Granny Annex

[nimmko]

We live in a 3 bed semi. My husbands mum is in need of somewhere to live but money is running short. We are thinking of building a granny annex on our property for her (1 bed, bathroom, kitchen/diner and lounge). We have a small garage next to our house that is not attached. Our garden is 100ft.
My question is - where do we start? We have no idea what so ever. Can anyone advise on what course of action we should take and also a rough estimate on cost?? Also what size of a build does it need to be, to be comfortable??

 

[Richard C]

If the annex is to have all the normal facilities you would expect & someone is living/sleeping in it, your current detached garage is most likely to be unsuitable without extensive conversion work & may not be suitable at all in which case you’ll be starting from scratch. Planning Permission will also be needed so your first port of call is to talk to you local planning dept. to find out if your likely to get planning permission; but even this advice is no guarantee & expect strong objections from all your neighbours!

Smallest practicable size for what you suggest is probably around the size of a double garage approx. 5m x 4m but that’s rather small & what you need is to sketch out the minimum you think your relative practically needs. Cost is difficult for me without research & I suspect others will chip in here but I would have thought the minimum would be at least £40k, depending on specification.

Have you thought about erecting a prefabricated, static bungalows like the ones erected in retirement parks? They come ready built with all amenities & even have furniture in some cases; it arrives in 2 halves on a low loader, is simply bolted together onto a pre-built concrete base, the services are connected up & it’s habitable in less than a day. A friend of mine with a retirement home put one in his grounds for their home manager & her family to live in; it cost around £33k 4 years ago & is quiet impressive. I believe they may also be classed as a temporary structure so PP & building regulations compliance may be easier.

 

[nimmko]

Thanks for the reply Richard. I will try do some research.
Any idea on what company they used for the prefabricated home?
For the services to be connected would that mean that we would have to get someone in to lay pipes and drainage for water, electricity, gas and sewage?

 

[^woody^]

A prefab is not suitable for a typical 3-bed urban garden.

Any granny flat will have to be in the form of an extension or annex, and will most likley be required to conform to the stryle of the exisitng and surrounding building

Services can be spilt from the house and no new meters or connections are necessary

Room wise you are looking at a lounge (12m2) bedroom (12m2) bathroom/WC (4m2) kitchen diner or kitchenette (6m2) and hall and storage (4m2)

Costs will be dependant on the amount of preparatory work (ie loaction to the exisitng house) and will be the same ast typical extension costs - £1 -1.2k per m2.

Your first task will be to engage a designer to prepare plans and submit for statutory approvals. You also get the builders quotes from the plans.

If you have a budget, then state this to the designer, so that you get something which you can afford to build, or can be told at an early stage if the proposal is going to cost too much

 

[Richard C]

Thanks for the reply Richard. I will try do some research.
Any idea on what company they used for the prefabricated home?
For the services to be connected would that mean that we would have to get someone in to lay pipes and drainage for water, electricity, gas and sewage?

Don't know off hand where he got it; I will E my friend to try & find out & post back. Yes the slab with service entries for all the utilities will have to be laid in advance but that would be normal for an extension anyway; & it must be done to match the prefab design!

Woody may have a point regarding suitability for a 3 bed urban, semi garden; but it rather depends how much space you have. My friend owns a care home set in 2 acres & installed his pre-fab without any PP &, despite the constant irritation of hic local BC, 4 years later still doesn't have it! But then he's a property developer &, like the travellers, knows the ropes very well & doesn’t stress or really give a toss about such things; & before anyone jumps on me, I don’t agree with what he’s done & have told him so! However, it’s probably not a good idea to install your relative in such a similar stressful situation!

 

[Richard C]

Thanks for the reply Richard. I will try do some research.
Any idea on what company they used for the prefabricated home?
For the services to be connected would that mean that we would have to get someone in to lay pipes and drainage for water, electricity, gas and sewage?

Got the following info from my friend this morning:
My developer friend bought his prefab from Mastermans in Wymondham, Norfolk but I suspect there are others. It cost £28K (without the base) in 2005 & I think it’s a 2 bedroom unit. He doesn’t have planning permission & tells me you don't need if it’s purely for extra sleeping accommodation for family as long as you don't use the toilet and eat in the main house; but everything on his is connected up & working. Presumably this gets around the “habitable dwelling” rule &, presumable, they don’t need or have Building Regulation approval! He also tells me that if you can get away with renting it out continuously for 4 years without getting found out or getting shopped by your neighbours & can then produce a rent book to prove it, you can apply for a certificate of lawfulness which opens the door to getting full planning permission for a proper self contained dwelling on the site.

I’ve no idea of the accuracy of all this & I would advise you do your own research & use caution; he is a rogue without doubt but employs an Architect & Solicitor who, presumably, sort all this sort of stuff out for him!

 

[nimmko]

Thanks once again.
We really need to do things by the book so I guess i'm going to have to look into things a bit more. Thanks anyway.

 

[^woody^]

I’ve no idea of the accuracy of all this

It does not sound accurate at all

 

[Richard C]

I’ve no idea of the accuracy of all this

It does not sound accurate at all

The information I posted came directly from a 3rd party I know very well & who would have nothing whatsoever to gain from exaggerating or telling me porkies so I've no doubt it’s accurate. He did previously have a static caravan on the same site & he’s told me that the pre-fab, bungalow, apparently, doesn’t directly contravene any planning regulations so the local authority have not, as yet, been able to force him to remove it; but I’ve no doubt they are still working on it! Meanwhile his Architect is already in consultation with the authority & he’s preparing to apply for a certificate of lawfulness next year; he also has full Architectural plans ready to submit for a new, 4 bed bungalow on the same site!

I have familiarity with some planning conditions & BR’s directly related to the work I’m doing on my own property &, I must confess, I don't really understand how he's getting away with it; but then again, the same thing is going on at traveller’s sites on green belt land all over the country. It's not something I'd be happy about taking on; far too stressful & potentially could be expensive!

 

[Joe Malone]

If you put in for planning permission for a granny annex then the chances are that you'll get it. Planning departments are duty bound to look favourably on these applications; it's all there in black and white in the local planning policy guidance. All part of the governments plans to ensure that the elderly don't become a burden on the state.