The trendy American-style ‘tiny house’ concept is not so relevant in Australia where it makes more sense (and costs less) to buy and renovate an old caravan or bus compared to building a quaint little boxy structure on wheels good enough to pass road vehicle registration! Instead, many smart-thinking people wanting to downsize or live mortgage-free are using a certified Class 1 Backyard Pod kit as a tiny house kit to create a compliant secondary dwelling on an existing property.
When it looks ‘impossible’ to build a granny flat, that’s when you call Backyard Pods. Our customer in Bli Bli wanted a deluxe poolside granny flat that would hide a nightmare of tanks and plumbing underneath. With a custom design from our network architect, approval was gained for the standard 3.6m x 9m flatpack building kit to be cut down in size to 8.5m in length, gaining every available square metre available from this very compact site.
Understated outside, bright and stylish inside – this superb Brisbane granny flat reflects clever choices made by the owners. They wanted a self-contained cabin that wouldn’t detract from their main residence. The large, battleaxe block with steep, bushy slope and restricted access would challenge most types of construction. Step inside now and you’ll feel right at home.
We can help with granny flat installations in most areas but many of our customers are DIY owner-builders. Our customers in the Blue Mountains got our help with approval and flatpack materials, then undertook their beautifully designed 2-bedroom secondary dwelling as a family project. With meticulous attention to detail and innovative ideas, this ‘granny flat’ will house family and visitors for now, and have future income potential as a luxurious holiday cabin or long-term rental.
This sleek Backyard Pod in Colorbond Monument 4m x 11m with eaves cost less than HALF what builders had quoted for a conventional home extension in Brisbane. The family now enjoys a huge multi-purpose living, media, and rumpus room with versatile facilities to allow for future use as a self-contained granny flat or extended family accommodation.
Our customer wanted a small home office pod against the boundary fence (usually a no-no) and it had to be an exact non-standard size to suit their design. They also wanted the low-cost structure to be attractive-looking to enhance the desirable coastal home with its existing focal-point backyard entertainment area. The finished home office pod, with its timber surrounds, proudly achieves its purpose inside and out.
If you’re building a granny flat on sloping land using Backyard Pods, you don’t necessarily need to excavate. Our customer at Ocean View, a bushfire-prone district north of Brisbane in QLD, chose to elevate their granny flat on one side, using extra-long piers, rather than cutting into the natural hillside. It’s in Colorbond Ironstone with Surfmist and black accents.
This so-called ‘granny pod’ in a suburb of Newcastle, once featured by us on Channel 9 News, was originally proposed for a member of the extended family who would be able to join the family for meals inside the main house, and use the main laundry. Time went by, needs changed, and today the ‘granny pod’ serves beautifully as a poolside guest cabin adjacent to the main home’s deck and barbeque area.
You’ll find Backyard Pods tucked away in quiet corners of the countryside and coastal areas of NSW, VIC, and QLD. This rustic off-grid cabin on a large lakeside block in a small Victorian coastal hamlet is what some dreams are made of. As a tiny house with a wood heater, kitchenette, and external off-grid facilities, lined with Scandi-style plywood interior, it’s someone’s hidden gem.
The deluxe ‘Coolum’ design 2BR prefab granny flat or self-contained cabin 6m x 9m is pre-wired, pre-plumbed, cyclone-rated, and delivered complete anywhere in Queensland. This upgraded example shows how basic prefab granny flat designs can be customised.
David and Mark have a beautiful property not far from Ballina in northern NSW, where they provide family respite accommodation. They had one respite cabin on the property, made from an upcycled mining donger (pre-used demountable building). But when the time came to create a second and even better cabin, their options were limited. Their…
This small granny flat-style pod in Melbourne was built for a teenager to live independently (with visiting friends, entertainment, etc) yet still on the family property behind the main house. The design is contemporary and fully approved for accommodation purposes. Engineered floorboards, plenty of storage, practical kitchenette, custom stairs, and entry porch.
Granny flats Blue Mountains – how a customer at Katoomba easily built a low-cost backyard garden studio apartment or granny flat. But “don’t call it a granny flat,” he said of his deluxe ‘bachelor pod’ shared with his Golden Retriever. N4 wind rating for Backyard Pods complied with the Blue Mountains building regulations.
Many people want to find out how much it costs to build a granny flat in Melbourne now that granny flats are allowed in areas of VIC. This custom granny flat behind a lovely home in Mornington Peninsula was permitted as a DPU but recent changes allow backyard rentals as well as independent living for family members.
This family needed a low-budget granny flat so an elderly mother could be cared for close to the family home, whilst still maintaining her independence and privacy. The budget was super-tight and the list of needs included a spacious bathroom with plenty of storage for linen and towels, a queen-sized bedroom with ample wardrobe space,…
Sharon’s elderly mother had a final wish – that her daughter would have a place to call her own. It followed for Sharon to build a low-cost granny flat on her son’s property at Mount Tamborine on Queensland’s Gold Coast. When creating her ‘forever home’, Sharon did lots of research on kit homes and granny…
In this busy world of ours, we could all use a little space to breathe. With more and more of us working from home, it can be difficult to carve out time for rest, respite, and wellbeing in our daily lives. Jade is another happy customer who has invited some breathing space into her life…
