This week, Ipswich & Logan Granny Flats, the expert builders of granny flats in SE Qld, salutes the hard-working females of our world and are here to offer an innovative escape. It’s the equivalent of a man-cave, where you can escape crying babies, the clothing on the floor that you swear you just neatly folded and all that dreaded housework.

We’re pretty sure you’re going to want a ‘She-Shed’ after reading…(So call Sonia!)

​A DEMAND for “she sheds” — the female take on a man cave — has sparked a surprising building phenomenon.

The trend has seen women in Australia and around the world erect private sanctuaries in their gardens to escape the stresses of modern life and spend time away from their partners and families.
​
The structures they are building tend to be more elaborate than the basic tin sheds men have traditionally used for stowing things such as power tools and range from cabins carved from pink wood and old French doors to $110,000 granny flats.

​Custom sheds designer Rob Martin of Unique Smart Sheds said his company alone has been engaged in 20 projects where women have commissioned a backyard space to call their own.

“Every one of them had a different need for it. They’re using the sheds for almost everything,” ” he said.
​
Landscaper Olaf von Sperl of Adore My Garden is into his second she-shed project and agreed that the trend is picking up, particularly in Australia, due to our large backyards and sunny climate.

​He recently designed a she-shed with a grassy roof outside artist Cindy Goode Milman’s home in Avalon and is working on a similar feminine retreat for a yoga instructor living nearby, which is set to be made from recycled material.

“These kinds of garden spaces are popping up all over the place now,” Mr von Sperl told The Saturday Telegraph.

Part of their popularity is that they give women an opportunity to enjoy their gardens with minimal interference, and to pursue creative projects.

Natalie Holt has a she-shed out the back of her Bangalow home and said she had always wanted a space she could use in the same way men use garages or rooms they’ve turned into man caves.

“It’s my little sanctuary,” she said.

“I go there when I want an escape.”

Building the shed was also a way to pursue her passion of finding new uses for recycled materials, she said.
​
Her shed is built from repurposed weatherboards and windows that she found in salvage yards and even has a solar-powered chandelier.

​Lisa Rindell owns a similar she-shed in Coffs Harbour made from old farmhouse timbers and pressed tin and said her partner has been one of its biggest advocates.

“He gets it,” she said. “He has his ‘lair’ where he keeps his tools. This is mine.

“Sometimes I’ll sit inside with a glass of chardonnay, but most of the time I go there just to think.
The rest of the family knows not to come in when the door is closed.”

Sisters Alana and Madi Smithies have a slightly different take on the concept.
​
They have a custom-built granny flat in the garden of their Newport home, which has become something of a social headquarters for the local surf lifesaving club.

​“It’s great for entertaining friends,” Madi said.

“It’s full of our pictures from coastal holidays and it’s got a real ‘beachy’ feel.”

The granny flat has made it easier for the sisters to continue living with their parents.

“It helps us enjoy our own space,” Ms Smithies said.

The rise of she-sheds has mirrored growth in the backyard building industry.

Government data showed the number of NSW properties with secondary structures grew 260 per cent between 2009 and 2014 and 20 per cent from 2014 to 2015.

The desire for a recreational structure drove part of that growth.

A Gateway Credit Union survey revealed she-sheds, man caves and teen retreats trumped home offices and guest accommodation as intended uses for secondary dwellings or granny flats.
​
Gateway CEO Paul Thomas said more people are realising “the lifestyle value sitting in their backyard”.

This week at Ipswich & Logan Granny Flats, the expert builders of granny flats in SE Qld, bring to you a reminder that granny flats can be built and transformed into many things – hobby spaces, to generate income via renting, to keep the kids at home… If you’re looking to downsize the family home, this could be your granny flat solution!
​
Read and enjoy: 

A SURGE in granny flat construction in Australia is helping more than just grandparents.

Homeowners with backyards are using granny flats to keep adult kids at home, build man-caves and “she-sheds’ and to generate income by renting it to travellers.

Research by Gateway Credit Union has found that one-third of homeowners are considering a granny flat, and another 22 per cent are open to the idea.

The main reasons are to provide extra recreation space for family or as a home office, while ageing parents rank down the list. Women were more likely to take in a family member, the research found.

Gateway Credit Union CEO Paul Thomas says there has been an “explosion” in granny flat construction, and the average $100,000 cost of building a granny flat is much less than the cost of an apartment.

“There are plenty of granny flat builders and, as with any construction, (you need to) research the options well,” he says.

Sharon and Ted Smithies built a modern two-bedroom granny flat in their backyard for daughters Alana, 25 and Madi, 22.

With 60 square metres of living space, a deck covering 39 square metres and a nearby spa bath, it has become the social headquarters of the local surf club, Smithies says.

“It was to keep the family together,” she says. “We knew the girls wanted a little independence and we do have a nice large block of land.

“It’s been an absolute blessing.”

Carolyn Parrella, general manager at landlord insurer Terri Scheer Insurance, says it’s important to know the value of a granny flat.

“Generally it’s on the same title, so it creates a bit of murkiness,” she says. “There’s more to think about than a stand-alone property.

“If people are using it as a rental property, it’s the same as any other rental property. Look after it in a professional manner, have a property manager do inspections and make sure you have insurance.”
If you’re using a granny flat for income, talk with your insurance company or a landlord insurer to make sure the risks are covered, Parrella says.

Some states allow people to build a granny flat for financial gain, while others are reviewing their laws.

Gateway’s Thomas says Australia has the second-largest AirBNB market behind the US. “People have really seen the value of their backyard and seized the opportunity to provide travellers with an alternative to expensive hotels,” he says.

Thomas says when it comes to financing granny flats, people can look at borrowing more from their existing lender, but be watch out for extra costs.

“Lenders will often charge a higher rate if the property is to be rented or used as a business premise,” he says.
​
“The other alternative is a construction loan. These are paid in stages so borrowers can draw down the money they need, as they are building, and therefore they don’t pay interest on the whole loan from the start.”

********************************************************************
THINK A GRANNY FLAT IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR SITUATION?
 
LOOKING AT BUILDING A GRANNY FLAT ON YOUR PROPERTY?
 
IPSWICH & LOGAN GRANNY FLATS CAN HELP YOU!
 
For more information
CALL SONIA 0403 309 136
​

This week, Ipswich & Logan Granny Flats bring to you yet another article about the granny flat solution and how it’s helping to save generations of families. If you’re looking to downsize, this might be the answer you’ve been looking for!
​
Read and enjoy: 

The popular granny flat is helping Gen X homebuyers out of a tight fix in their quest to house multiple generations.

GENERATION X has become the forgotten demographic in housing – but granny flats might just save the day.

While the Gen Y struggle to buy a first home has been well documented, and there has been plenty written about today’s amazing downsizing options for Baby Boomers – what about that generation sandwiched in the middle?

The parents of Gen Y still have their 27-year-old kids at home, while making some tough decisions on the care of their ageing and slightly-older-than-Boomer parents, also known as the Silent Generation.

Faced with housing a number of generations in one home (a cultural norm in some societies) gen X homeowners are turning to “dual-living options”.

Once known as the “granny flat”, these spaces are now also popular for families with adult children still living at home.

Coronis Coorparoo agent Warren Maddox said he had seen a lot of dual-living homes sold recently, and they were generally popular with buyers.
​
Mr Maddox is now marketing 44 Marie St, Murarrie for $549,000. The two-storey home includes a downstairs multipurpose room and a kitchenette.