Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
Can You Customise an Off-Plan House?
If you want to build a home, but don't want to take on all the work yourself, then you may be talking to building contractors about buying an off-plan property. You buy this kind of property based on a house design and floor plan that the building company has drawn up.
While off-plan builds are designed by the company that constructs the properties, you may be able to put your own touches to them. What kind of customisation options do you have?
Changes to Fixtures and Fittings
Off-plan builders will have a range of fixtures and fittings for your new home. Typically, you get some choice over what you have in the house.
For example, your builder may show you a range of bathroom and kitchen tiles, different flooring options and a few different light fittings. If your new home will come with appliances, you may be able to choose between different brands, colours and designs. You may also get a choice of window and door styles and even of paint colours.
You may find that you're happy with what's on offer; however, sometimes, you may want more flexibility. For example, you may want a brand of oven that the builder doesn't offer as standard or a paint colour that isn't on their palette.
Builders don't have to change things to accommodate you, but many are happy to be flexible, especially if the changes are cosmetic. Bear in mind that you may have to pay extra if your changes add to the builder's purchasing or labour costs.
Changes to the Floor Plan
Making changes to the building's floor plans may be a little more difficult. Your builder will have designed the house's layout carefully to make the best use of space and environmental factors. Some changes may just not be feasible. You can't expect the builder to make more space on the plot than they have available. For example, asking for another bedroom to be added may not work.
However, your builder may be happy to make floor plan changes if they don't affect the overall footprint of the design. For example, asking to turn space allocated for one of your bathrooms into a bedroom may be doable. Losing some of your kitchen space to build a walk-in pantry may also get the go-ahead.
Again, any changes you make to the floor plan are likely to increase your costs. However, changes may help you turn an off-plan build into your new dream home. If there are things you want to change, talk to the builder to see if they have any flexibility.