Granny Flat Parking Guide

Granny Flat Parking Guide

Parking – Lets design for the future

Parking is an important aspect of any development and with granny flats growing in popularity across the entirety of Sydney (and beyond), the issue of parking is often overlooked. You only have to drive into the inner city to see how valuable a good parking spot can be. Even outside of the CBD. some people are complaining that their street is getting more congested with granny flat parking spilling out onto the street. Whilst it’s nowhere near as bad as parking in the city (just try and park near one of the cafes or pubs!), good parking can’t be ignored when designing and siting granny flats. This is true no matter where you or your tenants will live. At Granny Flat Approvals we look very carefully at how we can achieve every goal you have for maximising your rental returns and great parking, good access for cars and pedestrians is another area we focus on. It’s important to provide parking in a safe and cost-effective way, too.

Granny Flat Parking – what does the SEPP say?

When it comes to granny flat parking, the Affordable Rental Housing SEPP is quite clear on what it demands from developers: “There is no requirement that additional parking spaces be provided in respect of development for the purposes of a secondary dwelling.” Now that may seem like a get out of jail free card BUT we should be mindful of the spaces we’re removing as well as what the legislation is prescribing. It’s smart business to create parking for your tenants wherever it’s practical and it’s a point of difference your competitors will often forget. So remember to design and site for smart parking. Your tenants will love you for it!

Granny Flat Parking

Parking – Don’t let it come to this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Parking Design – The Basics

Whilst it’s impractical to go into every detail of how we design for good (if not great) parking facilities,  it’s important to recognise the need for it. There are a number of ways we can accommodate extra cars and, depending on the geometry of the block, we can provide for extra parking in the rear yard, the front yard and sometimes even one of the sides of the main dwelling. It’s also important to allow for uninterrupted flow of cars (traffic) in and out of the property plus a suitable turn area. We need to also consider the marriage between vehicle parking, vehicle flow and pedestrian flow, especially for the safety of young children. This can be done with good splayed fencing, a logical layout and even mirrors or parking bollards if need be.

There are many investors looking for granny flat friendly properties but it’s the savvy ones who think of every aspect of a granny flat’s design. Providing for smart Granny Flat parking is no exception.

Here at Granny Flat Approvals, we have the experience and development background to advise you about designing for the best possible parking arrangement which is specifically tailored for your site. Feel free to ask us about parking when you speak with us. We’d be happy to share our ideas and templates for you to make the best decision possible.

Warm Regards,

Serge Panayi – Granny Flat Approvals Sydney

 

About the Author: Serge Panayi is the Owner and Designer at GrannyFlatApprovals.com.au. He regularly contributes to national development workshops and forums on residential development in Sydney.

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Comments

13 replies on Granny Flat Parking Guide

  • adam says:
    May 22, 2017 at 3:24 pm

    HI,
    Would an attached ‘fully enclosed’ garage be included in the 60m2? or only in the ‘total floor area’ calculation?
    Thinking of building a granny flat with an attached garage for the main home at the front, but i want as much of that 60m2 as i can get in the flat itself.
    Thanks!

  • Michael says:
    July 4, 2017 at 9:36 pm

    Hi Serge,
    We are on the slope block. Is it possible to build an underground garage (70sqm), then a granny flat (60sqm) on top of it ? Is there any boundary limit for the garage build?

    Thanks
    Michael

    • Serge Panayi says:
      July 7, 2017 at 1:04 pm

      Hi Michael,

      It’s doable albeit quite pricey for excavation I expect.
      The garage (being fundamentally attached to the granny flat) would need to meet the same boundary regulations, yes.

      Excavation rules also apply under the SEPP. You can only excavate to a maximum of 3 mtrs below natural ground levels and excavation at this depth must be no closer than 1.5 mtrs to a boundary.

      Cheers,
      Serge

  • Greg says:
    May 26, 2018 at 10:25 am

    HI Serge, Does a garage attached to a granny flat need to have driveway access?

  • Adam says:
    June 5, 2018 at 10:55 am

    Hi Serge,
    Can an attached garage be positioned at the front of a granny flat? or does it need to remain 1m behind the building line of the flat?
    We’d like to build at the average of the neighbours dwellings frontage with the garage at front, though as i understand it the SEPP rules (ie complying development part 3) usually want garages set behind dwellings. I can’t find garage positional rules in the affordable housing code.
    Thanks!

    • Serge Panayi says:
      June 5, 2018 at 4:08 pm

      Hi Adam,

      The garage must be located at least 1m behind the front building line of the Main Dwelling (the house). This is a rule under the main SEPP which must be complied with.
      If the garage is detached, then you can place the granny flat further forward as per the rule regarding setbacks of the neighbouring dwelings.

      I hope this helps.

      Serge

  • Anthony Shalala says:
    November 3, 2018 at 5:45 pm

    This is a really good read for me. Must admit that you are one of the best bloggers I have ever read. Thanks for posting this informative article.

  • Rajneesh says:
    March 28, 2019 at 6:29 pm

    Hi Serge, Can you please advise if on corner lot, I can provision for driveway and carport for Granny flat from the side street, does it require special approval or it can be covered understand standard CDC? Also any guidelines on type/size of carport and how much additional cost it can add to standard GF.

    • Serge Panayi says:
      March 29, 2019 at 2:47 am

      Hi Rajneesh,

      Driveways on the public reserve must be applied for at Council via a Driveway Application. They’re generally simple and should be approved on corner lots.

      Carport prices are on our websites Online Build Calculator but a metal single carport costs around $4,000 installed.

      Regards,

      Serge.

  • Sabrina says:
    April 22, 2020 at 1:32 am

    My property is just under 700sqm with a 15.24 frontage our house is only 7.6m wide and sits in the middle. We’re thinking of building a granny flat at the back would it be possible to get a second driveway to access the grannyflat ?

    • Grant says:
      January 20, 2021 at 10:05 am

      Hi Sabrina, I think it’s possible. Can you call the office and they can have a quick look at the property to be certain.

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