4 Essential Considerations When Getting A Granny Flat

There are two groups of people regarding granny flats: those opposed to them and those deeply interested in them. If you’re one of the latter, this post will help you get a granny flat built on your property. Read on to learn more. 

  1. Granny Flats Provider

First and foremost, the primary consideration you need to look into when getting a granny flat for your home is the granny flat manufacturer.

Granny Flat

For starters, don’t sign up for the first company you see on the web after a quick search. Additionally, you can ask around your neighborhood, at your workplace, or in family gatherings to find recommendations from people who’ve worked with a granny flats maker. Make sure you run through different companies to prepare a list of potential granny flat providers you’ll do business with. 

Narrow down your list by vetting companies like Garden Studios granny flats and looking into each one’s reputation, offering lineup, customer support, and so on. 

Work with a granny flats company with a stellar public reputation – this means they have a strong and reliable work performance that past clients can back up. Next, pick a manufacturer that has a variety of granny flats choices that you can go through. Lastly, it’s ideal that you partner with a company that has an accommodating customer support system and personnel that’ll go above and beyond to meet your needs, heed your concerns in a timely manner, and others. 

Pick your top three candidates and book a call with each one. Prepare a list of questions that you’ll raise after each company has made their pitch, as well as pay attention to their presentation. 

  1. Structure And Design

On trend granny flats can come in multiple designs and layouts. When toying with the idea of having a granny flat in your residential property, you need to look into the structure and design of the building.

Take note that there are mainly two classes of granny flats designs: ready-made and custom-made. What’s the difference between the two? Companies usually offer ready-made granny flats as a template that you can avail yourself of and use as-is. On the other hand, custom-made granny flats can be structures designed from the ground up, or granny flats designs tweaked here and there to suit particular tastes, demands, and so on. 

Ready-made granny flats are your go-to if you want convenience and a much cheaper bill. But do keep in mind that your structure will look generic because others out there have the same granny flats design as you have at home. Yet if you want to have a personalized building, it’s a no-brainer that you avail yourself of custom-made granny flats. Nonetheless, they may command a much higher price tag, can be more challenging to maintain, and the like. 

  1. Your Community’s Local Zoning Rules

Granny flats are a separate class of real estate properties known as secondary dwellings. They’re categorized as such because they can feature different facilities such as a kitchen and sink, bathroom, and so on.

Depending on where you are, your locality may have a lax or restrictive approach to secondary dwellings like granny flats. Before contacting a granny flat company, go to the zoning office of your city or the homeowners’ association of your community. Inquire if your zipcode area allows for the construction of a granny flat. Not only that, ask about certain requirements and restrictions like allowed specifications, disallowed materials, and many more if your city gives you the green light to go ahead with the granny flat construction. 

  1. Pricing And Payment Options

Various granny flat companies offer different product lineups at various price points. Generally, you can ask for the starting price and downpayment amount of each granny flat model during the initial consultation. Make sure you compare each option’s price against your allowable working budget.

There are three ways you can pay for your granny flat: pay for it in cash upfront, avail yourself of a loan, or work with the company’s payment option plan. 

If you’re a real estate investor and have a large amount to spare, you can pay for a granny flat for full price from the get-go. With the large cash payment made, you can take advantage of a cash payment discount if there’s any or ask for a lowered price tag. 

Meanwhile, if you only have a meager amount of money set aside for a downpayment, you can file for a loan to finance the granny flat purchase. Luckily, most banks have loan products that are geared toward those who are looking to build a granny flat within their property perimeter. With a great credit standing, you’ll be able to take advantage of them. Personal loans from family and friends, on the other hand, can be an option for those that don’t have subpar credit.

Finally, there are some granny flat makers that offer payment plans that you can check out. If you wish to take this option, make sure that you have the sales representative thoroughly explain to you the payment plan terms and conditions first. 

Closing Statement

The post above has listed down different points you can look into when getting a granny flat. Hopefully, you’ll find them helpful. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to ask your granny flat maker because they’ll gladly accommodate them. All the best.