Add extra room with an independent "granny flat" such as the Eco 58 by Atlas Living
Location is a top priority when it comes to your dream home. Schools, work, amenities and transport links are all important to where you live. So when you love your location but have outgrown your smallish character home or your family has increased, your options become renovate, up and sell, or just live with it.
Depending on your plans and why and who you are renovating for, becomes the key to how you proceed.
For those who may want extra space for children as they get older, or require space for when family come to town, a choice to consider is not an extension but a separate teenage retreat or "granny flat" built independently of the main house.
The Eco 58 from Atlas Living has been designed to create extra living space for those who are happy with where they live, and it was developed in response to demand from homeowners.
Priced from $49,800, the Eco 58 will add an extra bedroom, a living/dining space, full kitchen with walkin pantry and a spacious bathroom to your property.
There are two sets of sliding doors off the living space and further doors off the bedroom.
With a width of 7.2m and depth of 8.2m, the Eco 58, could be put to the back of a block, for independent living, or closer to the rear of the home as a separate extension.
Atlas Living product manager Helen Lowrie says the inspiration for the Eco 58 was for a simple, independent living space that was compact enough to fit in the average suburban backyard.
"But it's designed to make use of all of the space," she says.
The Eco 58 comes with a standard set of inclusions such as appliances, tapware and fixtures. There is an optional choice of floor coverings which are not standard, such as the floorboards, but this lets buyers personalise the flat and tailor it to their needs.
The exterior cladding is also a matter of taste, from HardiePlank cladding as standard to Colorbond cladding for a contemporary, modern take on a classic material.
Good use of windows means plenty of light has been allowed to filter through, increasing the sense of space and giving a warm ambience.
"Visitors always comment on the light and spacious feeling of the home - even though it is a small footprint," Helen says.
The great thing about the Eco 58 is that while it gives the homeowner more room, it also creates privacy for loved ones staying in the flat.
"We have had clients build them for their parents or for their teenagers," she says. "We even had an older couple build one for themselves and give their main house to their son and his family.
This granny flat is suitable for any yard that is large enough to accommodate it, Each council has different planning guidelines but we can help our clients through this process."
The Sunday Mail Home Magazine
For more information about the house in this story please look at the Eco 58.