Granny Flat Plans

Despite its speaking name, granny flats are not meant to be used only by your older relatives. They can be used as a guest room or even a full-fledged living area for a young couple, empty-nesters, or just someone who can’t yet afford his own house. Its capacity to bring some passive rental income into the family budget can turn into your bread and butter in challenging times or pay off your mortgage each month.

That is why the design of your granny flat must comply with and fit all the possible applications that real life can offer. Keep reading to find the best granny flat design for you.

The most popular granny flat designs

As you may know, granny flats may vary not only in their dimensions, features and floor plans, but also their position relative to the main living area. 

According to the latter, we can elicit the following types of granny flats:

• Interior granny flat. This is known to be the most cost-effective type of granny flat. They are basements, attics, or an attached garage that were renovated and equipped with all necessary utility systems. A completely independent entry is what can ensure privacy and independence from the main house.
• An Attached granny flat. Similar to the interior ADU, the granny flat design in question features a separate door. But unlike the previous granny flat plan, the attached ADU doesn’t reuse the existing space but creates one by building a new construction adjoined to the main property’s rear or one of the sides. This type of ADU can also be constructed on top of an attached garage.
• A detached granny flat. Completely independent little house away from the main property with one or two bedrooms, a bathroom, and sometimes equipped with such amenities as a deck and an own laundry space. It provides maximum privacy for both tenants and homeowners, but this exciting feature comes at a cost. This is no wonder, considering you have to erect the building from scratch and outfit it with all the essential amenities.
• When choosing between those three main granny flat designs, consider the available budget, the size of a property, and the initial purpose of a granny flat. Keep in mind that the type of ADU can also be restricted by your local zoning department.

Designing the perfect granny flat

Creating the granny flat floor plan that will meet all your expectations and bring about the desired profit can be a bit intimidating. There are an infinite number of granny flat solutions that make it challenging to decide what granny flat floor plan will suit your taste and needs. 

But no need to panic; the following five steps will help you develop your granny flat floor plan:

1. When reviewing granny flat floor plans, keep your end user in mind. It is expected to build a two-bedroom granny flat with a kitchen for rental units so that each tenant can have an equal amount of space for their needs, whereas a single family member might enjoy a more enormous bedroom plus some additional space for a hobby, a pantry, or a workout room.
2. Consider new future uses of the granny flat. Aim for a granny flat design that is versatile enough to accommodate and suit a wide range of tenants, from your grandparents to some modern young adults in search of independence. Also, try to find the granny flat floor plan that will add the most value to your current property when you offer it for sale. Two-bedroom granny flat plans are proved to be more rentable than one-bedroom ones. A spacious 1000 sq. ft. one-bedroom granny flat with a deck may be a fun vacation for your relatives or guests, but you will get considerable benefits of adding a second bedroom, a full bathroom, and a kitchen when posting an advertisement for a house.
3. If you are struggling to find the best place for your granny flat, feasibility studies will cover it. They are designed to determine the optimal location, work out possible constraints in the construction process, and make sure your granny flat meets your local ADU size limits and setbacks. Moreover, using the service, you get information on the cost of building a granny flat, your current utility layout, and more.
4. Avoid expensive granny flat floor plan decisions by following some of the tips below. To begin with, instead of dreaming up your granny flat floor plan from scratch, use and modify the existing granny flat floor plans available online for free. Secondly, study your local laws. Cities waive certain fees for granny flats under specific square footage, which is wise to take into account when coming up with the dimensions of your new property. Finally, a granny flat floor plan can be modified to make it cost-effective, which is also referred to as value engineering. The latter will ascertain whether the shower dimensions would accommodate a standard shower insert or require a custom order.
5. Make sure the design will work well combined with the rest of your property. Regardless of whether your goal is to make a space for your loved ones or a source of rental income, a good granny flat design will consider its compatibility with homeowners’ main house and backyard.

Top 5 crucial factors for perfect ADU building to consider

Read on to learn five factors you need to consider in order to create the ultimate granny flat design to fit well with your primary residence:

• Assess the position of the windows and an exterior door regarding its compatibility with your property features, like pools, fences and a garage. For example, if you see in your granny flat floor plan that a garage or a wall can block the view from the windows on the mountains, it would be easier to make a change in the plan before starting the construction.
• Most municipal ADU codes in our country regulate the exterior of your small structure, demanding that it aesthetically matches the more spacious one. Make sure that the architectural details shown on the granny flat floor plan matches with your primary building.
• Interior must be intentionally and thoughtfully designed. Either hire a designer who will get it covered without the hustle, or dig through Pinterest to find your own style and DIY your space into something special.
• Consider smart designs when locating equipment like sub meters, solar panels and gas lines because it can obstruct reachability of other aspects of your granny flat like recycling bins and laundry space.
• Ensure the seclusion of the unit with an individual entry or a separate driveway.

In conclusion, a good deal of details needs to be taken into account when designing a granny flat floor plan. Before starting to plan your granny flat, you have to answer plenty of questions to design the perfect tiny house for you. Keep reading to find the answers to some of them.

Frequently Asked Questions — FAQ

How much does it cost to build a two-bedroom granny flat?

The size of expenditures generally depends on the square footage, design, and materials. A two-bedroom granny flat can range from $120,000 to $160,000. It is higher-priced than a one-bedroom granny flat but much more cost-effective than a larger granny flat or a house. As was said above, most granny flat floor plans include two bedrooms, as they will be able to act both as rental units and vacation spots.

What do two-bedroom granny flat designs feature?

Two-bedroom granny flat plans typically feature two equitable bedrooms, open kitchen space, a separate or combined bathroom, and a laundry room. A two-bedroom granny flat design often contains a deck, a separate entry, and a yard, in case there is enough space for them.

Do I need to hire an architect to design my granny flat floor plan?

No, you can find premade granny flat designs online and modify them to satisfy your needs. However, an architecture firm can prepare all the necessary documents and prevent some roadblocks you may face on your way, such as doors opening into one another and fences blocking the view from the windows.

What are the advantages of a one-bedroom granny flat?

A one-bedroom granny flat is perfect for a single occupant. It allows you to make the most of the limited space of your tiny house. You can incorporate a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room and still have some room for storage needs.