Traditional Construction Vs Modula Homes Construction
For many of us, the idea of an extra or detached dwelling on our property is certainly appealing. We are seeing a wide variety of uses for ‘granny flats’, from people moving their elderly parents into them, to earning a little extra income renting them out for short or long term accommodation. Generally, these buildings have been traditionally built on-site, but now with Modula Homes, the buildings can be manufactured in our factory and delivered to your site fully completed. Let’s have a look at the key differences between the two construction methods.
1. Traditional Construction
Initially, this might seem like the more usual and ‘sensible’ option, but there are several items to consider:
Planning permission - Depending on the size of your proposed granny flat and its location on your site, a Development Approval (DA) from your local government might be required.
Building certification – All buildings will require some sort of building certification from a local Certifier, to approve the building. While each local government is different, usually when you comply with keeping the floor area under 80m2 and have the required setbacks, you won’t need any Development Applications.
Time – We need to allow for design, certification and the construction time:
Design Stage: Approximately 4 - 8 weeks
Certification: Approximately 2 weeks
Construction: Approximately 12-16 weeks (based on an 80m2 dwelling)
Total: 18 – 26 Weeks
Cost - The price of the building will depend on the size of the granny flat. However, as each building generally requires major items like a kitchen and bathroom, the cost per m2 is higher than that of a conventional home. Generally, you are looking at around $2000 - $2500 m2. If you are after a traditionally built granny flat our sister company Spencer Constructions can do this for you.
2. Modular Construction
Opting for a Modula granny flat is a great, hassle free option. Here’s what you can expect:
Planning permission – This is still required; however, our ready-made designs can be flexible to ensure that you won’t need Development Approval.
Building certification – This is also required; however, our houses have been designed to ensure that they meet the requirements of our Local Councils. If your council requires some changes, these are easy to make.
Time – If you are choosing one of our designs, there is no design period. If you do want to make some changes, this generally only adds a couple of weeks to the process. See the timeline below:
Certification: 2- 4 weeks (This can be happening while your Modula home is being built in the factory).
Construction: 4 weeks from start to finish in our factory. There are no delays due to poor weather.
Delivery and Installation: 3 - 4 weeks. This usually takes 3 weeks by the time we have installed the building and connected the power and water.
Note: This timeframe is for our company to transport & install. There will be different timeframes if other builders are doing the installation.
Total: 9- 12 Weeks
Cost – One bedroom granny flats are available from Modula Homes from just $79,000 (two bedrooms from $113,000), including all fixtures and fittings. These are turn-key homes, ready for you to move straight into.
When considering adding a granny flat to your property, there’s a lot to think about but we make it easy. At Modula Homes, we’re always on hand to offer advice on finding the perfect home to suit your needs and to guide you through the process.
For more information: https://modulahomes.com.au/designs/
