While the term ‘granny flat’ used to refer to nan living out the back, these days, they can act as prime real estate for an office space, a home gym, or even as a rentable tiny home.
Fancy yourself as a master painter? Budding yogi? Trusted landlord? The best part of extra real estate on your property is being able to adapt it to your changing needs.
Perhaps one family member uses the granny flat as a place to practice their music, while another wants to use it as an office area dedicated to their 9-5.
TV personality and interior designer Darren Palmer knows this firsthand, after recently completing his own extra 4 x 11 m cabin on his property.
“It’s a great overflow space that we can still connect to the main house,” he says, noting that a granny flat gives the ability to “do really, whatever you want – a gym… a yoga studio… anything.”
By keeping the bones neutral to give your granny flat the flexibility for multiple uses, this valuable addition to the home is a beneficial extra space where you can make your own mark.
Darren Palmer gives his tips on how you can use your granny flat to add value for homeowners, incoming buyers, and renters alike.
1. GYM OR YOGA STUDIO
The new year may have inspired you to join a gym, or even purchase some equipment of your own – but rather than letting the treadmill take centre stage next to the dining table, set yourself up for success with your own gym in your granny flat.
This may mean adding in equipment, or simply a quiet space for yoga and meditation that can be turned into a guest bedroom or rentable space when required.
If you’re looking to make the space that little bit more zen, consider the use of blinds that can create darkness when needed like in a yoga studio, such as the Austere Blockout roman blinds that Palmer chose for his own granny flat studio for a “trendy take” on the use of textured fabrics in blinds.
2. HOME OFFICE
With hybrid working more popular than ever before, a great value-add to your property is the much-coveted work-from-home space, with Palmer noting that granny flats can make “a great business office.”
He advises keeping the space neutral in tone for flexible use, as he himself went “back to basics” with natural elements and tones throughout his own granny flat design. For instance, to ensure your space is filled with plenty of fresh air and natural light to keep energy levels going throughout the workday, he advises installing modern curtains like the Bali Sheers from Carpet Court.
Palmer shares that hanging these from floor to ceiling is a great way to make the space “seem bigger than it is,” so you don’t feel cramped in your own home office abode.
3. HOBBY DEN
If you’re sick of having to pack up the craft supplies from the dinner table or are constantly looking for a place to keep your jigsaw going that isn’t the lounge room floor, then a dedicated ‘hobby den’ might be just what you need.
A granny flat adds real value because it can be changed and utilised for your own needs, for the circumstances of life right now – and then changed again when kids no longer need a play area.
This is key when designing a granny flat according to Palmer, because “a flexible space adds value and can be moulded to your interests and needs over time”.
4. TEEN HAVEN
Got yourself a teenager or young adult not quite ready to flee the coop? A granny flat is a perfect way to give them the space and independence they need, while still being able to enjoy dinner together and spend time in the hub of the home.
The granny flat can be constantly changed and customised, too – it may act as a bedroom and ensuite with a teenager, but can be turned into a fitted-out tiny home for rent once they (finally) move out.
5. RENTABLE REAL ESTATE
While a granny flat can add value to your way of life, it can also act as a source of income when rented out, whether that is on a casual basis or a longer contract. Doing so will require some investment for people to stay in the space for longer periods of time. “I put a full-size fridge [and] cooktop in,” Palmer says.
He also is big on maximising space, wrapping the Hickory Elegance hardwood timber range around the floors, walls and ceiling, as its design aesthetic helped to “maximise” the interior space.
The value-add here is financial gain, with Palmer estimating that his own granny flat is roughly a ratio of 20% on expenses, with 80% acting as incoming from renting out the property.
So, do granny flats add value to your property?
Whether you choose to utilise the space for short- or long-term visitors, a space to work, a meditation den or a place to practise music and become the next global superstar, the best part about a granny flat is its flexibility in meeting your family’s needs over time – and that’s the greatest value-add of all.
Originally Published on realestate.com.au as 5 ways to use a granny flat that adds
value to your home.
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