Written & Contributed by Alex Steffan of Steffan Harries Town Planning

Raising character houses in Brisbane is a popular way to increase living space while preserving the architectural charm that defines our city's heritage.

However, undertaking such projects requires a detailed understanding of Brisbane City Plan 2014 provisions, particularly if your property is within the Traditional Building Character (TBC) Overlay or Pre-1911 Building Overlay. In collaboration with QDH, Steffan Harries is happy to provide this guide that outlines key town planning considerations to ensure a smooth approval process and compliance with regulations.
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When is Town Planning Approval Required?
Before initiating work on a character house, it’s essential to determine if town planning approval is necessary. Key triggers for approval include:
1.       Demolition Work:

• Any component of a house constructed pre-1947 located forward of the highest and rearmost part of the roof requires Code Assessable Approval;
• Demolition of any pre-1911 building components, or pre-1947 components on corner lots, is assessable unless it qualifies as ‘Prescribed Accepted Demolition Work.’

2.       Building Work:

• Renovations or new builds within the TBC/Pre-1911 Overlay require assessment unless classified as “Prescribed Accepted Development.”

• Review City Plan 2014: Table 5.3.4.1 for a comprehensive list of Prescribed Accepted Development to confirm if your project falls under assessable development.

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Raising a Character House: What’s Permitted?
Raising a character house is a common renovation practice that allows homeowners to optimise their living space. Town planning approval is typically not required if:

1. The house does not exceed 9.5m in height after raising (with exceptions for properties in the Sherwood-Graceville Neighbourhood Plan Area).
2. Demolition work beneath the house is limited to components required for raising or repositioning.
3. The house remains oriented towards its primary street frontage. Rotating the house towards a secondary street triggers assessable development.

Preserving Character Features
When working with character houses, it’s crucial to preserve their defining elements. Key considerations include:

• Original components: Features constructed pre-1947 forward of the highest and rearmost ridge of the roof are protected (or the ALL pre-1947 material for a corner lot). Removing these features, even if damaged, may require council approval unless it aligns with ‘like-for-like’ replacement due to accidental damage.
• Post-1946 additions: These can most likely be removed without approval, provided they do not impact pre-1947 features.

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Extensions and Renovations
While many renovations to pre-1947 dwellings within a Character overlay (e.g. The Traditional Building Character overlay) will require town planning approval. That noted, the following are typically exempt from assessment:

• Rear extensions (if preceded by lawful demolition)
• Decks, verandahs, and shade structures added to the rear of the property.
• Internal renovations, including bathrooms, kitchens, or staircases.

Enclosing the area beneath a raised house is also permissible, provided the enclosed space aligns with the building core and does not extend beyond verandahs or sunrooms.

Setbacks and Compliance
When raising or repositioning a house, compliance with setback requirements is vital:

• Side and rear setbacks: Must adhere to the Dwelling House (Small Lot) Code.
• Front setbacks: Must align with the Traditional Building Character Overlay Code.
• Where not on a small lot, you may be required to comply with the Queensland Development Code requirements.

Any deviations can trigger assessable development and delay project timelines.
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Conclusion
Navigating Brisbane’s town planning requirements for character houses can be complex. Working with a building designer who has experience with pre-war houses in Brisbane is integral to streamline your town planning approval or potentially even avoid one completely! Engaging a qualified town planner early on will also ensure that your project complies with regulations, avoids unnecessary delays, and preserves the unique charm of these historic properties.

At Steffan Harries, we have lodged over 4500 development applications in Queensland with a vast majority of those involving pre-war houses in Brisbane and one our team would be more than happy to assist in your character house renovation.
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Alex Steffan
Director and Principal Town Planner
https://steffanharries.au/.
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What are the pro’s and con’s of a raise and build under?
Pro’s:

• Design transformation - Where you are building underneath the footprint of the existing (now raised) home, a new building storey underneath can be built, making a once single storey home into a two-storey home.
• No roofing cost – There is no roofing cost, as no extra roof is being added, unless an extension is also added,
• No additional site cover is added - This works really well on small lots (under 450m2) where there is a maximum site cover percentage that you cannot exceed (most often, 50%),
• Character homes - Where character homes are protected (particularly lightweight weatherboard style homes), most council’s will not allow a character home to be demolished or moved, but may allow a home to be raised and built under. This is great if you love the character of your home, and are happy with the location of it, but really need extra space.
• Get better views – The higher you are, the better the views. You might have a great view, if the upper level of the home was higher than it is now. What views could you have?
• Government incentives - There may be government incentives in some areas to assist with the cost of raising the home. In some cases, there may even be no direct cost to the home owner (such as in some flood-prone areas). Check with your council to see if there are any incentives or funding available to apply for.

Con’s

• Cost of the raise itself - The cost of the raise itself does not net you any more finished internal space in itself - You can’t call it dead money, but we would more realistically call it a necessary gateway expense to open up the possibilities to build under the home, which possibility wouldn’t exist without raising the home high enough to enable this option.
• Additional time – Renovations are disruptive to your everyday routine. It is just the nature of the beast. A raise can add more time to a renovation project.
• Staging the build can be complex – Although a raise and build under can be ‘staged’ in terms of building one section first, then waiting a few years for more funds, then doing the rest, if you are wanting to live in the home during the ‘waiting’ period, there will some significant compromises to your lifestyle, and services available in the home during that time. If you would like to know more about this point, please get in touch, as it can be highly project specific. The design itself may dictate whether you can actually stage the raise and build under or not. That’s where we can help.

There are many pro’s and con’s to a raise and build under, but there is one thing that can make the decision for you, and that’s …money.


How much does a raise and build under renovation cost?
You’re not going to like this, but how long is a piece of string? Renovations are all different to each other and every project has its own parameters that significantly sway the project build cost.

Factors that may influence the total build cost can include:

• Suitability of the home to be raised,
• Type and quality of the soil on the site,
• Whether the site flat or sloping,
• How much retaining work might be needed,
• Building height restrictions,
• Town planning constraints – particularly around character homes,
• Whether the ground floor is on a concrete slab or floor frame, and more.

What we can tell you, is that if you are looking for the cheapest renovation option, then this type of project is NOT for you. During the recent building price hikes, we have seen the cost of a raise and build under increase by an average of 40-50% between 2020-2024. If you’re budget is under $500,000k then we would encourage you to look at other options like an extension, or even a knock-down build new in some cases.

In our experience, most raise and build under projects don’t see a builder quote that is less than $750,000, and we frequently see projects come in at over $1m (usually only where extensions are also added). The numbers here may shock you, but be assured, they also shock us, and likely even the builders that are quoting the project. The recent material and labour cost increases have had a significant impact on project build cost. The good news is that we do this every day, and can guide you to a great renovation outcome by knowing from the start the target build budget we are working with for your project.


Should I just knock down and build a new home?
This is an excellent question that used to have a different answer.

In Brisbane prior to 2020, the answer was often ‘No’, as it was often a better cost outcome to raise and build under than to build the equivalent new two-storey home. However, as building costs have increased, particularly labour costs, this has pushed the price of a raise and build under renovation into new home territory.

To answer this question fully however, we need to ask you 3 questions:
1) Is the current existing home under any character, demolition or heritage controls?
If YES - it is likely you cannot demolish the home or even move the existing home to another site. So, if you would like to renovate, then a raise and build under becomes one of your only major renovation options.
If NO - the knock-down, build new option remains on the table.  

2) Will it cost more to knock-down and build a new home, or will it cost more to do a raise and build under? 
This often depends whether the new home is being built by a project builder (such as the high-volume project builders we all see frequent advertising about), or whether the home will be custom designed and built by a custom home builder. Tip: Usually, the custom home will cost more to build.  

The only way to answer this with full confidence, is to have plans designed and drafted for both options. Builders can then provide quotes for both options, and you can make the final call based on budget if that is the highest constraint for the project (which is most often the case).

3) Time & Inconvenience. Which option offers the least disruption to your life?
There is no doubt that, whether it is a new home or a renovation you are doing, there will be some kind of disruption to your normal life routine. Some families and lifestyles may be positioned to handle that disruption better than others. Factoring in the time-frame of the build can be a very helpful gauge on this also. Particularly in considering additional external costs such as renting somewhere else for the duration of the build.  

Generally, new home builds are quicker to build than a full-scale raise and build under. This might mean you can get into your finished home quicker.


Do I need a building approval for a raise and build under renovation?
Yes. We can’t think of any scenario where a building and/or development approval would not be required. This usually involves the design and drafting of building design plans, engineering plans, and engaging the services of qualified professionals to ensure the project gets the approval stamp, and the build goes smoothly.


What is the first step to starting a raise and build under renovation?
This first step in the process is to engage the right people. In the case of a renovation, you will want to first speak to a Building Designer (or architect) that is experienced and even specialises in raise and build under projects.

In any project, the best way to get things done (with the least stress) is to engage the right people with the right skills. This ensures that you are guided and supported by experienced professionals all along the journey that have a broad understanding of the entirety of the project itself, your desired outcomes, and can provide the right help at the right time.
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Summary
Deciding whether a raise and build under is right for you can depend on many factors, but there is one factor that never changes - You need the right people on your project team.

We specialise in the design and drafting of successful raise and build under projects. Especially within Queensland, and particularly Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and every project and client is unique and special to us.

If you are considering a raise and build under for you and your home, please have a look through our Project Gallery for project examples first, then please make an enquiry with us for a FREE 15min design consultation over the phone or videoconference to discuss your project and answer all your questions.

Stay and Renovate, Move, or Build a New Home?
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Deciding whether to stay and renovate your current home, move to a different one, or build a new house can be quite a difficult decision that involves a wide variety of factors.

As a building designer that specialises in working with families to come to a conclusion on this exact question, and then designing a home with them, I often encounter clients grappling with this difficult (and sometimes stressful!) choice.

This article aims to provide a comprehensive general guide to help you make an informed decision that best suits your needs and circumstances.

Evaluating Your Current Home
Before making any decisions, it’s crucial to evaluate your current home. Consider the following.

Current Home Condition: First of all, assessing the current home’s condition is crucially important. This will help you decide if the current home is worth saving, or whether to restore it might require significant cost-input. Have a builder (and engineer ideally) assess the foundation, roof, plumbing, electrical systems, and overall condition of your home. If your home requires extensive repairs, renovating might become a costly endeavor.

Location: Evaluate the neighborhood, proximity to work, schools, amenities, and overall quality of life. If you love your location, staying and renovating (or knocking down and building new) might be more appealing.

Space and Layout: Consider if your current home meets your space requirements. If you at this junction, it probable doesn’t meet your current needs. Sometimes, the layout can be reconfigured to better suit your needs without over capitalising on the home for your area.

Emotional Attachment or Character/Heritage restrictions: Emotional ties to your home and neighborhood play a significant role in helping you decide. If you have strong sentimental attachments, renovating might be preferable. If there are specific character controls (such as Brisbane City’s Traditional Building Character Overlay, or pre-1946/1911 character controls, Heritage listing or neighbourhood plans) might dictate what you can do to the home itself.
 

Renovating Your Current Home
Renovating can be an excellent way to breathe new life into your home. Here are some advantages and considerations:

Advantages:
Cost-Effective: Renovations can often be more affordable than building a new house or moving, especially if the changes are more aesthetic than structural.

Customization: You have the opportunity to design your space to fit your exact needs and preferences, increasing the home’s value in the process.

Familiarity: You stay in a familiar neighborhood with established relationships and routines.

Avoiding Moving Hassles: Renovations eliminate the stress and expense associated with moving.

Considerations:
Budget Management: Renovation costs can escalate quickly if unexpected issues arise or the home renovations required are so extensive that there is little left of the original home. It is crucial to have a well-defined budget and contingency part of the budget also.

Temporary Relocation: Depending on the extent of the renovation, you might need temporary accommodation, having to rent a nearby apartment or house, which, in today’s competitive rental market, can add to the cost and inconvenience.

Regulatory Approvals: Major renovations might require town planning approvals and building approvals depending on project scope, which can be time and money-consuming.
 
Moving to a Different House
Moving to a different house offers a fresh start and the possibility of finding a home that better fits your needs. Here are some pros and cons:

Advantages:
Immediate Solution: Moving allows you to quickly address your space and lifestyle requirements without undertaking the renovation process.

Modern Amenities: If the home is a newer home than your current home, it may offer modern amenities, energy efficiency, and advanced technology that might be difficult to integrate into an older home.

New Neighborhood: Moving can place you in a better location, closer to work, schools, or other desired people and places.

Considerations:
Financial Costs: Moving involves costs such as realtor fees, closing costs, and the expense of physically moving your belongings.

Emotional Impact: Leaving a familiar environment and community can be emotionally challenging.

Market Conditions: The current state of the real estate market, whether it favours buyers or sellers, supply etc) can impact the feasibility of selling your current home and finding a suitable new one within your budget.
 

Building a New House
Building a new house is an exciting yet complex endeavor that offers complete control over the design and features. Here are some aspects to consider:

Advantages:
Personal Customization: You can design a home that perfectly suits your lifestyle, preferences, and needs in a style that suits your family. You can quite literally design the home of your dreams.

Energy Efficiency & Modern Materials: New homes can be built with the latest energy-efficient technologies and more modern building materials, potentially reducing long-term utility bills and giving the home a more pleasant thermal outcome year-round.

Low Maintenance: A new home typically requires less maintenance and comes with warranties on various parts of the build, usually including a 10 year builders warranty (in Australia).

Considerations:
Higher Initial Costs: Building a new home can be more expensive upfront compared to minor renovations or buying an existing home.

Time-Consuming: The process of designing and constructing a new home is time-consuming and requires patience and thorough planning, and many decisions. Our tried and true design process focuses on personally guiding you through this sometimes daunting process step-by-step until we hand you over to your chosen builder.

Land Acquisition: Finding and purchasing a suitable plot of land can be challenging and expensive.
 

Making the Decision
To make an informed decision, consider the following steps:
List Your Priorities: Identify what matters most to you and your family, such as space, location, budget, and lifestyle.

Financial Analysis: Conduct a detailed financial analysis comparing the costs of renovating, moving, and building new. Factor in both short-term and long-term expenses. We can help with this analysis in a no-obligation general design consultation.

Consider the Future: Think about your long-term plans. How will each option impact your family’s needs in the coming years?

Assess the Market: Evaluate the current real estate market conditions. It might influence the decision to sell, buy, or build.

Consult Professionals: Seek advice from building designers, builders, real estate agents, and financial advisors. They can provide valuable insights and help you understand the feasibility of each option, and help you evaluate both the short-term and long-term feasibility of each decision for your own family.
 

Conclusion
Deciding whether to stay and renovate, move, or build a new home is a multifaceted decision that requires careful consideration of various factors. Each option has its unique benefits and challenges. By evaluating your current situation, prioritizing your needs, and seeking professional advice, you can make a decision that aligns with your financial position, lifestyle preferences, and long-term goals.

Whether you choose to renovate your existing home, move to a new one, or embark on the journey of building a custom house, the ultimate goal is to create a living space that brings you comfort, satisfaction, and joy for years to come.

How can we help you?
Making the right decision can be daunting, but speaking with professionals in their fields can take the guess-work out of it for you, and make the decision much clearer. We have these conversations more often than you would think with our clients, and have standard and personalised questions that we ask in our design consultations that can help guide your decision.

Get in touch with us today for a FREE 15min phone or Teams/Zoom consultation, or if you’re in South-east Queensland we can visit you at your home for a no-obligation design consultation.

Disclaimer: This blog article is written general in nature and does not consider your personal circumstances. Before making any decisions, professional advice that considers your own personal circumstances should be sought.

NEW QLD LEGISLATION for granny flats allows greater investment income for your property!
But how exactly can you build a 'mini-home' (aka: granny flat) for (possibly) $0 in 3 years!?

Well, it's (almost) that simple. Let us explain how to get there.

Why should home owners and investors care about the new legislation for Granny Flats?
On Mon 26th Sept 2022, new (temporary) legislation came into effect by the Queensland Government that allows for granny flats (secondary dwellings) to be rented out to those other than those within your own household (as per the old legislation). Why is this of interest to every Qld home owner?

Because this means that you may now have an investment property right on your own current property! If you were thinking of or planning to buy an investment unit or home, you can now enter property investment market for the minimum possible $ outlay of the cost of a granny flat!

Qld Government Legislation changes for Granny Flats:
The reason given by Qld Gov for this change is: "To provide people with more access to housing options, restrictions on who can live in secondary dwellings will no longer apply across Queensland and will enable homeowners to rent out secondary dwellings, such as granny flats, to anyone." * 
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They also clarify this change with a little more detail:
"Any new secondary dwelling will be able to be rented to anyone, regardless of whether they are related to the occupants of the primary dwelling. This means more options for renters, and provides the opportunity for owners to receive additional income from renting their secondary dwelling.

For any new secondary dwelling, you will still need to speak with your council to understand if you need development approval for a secondary dwelling as this has not changed.

Any new secondary dwelling will still require building approval.​" * 

How to own an investment property for FREE! (basically)
So, let's get to the best part. How to own an investment property for (pretty much) $0?

Consider this (excuse the simplistic Grade 1 math for the sake of the conceptualisation):

• You invest $55,000 (a designer granny flat for your property designed by us), into a studio-style or one-bedroom granny flat in your backyard in a prime location - for example, you may be within 5kms of Brisbane City CBD, close to a university, college or large shopping center/transport network etc. (A highly specific example we know but stay with us...)
• You rent this out to a single professional, young/down-sizing couple or small family for say $350/wk, over the next 3 years (that the legislation applies for),
• $ Outlay (cost to you) = $55k,
• $ Income (from rent) = $54.6k.
• OR, Build a two-bedroom mini-home with Patio and Carport and its basically a small house, resulting in an even stronger rental return/week, resulting in proportionally even better ROI (return on investment) per m2 than the studio/1bed option!
• After this initial investment and 3 years or more leasing it out, the granny flat will eventually pay for itself, and you can choose to either continue to rent it out, use it for your own studio, growing teenage kids recreation space, or a fancy home office.
• In our opinion, this could beat buying a 3 bed investment home in the 'burbs, renting for the same price, but has you pouring cash out with rates, utilities, building maintenance, property management fees etc...

Hang on a minute! What happens after the 3 years?
Now, you may be thinking, this legislation relaxation only applies for next 3 years. What happens after that? Good question. Well, the way we see it, the Queensland Government has 3 options:

1. Force property owners to kick tenants out of their affordable accomodation if they are not members of the same household as the main house,  OR
2. Give a 'grace period' for tenants that are not members of the same household to move out, OR
3. Extend the relaxation of the rule, or make it into permanent state legislation.

We don't think that option 1 or 2 would be in the best assumed personal interests of political self-preservation, therefore we believe option 3 may be the most likely option (don't hold us to it though, government has proven to be mighty unpredictable at times!).

What you must know
After consulting over the phone with a representative of Brisbane City Council's (BCC) Town Planning & Development department, we were informed that, although the new legislation has been announced and instituted by the Queensland Government at the state level, the change must be announced and instituted by each local government. Until then, the current planning legislation still applies for Brisbane. Although some Qld council's have already implemented the change so we strongly believe it is imminent.

Nothing to date has been announced from BCC in regards to the adoption of the new relaxation of legislation that we are aware of, however we are waiting with bated breath for an announcement (or quiet adoption) from BCC, and we will update this article when it is announced and instituted. Other councils' may have already introduced this legislation to their policies (eg. Sunshine Coast City Council). Contact your local council to check if they have incorporated this into their planning yet or not.

What else should you think about?

• Other approvals may be required for your specific property and planning constraints.
• Rates changes may apply depending on your local council. Contact them for info on this.
• Other building code requirements may also need to be met (fire-separation, sound transmission etc.)
• Check with your building certifier or town planner if your property is eligible to build a secondary dwelling and what approvals will be required for your property. We can refer you to a professional if necessary or arrange this for you if you are engaged with us for your design.
• Current building supply shortages and increased building and labour costs are not yet losing momentum, so keep that in mind also.

Does QDH offer 'design-and-build' services for Granny Flats & Mini-Homes?
​We are building designers, so we design, plan and document your custom project with you. We have our previous projects plus a number of in-house QDH designer mini-homes for initial inspiration or a straight-up design solution for your convenience. We regularly partner with some fantastic custom new home and specialist renovation builders if it is a 'design-and-build' service you need. Just ask us about this service and we can explain what the 'design-and-construct' process looks like.

We also specialise in creating one-off, custom design solutions that fit you and your property's exact needs. So, whether it is a small lot, steep sloping site, build-over-sewer or any other challenges, we accept the challenge.

What you can do now
This may be one of the greatest investment opportunities for Queensland home owners in recent history. Just be aware that in some Qld council's, including Brisbane, the legislation change is not yet officially in play, however we expect it to be instituted in the near future. We will update this article when that occurs.

So, if you are considering entering the investment property market and you own your own home with some land, there are strong reasons why you may consider adding a granny flat to your property and investment planning  now or in the near future.

If you have any questions, please send us an email. We'd love to hear from you. Or leave a comment below to let us know what you think about this!


Other sources for further information:
Qld Government Announcement
Master Builders Queensland media release

Local SEQ Council Granny Flat information:
Brisbane City Council Granny Flat Guidelines 
​Gold Coast City Plan (secondary dwellings)
Moreton Bay Regional Council Secondary Dwellings Info Sheet
Sunshine Coast Council - Secondary Dwelling Info Sheet (pdf) - SCC seems to be the only council in SEQ to have already incorporated this change into their information sheets and legislation. See the pdf for details.

Disclaimer: This article is written general in nature and does not constitute financial advice or take into account your individual circumstances. Consult with your accountant and/or financial planner, local government, town planner, building certifier and or other relevant consultants to professinal advice for your specific circumstances.

Put simply, in Queensland:
a DA is a Development Approval - Occasionally required.
A local/state/federal authorities approval for a project that breaches one or more requirements of the city/state/federal plans. The project is individually assessed, and approved if no overwhelming objections are determined or received.

a BA is a Building Approval - Required on most building projects.
An approval issued for the construction of a project by a building certifier.

BUILDING APPROVALS:
In Queensland, the majority of building projects require a Building Approval (BA) prior to commencing construction. A Building Certifier is the person that issues this approval for construction. All required plans are submitted to him for assessment first, and if the project ticks all the boxes against the building code, local city plan and state authority legislation, he issues this approval, and then the builder can start building.

In some cases, where the proposed project does not immediately comply with one or more requirements (aka 'acceptable solutions') of the city plan, or state/federal authority legislation, the project is then required to  be submitted to that authority for further, individual assessment by that authority. This type of approval is called a Development Approval (DA). 

​A BA is assessed mostly against the NCC - the National Construction Code - which the DA is not assessed against. That's the Building Certifiers job.

Typical example requiring a BA:
Your designer has produced a great design that ticks all the city plan's boxes for property boundary setbacks, building heights, site cover, character codes and more.  You submit the building design plans, engineering plans and any other documents to a private Building Certifier (some councils have building certifiers in-house so you can submit directly to council for a BA. Not Brisbane) and he issues a BA so you can start construction immediately!

DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL:
A DA is required for judgement to be passed on whether a project will be acceptable to the local community and how much of an impact it will have on the local area. This is heavily assessed against compliance with the authorities plan (such as a local council city plan).

Just because your DA is approved, doesn't mean you automatically can start building. No. A project that has successfully had a DA issued for it, will then be required to obtain a Building Approval to actually commence construction also. 

A DA is assessed against the city plan and other planning authority requirements.

Typical example requiring a DA:
Your project design is amazing! The only thing is, it needs to be 10m above NGL for the design to work perfectly. In the majority of Brisbane, QLD - Brisbane City Council's City Plan 2014 allows for a maximum building height of 9.5m above natural ground level (NGL). This doesn't necessarily mean that you can't build it, you just have to submit the project plans to council with a development application to have it individually assesssed by council and for public comment. You submit the plans to council through a private town planner (in Brisbane at least. Some councils have their own town planners so you can submit directly to council), and 

The application is publicly listed so other home owners can have their say in the project too. So, is there a chance that the project won't be approved? Yes. But in most cases, a good designer would have been working with a town planner early on to produce a design that, even though it goes beyond the acceptable solutions of the city plan, has a high likelihood of the DA being approved by council.

WHEN DO YOU NEED BOTH?
Whenever a DA is required, you will also need a BA in order to construct the project.

Fun topic! Not particularly. But it is an important piece of knowledge to understand before starting your dream project. Happy designing!

​Sam, QDH.

​Start offering the 'Design & Construct' service to your clients today. The benefits of this are HUGE!

We work with you to keep your clients in your system, giving them less points of contact (you & us) for all aspects of the stressful pre-construction design and planning process. This takes massive stresses off your client, and the relationship you get to build with your client - pre-contract - is invaluable in taking your client through to contract. The benefits to both you and your client are spectacular!

We are currently adding a limited number of Brisbane builders to our valued builder client portfolio.

Insider Tip:
This also gets you a leg in as one of QDH's preferred builders for referrals for our private clients.

​Call us today to get more info and to see how we can take your business to the next level.
​Sam - 0424 536 287.

So what is the deal with building a granny flat in Brisbane? What can you do and what can't you do?

Building laws (as at 02/11/17) regarding Granny Flats are pretty straight forward. Basically, this is the law from the Dwelling House Code in the Brisbane City Plan 2014:

- "Development comprises not more than one dwelling house and one secondary dwelling (granny flat) occupied by one household."
- "A maximum of 80m2 in gross floor area."
- "Located within 20m of the dwelling house."
- "Occupied by 1 or more members of the same household as the dwelling house."
-  "1 car parking space for the dwelling house; 1 car parking space for any secondary dwelling on the same site"

Household is defined in the Brisbane City Plan 2014 as:
"Means 1 or more individuals who-
(a) live in a dwelling with the intent of living together on a long-term basis; and
(b) make common provision for food and other essentials for living"

The dwelling house code further defines a "household" as comprising:
"(a) 1 person maintaining a household; or 
(b) 2 more more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption; or
(c) not more than 5 persons, not necessarily related by blood, marriage or adoption; or
(d) not more than 5 persons under the age of 18 and not necessarily related by blood, marriage or adoption, together with 1 or 2 adult persons who have care or control of them."

So who is a granny flat suited to? There are a few possible reasons for wanting to build a granny flat:
- Aging parents are needing extra care,
- Separate living space for a family member, 
- Extra space for a growing family,
- Renting out a dwelling room by room under one tenancy agreement

If you are thinking of building a granny flat to rent out to a separate tenant, think again. Granny flats are NOT multi-unit dwellings.  Multi-unit dwellings are very different in type and construction. Especially with regard to fire separation.  (See the Dual Occupancy Code in the Brisbane City Plan 2014)

A granny flat is generally designed to have one tenancy agreement between all members living in the main and secondary dwelling, one letterbox, one metered water & electricity supply etc. If a granny flat was being used in a Dual Occupancy situation and there was a fire, or similar emergency issue and someone was hurt, the owners could be liable for big dollars if their insurance refuses to cover the owners based on the definitions of a 'household' in the City Plan.

For any family, building a Granny Flat in Brisbane is a fantastic addition to your home. It creates a separate living area and creates more space and freedom within the family.

Let us help you design a Granny Flat that suits your family's requirements, or a Dual Occupancy dwelling that meets all the current regulations.

Sam
​QDH Director

Maybe you just bought your dream home, only to find out the downstairs area was never approved! Or maybe you put that carport on the side of your house years ago, only to get a letter from council saying you need to get it approved, or pull it down!  This can be an overwhelming experience, especially if you don't know where to start. But never fear! In this blog post, we'll walk you through how to jump through all the right 'hoops' to get it approved.

The processes we will be talking about below are specifically aimed at Brisbane and Queensland based home owners. However the steps are mostly the same, wherever you are. Check with your local council.

Step 1: Get a knowledgeable person to have a look at it...
You may think that it looks like it would stand up to a cyclone, and that it's not overhanging the boundary so it should meet all regulations. Unfortunately, this isn't the way council sees things. No one expects you to know the building codes inside and out as a home owner. That's why it is important to have a knowledgeable person to come out and have a look. Someone that can look at it and tell you what regulations it does or does not meet.

Why is this a key step? Well, the facts are, a lot of unapproved building work can be prohibitively expensive to bring up to regulations outlined in the National Construction Code (NCC), the Timber Framing Code (AS1684), and your local council's requirements. 

By having someone there to walk around it with you, they will be able to give you a good idea of your options. This also will help you consider the possible costs that you might be looking at to bring it up to meet the current building regulations. This is something that we can help you with! Get in touch to arrange a site visit from us. Others that may be able to help could be a builder, engineer or a private certifier.

Decided that you want to go down the road of getting it approved? In Step 2, we will move on to the 'hoops' of getting it approved. We will also discuss the following consultants you will need:

• Building Designer
• Engineer
• Private Certifier

Just a note that this really is a bit of a specialised field, as only a handful of consultants will touch unapproved building works.


Step 2: Have a Building Designer draw up your plans
The first action to take in the commencing the process of getting you building work approved is to have a Building Designer (such as QDH) develop a full set of building design plans outlining the existing building before the work was done, as well as the proposed final plans (plans showing how the building works need to be in order to get your building approval). These will be submitted, (along with the engineering drawings), to your private certifier to get the final nod of approval.


​Step 3: Have an Engineer develop any engineering plans required
The second consultant to engage is a Structural Engineer. You will give the building design plans to him so that he can develop his drawings and conduct any necessary site inspections to examine the existing footings, slab or structural members, connections & tie-down details. 

He will most likely issue some plans along with his approval of the structural adequacy of the structure, or he will outline the changes that need to be made for the structure to be made structurally adequate for approval. Get in touch with us to access our exclusive network of great consultants we work with here in Brisbane.


Step 4: Submit all of this to a Private Certifier
So you've got all your plans, now what? You will then have to submit all of these to a Private Certifier. At the end of the day, the Private Certifier is the one that signs off on your building approval, and issues your final approval, so be nice to him (or her)!

With an undertaking such as this, it is good for the Private Certifier to be involved from the start. They are the final authority on getting your work approved, so the more involved they are from the start, the better the chance we have of dotting all our structural 'i's', and crossing all our regulatory 't's'.


Step 5: Enjoy peace of mind...
By getting all unapproved building work approved, you will be able to rest easy knowing that you and your family are safe, no one will ask you to pull down parts of your house, your insurances will cover you in the event of a disaster, and when you come to sell your house, you will probably get more $ for it than you would have otherwise! That's a pretty good incentive if nothing else.

For more information or to ask a question specific to your project, feel free to flick us an email.

Sam,
​Director