What Are the Different Uses of a Granny Flat?

 

Granny flats have become increasingly popular because of their adaptability. Possibilities abound for homeowners with these separate structures that can be found on the same property as the main house. Granny flats can be adapted to serve a variety of purposes, including providing space for elderly relatives, generating rental income, setting up a home office, or pursuing a creative pursuit. This article delves into the many ways in which a granny flat can improve your quality of life.

What Is A Granny Flat?

In-law suite, backyard cottage, or "granny flat" describes an additional dwelling on your property. The room is used to accommodate visitors, such as grandparents or nannies. Guests can stay there as well. 

You can construct a granny flat anywhere on your property, be it in the basement, a remodelled garage, or as a standalone building. In either case, it's a comfortable and practical place for families to spend time together. 

Why You Should Build A Granny Flat

With the definition of a granny flat in place, we can move on to discussing the benefits of having one. A granny flat is a great idea for a variety of reasons. For your convenience, we have compiled a list of the most compelling arguments in favour of constructing one of these houses. 

Lower Costs For Senior Care Services

Our elderly loved ones require additional care and attention as they age. They risk mental and physical decline as well as the onset of illness. 

Costly elderly care is often necessary to ensure their wellbeing, and we end up footing the bill. To ensure their wellbeing, we place our parents in residential care facilities like nursing homes. 

However, the costs associated with such assistance quickly add up. The cost of providing adequate care for elderly family members can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars per year. 

You can save money by constructing an ADU on your property, which will allow you to take care of your elderly relatives without having to move them. Family members can stay in a unit close enough for you to easily visit and care for them. 

Since their new house is already on your land, you also won't have to worry about covering the cost of rent for your relative. You can provide a safe and nurturing environment for them without incurring the astronomical costs typically associated with doing so. The best perk is being close to loved ones.

Your Loved Ones Are Nearby For Holidays

Elderly relatives may have trouble travelling to your house for the holidays. Their health may prevent them from taking flights or driving long distances. 

In addition, you may not always be able to travel alone to see your loved ones. It may be difficult to visit a loved one this holiday season due to work or other commitments. 

However, when you construct a granny flat in your backyard, you won't have to deal with any of these concerns. Your loved ones will be conveniently located close by, making it easy for them to celebrate the holidays with you. 

You Can Keep Your Senior Relatives Safe

People become more of a danger to themselves as they age. They risk withdrawing into themselves, which can have detrimental effects on their mental health and therefore their entire lives. 

Problems with their physical health could also cause them to trip or otherwise be put in harm's way. Leaving them alone increases the risk that they will have a stroke, fall, or other injury without anyone to assist them. 

It can be challenging to ensure the wellbeing of an elderly relative who lives far away. Hours of your day can be consumed by fretting over their safety. 

Having a place for your grandparents to live nearby makes it easier to care for them. You are conveniently located next door in case they have a fall or any other medical emergency. 

They won't have to worry about loneliness or isolation because they'll always have you to keep them company. You can guarantee their emotional and physical well-being.  

It’s Easier For Kids To See Their Grandparents

Children often develop in isolation from their grandparents. They don't get the advantages of living near their grandparents or develop happy memories of those important family members. 

Young people who are able to spend their formative years in close proximity to their grandparents reap the benefits of having an extra pillar of support in their lives. They can benefit from the knowledge of older generations while also expanding their own understanding of who they are. 

Grandparents who are close to their grandchildren tend to enjoy a longer lifespan. Being around grandchildren can improve grandparents' health by giving them a sense of purpose in life. In addition, it may encourage them to become more physically active, which is crucial to their health. 

Having a granny flat allows grandparents to live in close proximity to their grandchildren. They are able to spend time with their grandparents on a regular basis, which provides them with emotional and practical support.

Your Elderly Family Members Are More Comfortable

The elderly may not feel at home in a residential home or nursing home, despite their convenience. Your loved ones will feel like they have no privacy and will be unable to unwind. 

Even worse, many nursing homes look and feel like regular hospitals. That can make them feel like they're being micromanaged by the nurses or depressed because they can't enjoy the simple things in life. 

However, you can make an elderly family member more at ease by constructing a granny flat. They'll have a place of their own that's just like home. 

Plus, they won't have to rely on random people for assistance. They will instead have you, their loved ones, there to help them out whenever they need it. 

You Can Cater To Your Relative’s Needs

The requirements of an elderly person vary greatly from case to case and limitation to limitation. They may have difficulties with memory, vision, movement, or anything else. 

The flexibility to tailor a granny flat to specific requirements is a major selling point for this type of dwelling. You're confident in your ability to tailor-make a granny flat that meets the needs of your ageing relative. 

Installing doorbells for those who are hard of hearing is just one example of how you can meet the needs of your loved ones. Another option is to install ramps that can be used by people in wheelchairs to enter and exit the house. 

Your Elderly Family Members Can Keep Their Independence

Among the most challenging aspects of ageing is learning to accept help. Ageing can make people feel like they've taken a step back in time because they require more assistance with daily activities. 

And when elderly relatives give up their autonomy, they often come to feel very old indeed. They may have a hard time accepting that. 

These problems disappear once a granny flat is constructed. Your elderly loved one can maintain their autonomy by staying in their own home. 

Even better, you won't have to give up your autonomy. Even though you'll be close to your elderly relative, you won't have to sacrifice your personal space or freedom to care for them.  

What Are The Benefits Of A Granny Flat?

The most noticeable advantage of a granny flat is the increased potential for income. Students and young couples in Australia often have a hard time finding affordable housing because monthly rents are too high for their budgets. The smaller size and shared atmosphere of small titan houses means cheaper rent for these people, and it also provides them with a place to launch their adult lives.

Even though a ten percent increase in rental income from the property might not seem like much, the fact that home building kits are cheap, quick, and easy to assemble means that the investment will return a new profit quite quickly.

This new source of monthly income can be used to supplement or even replace your previous means of making mortgage payments.

However, a granny flat can serve many other purposes as well. In fact, the versatility of these is one of their greatest advantages. Of course, a granny flat might not be appealing to those who are opposed to having complete strangers share their property with them.

It's gotten so expensive for young professionals and students that many are opting to keep their children at home for longer periods of time. As they enter adulthood, they can gain some independence by living in a granny flat, while still receiving financial support from their parents.