Build cost for Granny Flat?

Hi all…

Thsi is a terrific forum…

I want to put in a 60 sq/mt granny flat in western sydney.. Want to include council costs/ private certifiers and all in a turn key pack. how much am I looking at. And any suggestions  of builders from experience.

Thanks

Hi All, My apologies for reviving what appears to be an old chat. I am currently looking for cashflow positive properties and like the idea of western Sydney properties with the ability to add a Granny Flat. I realize that the best time to do this was probably 12 months ago but it still looks like an ideal way to make city property instantly positively geared.Are there any particular agents and areas that i should look at? Also,  Brazen are you still involved in GF Permits and construction?Thanks.  Blueline.                 

what type of costs have they been giving you?

blueline wrote:

Brazen are you still involved in GF Permits and construction? Thanks. Blueline.

Hi there Blueline,

Yea I’m still designing, approving and helping with building granny flats for my clients. The unique thing I offer is a ‘co-op’ for investors looking for the best-build-for-the-money. What does this mean?

It means having someone there on the inside looking after your investment goals and interests- an impartial advocate who has no commercial interest in your build. I reject scores of enquirers every week because I can see that a granny flat in their back yard(whilst legal) is going to absolutely destroy the privacy and resale vale of their land. Granted, they often go to a ‘commercial builder’ after I reject them but I’d rather that than an un-occupiable investment on my conscience, no?

On pricing, there are companies offering builds for $80k to $90k BUT they’re shoe-boxes; nothing more than a container or caravan-park cabin on stilts. Then there are companies building decent structures but they’ll sting you with ‘add-ons’ and they’re very top-heavy. These companies charge more just to pay their hefty media bills. You can also spot these businesses by the way they advertise (TV, Radio etc) and they’re lack of transparency on pricing. They boast extravagant advertising and they have sales-staff running all over Sydney offering people the Earth. There’s nothing wrong with advertising of course but for granny flats, which are small developments, there’s not a huge margin for a well-priced builder. Bottom line is this – is your money paying for quality inclusions or for fancy advertising? Something’s gotta give, right? So these larger builders are gambling on the razzle-dazzle of and promises of investment returns etc but we all know this stuff already. We’re property investors!

A little-known fact is that really good builders don’t really need to advertise much at all. I’ll say that again – really good builders don’t need to run TV Ads and hire scores of monkeys to convince people to buy from them. .

The best builders are relatively small operators with just a few staff at most, who just build a granny flat or two at a time. The Builder is physically there on site, not off smiling at cameras.

My own goal (and it gives me great pleasure) is to search out these humble, hard-working builders who are family-run and don’t have unrealistic ambitions. It’s these bigger project companies that lack quality control and rob you of inclusions – to pay for advertising and huge overheads. A business gets to a point where a lot of your money just goes to running their own admin; and they charge you an arm and a leg for the privilege.

I’ve been involved in residential drafting and building approvals for decades and I’ve seen building companies emerge, grow out of control, lose touch with their customers and (whilst the founder gets filthy rich), their quality suffers.

At the end of the day, you’re after the best build for your money are you not? You’re not after a ‘sales experience’. So look for builders who are small, not greedy and who will be there on site day in, day out. When you look at their finished work, look very closely, not with rose-coloured glasses. Look a the joinery work, where the architraves meet. Look at the paint in direct sunlight. Look under the skirtings for gaps and paint runs etc. Look at everything closely and with a critical eye.

I hope this helps!
Serge.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by  Brazen.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by  Brazen.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by  Brazen.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by  Brazen.