Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Granny Flat

Although they may go by the moniker “granny flat,” these robust buildings can do much more than provide accommodation for elderly relatives: they’re great as a holiday let, teenage hangout, or extra space for you to enjoy your property. Our Titan Houses can add value to your home and provide you with a method of generating income for years to come.

But how do you choose the right granny flat for you?

The Local Rules And Regulations

First things first: rules and regulations. Unfortunately, local building regulations prevent you from setting up a granny flat whenever and wherever you want. Usually, there’s a planning process involved with rules at the council level.

The good news is that finding out whether you’re likely to get planning permission for your Titan House is relatively straightforward. Local architects will be able to tell you what kind of granny flats have already gone up in the area and whether you’re likely to get planning permission, should you seek it. You can also approach other trusted professionals, like building certifiers and surveyors or go directly to real estate consultancies for their opinion.

Bottom line? You’ll need to satisfy local regulations before any building work begins. Doing so can be a long process, but not necessarily a difficult one, especially if you have pre-existing planning permission on your property or if people in your area have already built their own granny flats.

The Available Land

The type of Titan House you choose to build depends on the availability of land. The more land that’s available, the larger the size of Titan House you can have. Our Titan Houses are incredible granny flat options that serve as self-contained units with bedroom, bathroom and kitchen facilities. They come in a range of sizes, from the decidedly bijou all the way up to large  houses with enough space for a growing family.

Before building begins, the lie of the land will determine (to a considerable extent) what kind of granny flat can be built.

The type of Titan House you can build will depend on the following:

• The proximity to neighbours. The closer your land is to neighbours, the more constraints you are likely to face. For example, you may face height or square footage constraints to prevent your granny flat from changing the view of the surrounding area your neighbours enjoy.
• Easements. An easement is a right to use someone else’s property as a through route. You may need to consider access to your new granny flat if it is built on adjacent land or away from your main property.
• Setback from the main property. You need to provide sufficient space between your new granny flat and your main property. This will affect the ultimate size of your new Titan House.

The Construction

Granny flats can be made from almost anything: wood, brick, metal cladding, concrete, or anything else. But the type of material you choose can have an enormous impact on the cost, longevity and visual appeal of your new dwelling. You need to select a granny flat that can perform on all three fronts, like a Titan House.

Titan Houses offer high-quality construction. They are made from steel on a concrete base and are designed to withstand winds of up to 50 metres per second. Titan Houses are made of attractive, high-grade painted steel, and, thanks to their simplicity, are highly affordable. Titan Houses meld naturally into the surrounding area and do not appear intrusive in any way.

The next part of the construction is to choose a builder you can rely on to get the job done to a high standard, on budget and schedule. At Titan Garages, we supply all our own products, meaning that we know what we’re building inside out – literally. You can count on us to deliver a high quality build every time, no matter what you need your granny flat for. Our professionally-designed and tailored granny flats can be created quickly and will last for a lifetime, thanks to the exceptional quality of craftsmanship and production that goes into each unit.

The Benefits Of Titan Houses

• Extreme Durability. Some companies sell granny flats that look good but can’t stand up to whatever the weather throws at them. With our Titan Houses, you can rest assured that the occupants will be protected from high winds up to 50 metres per second, and torrential rain, thanks to the guttering system we use on all our builds. Titan Houses live up to their name: they are strong and durable and will not let you down.
• Build On A Concrete Slab Or Elevated Floor System. No matter how your land falls, we have a base solution that will suit you. You can choose for your Titan House to be built on a concrete slab or an elevated floor system.
• Use Your Titan House For Just About Anything. When it comes to Titan Houses, your imagination is the limit. You can use your new Titan House for just about anything, including as an onsite holiday cabin, a place for a family member to live, a way to get teenagers out of your hair, as a summer retreat or as a budget-oriented way of getting your first home. The possibilities are endless.
• Titan Houses Are Better Than The Competition. Our Class One Titan Houses can either be used on a temporary basis or as fully-fledged homes. Unlike many temporary granny flats, Titan Houses can be used the whole year round and are self-contained units: there’s no need for the occupant to travel to and from the main house.
• Get A Large Living Space. Although we do sell smaller Titan Houses for people with limited space, there is no limit, in principle, on their size. Larger Titan Houses are big enough to serve as family homes, providing square footage comparable to that of most modern builds. Titan Houses have space for all your home amenities including open plan living and dining, functional kitchen space, pantry storage, luxurious ensuite double shower and bathrooms, and much much more.