A granny flat, from a builder who has one out the back
Secondary residences across Canberra, by an A-Class licensed builder. Dale built his own and it has a tenant in it.
- ACT A-Class licence 2012B14A
- $20M public liability
- QBE Home Warranty
- MBA ACT member
- Building in Canberra since 2012
Three reasons people build one, and they're very different jobs
The most common is money. Canberra rents are what they are, and a second dwelling on a block you already own is about the only way to add an income to a house without buying another one.
The second is family. A parent who shouldn't be living alone any more but doesn't want to be in a home, or an adult kid who can't get into the market. Both work far better with a front door of their own than with a converted bedroom.
The third is the long game: build the flat, move into it later, and rent out the house. People rarely say that one out loud at the first meeting, and it is worth saying, because it changes what you should build.
Dale built one at his own place
It is finished, it is occupied, and there is a tenant paying rent on it every week. So the questions people actually ring up with, what it costs to run, how the separate metering works, what a tenant notices after six months, get answered from having lived with it rather than from having read about it.
PLACEHOLDER. Dale's build cost and weekly rent go here.
Awaiting Dale's numbersWhat the ACT allows
A secondary residence is a self-contained dwelling on the same block as the main house, with its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance. It needs development approval and building approval, and there are limits on how big it can be and which blocks it is allowed on.
PLACEHOLDER. Current ACT floor area and block size limits to be confirmed before publish.
One thing that catches people out regularly: in the ACT you cannot subdivide a secondary residence off and sell it as a separate property. It stays part of your block. It adds rental income and it adds value to the property, but it is not a second house you can sell later.
See what's already known about your property
This report is built and run by Abacus, an independent Canberra planning tool, not by Upright. Search your address and it pulls together zoning, block size, easements, heritage and bushfire overlays and the solar building envelope from ACT Government data. It's a good first look, not an eligibility answer: Dale still confirms what your block can actually take at the site visit.
The parts that decide whether it rents well
A real separation
Its own entrance, its own outdoor space, and enough distance or screening that neither household is listening to the other. This is the single biggest difference between a flat that rents easily and one that sits empty, and it is decided by where it goes on the block, not by what goes inside it.
It matters just as much when family is moving in. Possibly more.
Separate services
Power, water and hot water arranged so the two dwellings are not arguing about a bill. Worth deciding early, because it is expensive to change later and it is the thing tenants ask about first.
Built to last as a rental
Surfaces and fittings chosen for a place that will have several tenants over its life, not for a display home.
A flat that suits the house
Same approach as an extension. Matching materials and rooflines so the block reads as one property rather than a house with a cabin behind it.
From the first call to a tenant
- You callThe first question is what it is for: income, family, or somewhere for you to move into later. The answer changes the design.
- Site visitDale looks at the block, where the flat can legally go, where the services run and what access the build will need.
- A written quoteWhat's in, what's out, and where the approval costs sit.
- Drawings and approvalsDevelopment approval and building approval, handled by us.
- Build and handoverWith your warranty paperwork, and a straight answer on what it should rent for.
Granny flats in Canberra, answered
What does a granny flat cost to build in Canberra?
PLACEHOLDER. Awaiting Dale's real range.
What will it rent for?
PLACEHOLDER. Awaiting Dale's figure from his own flat.
How long does it take?
PLACEHOLDER. Awaiting Dale's real timeframes.
Can I sell the granny flat separately later?
No. In the ACT a secondary residence cannot be subdivided off and sold on its own. It stays part of your block. It adds income and it adds value to the property, but it is not a second title.
Does my block qualify?
It depends on the zoning, the size of the block and what is already on it. It is the first thing Dale checks at the site visit, and he will tell you if the answer is no before you have spent anything.
Do I need approval?
Yes. A secondary residence needs both development approval and building approval in the ACT. Dale handles both.
What areas do you cover?
Canberra only. Belconnen, Gungahlin, Tuggeranong, Woden Valley, Weston Creek, Molonglo and the inner suburbs.
Wondering if your block will take one?
Dale will tell you at the site visit, before you spend anything on drawings.
Tell Dale about the job
He'll come and look at it, and you'll get a real figure in writing. If it's not a job he should be doing, he'll say so.
Upright Building Services
0468 050 266Extensions, renovations, metal roofing, granny flats and outbuildings. Substantial building work across Canberra.
ACT A-Class builder's licence 2012B14A
NSW builder's licence 314125C
$20M public liability · QBE Home Warranty
Master Builders Association ACT member
What we build
Where we work
- Belconnen
- Gungahlin
- Tuggeranong
- Woden Valley
- Weston Creek
- Molonglo
- Inner Canberra