With Brisbane’s changing planning landscape and the pressure of today’s cost of living, we’re seeing more clients asking a very sensible question:

Could we make better use of the land we already own?

For many Brisbane properties, there may be the potential to add a secondary dwelling—or granny flat—with provisions allowing designs up to 80m² in appropriate circumstances.

And today’s granny flat can be a long way from the little box in the backyard that many people imagine.

The photos from one of our projects show a very smart and functional design developed with one of our architects.

We were able to create an effective standalone dual-living arrangement with a master bedroom at one end, open-plan lounge, kitchen and dining through the centre, and a second bedroom with its own bathroom at the other end.

For this particular client, that second area could function as accommodation for a carer as the owner aged.

That’s where thoughtful design really comes into its own.

With multiple generations increasingly living on the same property, a well-designed granny flat could potentially provide accommodation for ageing parents, adult children, extended family or future care arrangements—while still allowing everyone some independence and privacy.

It can also become an important part of planning a Forever Home.

But just because there’s room in the backyard doesn’t mean we start digging.

We first need to understand the property, planning requirements, access, services, stormwater, privacy, parking, orientation, existing structures and, most importantly, what our clients actually want the property to do for them over the next 10, 20 or 30 years.