Research Shows Granny Flat Development Could Ease the Housing Crisis

Sydney, New South Wales -

Sydney, Australia: For many Australians, purchasing or renting a home has never been more difficult.

Australia faces a significant housing crisis: there aren’t enough properties for people looking to put a roof over their heads. It doesn’t look like this situation will improve any time soon either.

In fact, government agency Housing Australia predicts a national shortfall of 106,300 houses over the next five years. Thankfully new research identifies hundreds of thousands of suitable sites for building two-bedroom granny flats in capital cities along the east coast.

A granny flat is a self-contained building with a kitchen, bathroom, living area and room(s). It’s separate from the primary residential building, but on the same land.

Three companies in the real estate, town planning and analytics sectors joined forces to find granny flat development opportunities in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Archistar, Blackfort and CoreLogic assessed every residential block in these capital cities, and discovered that more than 655,000 sites have the potential to host a self-contained two-bedroom granny flat.

Many of these sites are conveniently close to public transport and hospitals too.

Over 36 per cent of the sites are situated within two kilometres of a train or light rail station, and 17 per cent of the sites are located near a hospital. This is particularly ideal for future residents or tenants, especially those who are health care workers.

James Raad, Director of building company Amescorp, says more granny flat development would significantly alleviate national housing shortages. “There are thousands of families across Australia unable to buy or rent a home, because there aren’t enough new houses entering the market to cater to growing populations,” Mr Raad said.

“Granny flats are the perfect solution for individuals, couples and small families because the planning and construction process is more streamlined and affordable than building a house. A focus on granny flat development will help to fill the housing gap faster,” he said.

Mr Raad shares similar sentiments with CoreLogic Research Director, Tim Lawless, who believes this untapped development opportunity could help to alleviate the housing shortage in Australia’s biggest cities, while also benefiting homeowners.

“For policy makers and government, granny flats present an immediate and cost-effective opportunity to deliver much needed housing supply within existing town planning guidelines,” Mr Lawless said.

“For homeowners, the addition of a second self-contained dwelling provides an opportunity to provide rental housing or additional accommodation for family members, while at the same time, increasing the value of their property and potentially attaining additional rental income,” he said.

When it comes to the process of building a granny flat, careful planning is required for the best results. Homeowners must consider a number of factors, such as whether or not their land is suitable for a granny flat, according to state and territory requirements. The best building companies handle the entire approvals and planning process on behalf of their clients.

Amescorp has decades of experience building granny flats in Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle. It recently published an article about five key considerations when building a granny flat in NSW.

Their licensed and insured builders are committed to transparency and take pride in every project, offering customised designs, layouts and plans.

Call (02) 8798 9858 or fill out this form to get an immediate quote.