

[creative]

I dont know what the rules are in WA but here in NSW you can get some amazing "granny flats". I say amazing, as the ones I have seen and had dealings with are just as good as a house.

They can be separately metered with both water and power fairly easily at time of build. In NSW its very easy to stick one up without too much hassle so long as its under 60m2 but there are ways around that to make them bigger.