If you’re confused about the difference between a granny flat and a tiny house and how they both differ from your regular permanent dwelling, this post is for you. Both granny flats and tiny houses have been gaining in popularity over recent years for lots of different reasons, including rocketing property prices. However, there are some key differences you should know about before you decide to build.
First of all, what defines a house?
It may seem unnecessary but let’s get some key points out of the way. A house is a permanent dwelling, built according to building regulations and local, state, and national codes. While your home can be any size or shape, within reason, there are strict guidelines. It must contain a kitchen and a bathroom, and be intended solely for long term residential purposes.
Granny Flats
A granny flat is basically just a smaller version of a house. It must have kitchen and bathroom facilities and be intended to house people in a permanent or semi-permanent way. On the Central Coast, a granny flat construction must be no larger than 60 squared metres. That’s pretty big! Most of our floor plans are designed to accommodate two bedrooms.
The other key point about a granny flat: it is a secondary dwelling. It is ancillary to the principle house and both dwellings are on the same title. Within these restrictions you have lots of options to be creative. Granny flats can be attached to the principle dwelling, but most are not. Ours are designed to be separate, self-contained units that have all the privacy and spaciousness of a house, just down-sized.
Tiny Houses
Tiny Houses are a bit different. Although they are often confused with granny flats, they have some key differences that make them a completely separate choice to granny flats. First, they are much smaller than granny flats. From the roof ground to the roof, your tiny house can’t be higher than 4.3 metres. The maximum length is 12.5 metres, but the maximum width is just 2.5 metres. However, most people go shorter than 12.5 metres because tiny houses are usually built to be transportable, and the maximum weight you can legally tow in Australia is 4.5 tonnes.
Many tiny houses are built on wheels which technically puts them in the category of caravans. The zoning rules around tiny houses are a bit fuzzy in Australia. And, although caravans can’t be classed as permanent dwellings either, many people build their tiny houses to be transportable, as a sort of semi-permanent holiday home. Building a tiny house on foundations means you must go through all the normal council applications and approval, which takes time and money.
Why Should you Choose Coastal Granny Flats to Build your Granny Flat Construction?
All our granny flat constructions are custom designed according to strict council requirements. That means they are relatively easy to get approved because we have done all the hard work for you! We don’t use kit homes, but you can choose from our range of beautiful and customisable floor plans. Or, design your own from scratch – it’s up to you. Get in touch today to find out more.