A Small Hero - Tiny Homes Part 2

As an Australian after years of living in the large homes and apartments in Victoria, when I moved to Hong Kong I experienced the rude awakening of living in under 60m2 and I did this for nearly ten years. It became a personal epiphany around how I lived and what was really important in my life, streamlining the essentials, living a minimalistic existence but essentially enjoying a big lifestyle.

InAustralian homes or new designs, there can be so much wasted space, more areas to clean, higher running costs, low usage areas and reduced overall comfort. Do they really suit your lifestyle, flexibility in your current living arrangements or future needs?

When living small, consider your functional usable space requirements, affordability, carbon footprint, running costs, investment size plus how environmentally friendly your design is. Reach out, as there are so many resources and professionals available these days for us to explore designing and building a Tiny Home or Granny Flat on our land, new property or investment.

With an ageing population we all have loved ones that may in the future benefit from living with us, but prefer their own privacy and space, so having the option to provide a tiny home or granny flat on our land is great. Consider your land, or the land as part of a home your considering buying. Is there potential for a back yard subdivision or can you build a tiny home or granny flat? Contact your local council or engage a professional to answer these questions and the value add possible at the site, as due diligence is always worth your time.

Development, planning and design takes time, but if you ask yourself all the hard questions, do the critical thinking, engage professionals with expert opinions, all these can manage your risk and reduce any regrets you may experience in the future. “Planning frameworks are the largest single determinant of the number of granny flats constructed in each state. Restrictive rules in Victoria result in a very low number of granny flats for a state of its size – less than even SA and WA.“

– Housing Industry Association

We all bring our life experiences to the table when considering our homes, investments and living arrangements which change overtime, but the essential items can typically remain the same (i.e. kitchen, bathroom, sleeping, lounge & outside areas).

Really how much space we all need is a personal choice, but from my experience it is normally more than we really need and with good design and professional help you will be surprised at the results and benefits.

This has been the second instalment of a three part series where I look at the benefits of A Small hero – Tiny Home, Small Home, Granny Flat or Secondary dwelling.

Andrew is a licensed estate agent based in Victoria who has enjoyed a long business career in Australia and overseas providing solutions and building a referral business.

Andrew Johnson is a licensed estate agent, businessman & entrepreneur based in Brown Hill who has enjoyed a long and varied business career in Australia and overseas providing solutions and building a strong referral business.

Mobile 0473 207 988 Email andrew@maxjre.com LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/andrew-johnson-8435092 Company Maxwell Johnson Real Estate Pty Ltd Address 9 Gracefield Road, Brown Hill, VIC 3350