Case Study: Silkstone
OVERVIEW:
- Mature age mother still living independently in her own home
- Independent living becoming more difficult
- The family now wanting to have Mum closer to them
- Problem : the existing family home = highset home
- Solution – sell mums house, build a new granny flat in the family’s backyard
DETAILS :
The family was looking for ways in which to assist their ageing mother to be able to live independently but close to them – and a nursing home was totally out of the question.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for mum in terms of mobility and support from the family, so a granny flat on the family property was the natural progression for things. This still allows for mum to have her own independence, but be close to the family.
The family had done a fair amount of research for options and as part of this process had visited a new granny flat that we had just completed in Basin Pocket, not far from where they live. They loved what they saw and so did Mum ! Most important …
The family home where we were going to build the granny flat was a good flat block of land, 696m2 with the existing house towards the front of the block leaving a big backyard space.
As Mum didn’t drive there was no need for car accommodation. In fact the driveway down the right hand side of the existing house made it possible to be able to drive quite close to the granny flat.
An initial set of drawings was done and we worked with the family doing some modifications until a suitable design was settled on.
The results of the soil test necessitated steel adjustable stumps to a considerable depth.
An example of some things completed to assist with mobility :
- a ramp to a small covered deck space rather than having steps
- recessing the sliding doors at the front
- a seamless transition in the bathroom – no hob to have step over in the shower
SUMMARY:
- Kids wanting to look after mum, but wanting to help retain her independence
- Granny flat designed site specific – 50m2 one bedroom
- Designed with some future proofing for mum as she ages
Looking at the number of Granny Flats that we have built over the last few years we have found that on average, 1 in 4 Granny Flats are for similar family circumstances – a surprise to us all. This is a good example of what can be achieved when families want to stay together !
Ipswich & Logan Granny Flats
The Granny Flat Experts
Sonia 0403 309 136
