A new concept in micro-housing has one-parent families in mind, taking the novel approach to build a nanny flat as a separate studio with kitchenette.
“It’s perfect for a live-in nanny, whether they might be a mum, dad, sibling, friend or simply an employee, which might make the world of difference to a single young parent,” representative of HOLM Pocket Urban Village at Slacks Creek, Amy Degenhart said.
Ms Degenhart is also director and co-founder of design consultancy degenhartSHEDD, founded in 2018 and which looks at ways to built full-sized homes on micro-sized blocks of land.
The secret, she says, is to build in, not up.
“We take neglected properties in desirable locations and transform them into ‘urban villages’, allowing home owners to balance the advantages of owning their own land with the benefits of a central lifestyle,” she says.
“This efficient approach delivers similar levels of density to townhouse or apartment developments – without the height – while allowing buyers to live in the middle of the action rather than in disconnected suburbs.”
In the case of the Slacks Creek four-lot development, that equates to a $475,000 price tag for a house which sits in 393 square metres of land.
The price is within the parameters of the the newly-announced Federal Government Family Home Guarantee 2% deposit scheme, targeted at single parents.
Hence, the nanny flat marketing pitch as opposed to the traditional granny flat.
The design firm has taken concepts from what it deems to be the world’s most successful cities, designing liveable homes on tiny lots.
But they’re quick to shoot down any suggestion they’re tiny homes – it’s the lot that’s small, not the home, they say.
“Society is changing and conventional developments are failing to keep up, continuing to rely on the status quo of shoebox apartments and inefficient suburban lots to the detriment of (almost) everyone,” Ms Degenhart says on her website promoting what they call the “Bubbl” concept.
“By taking a design-led approach, the Bubbl formula can innovate to meet homebuyers’ changing needs and provide real value.
“We use thoughtful, user-oriented design to make sure our developments meet residents’ needs efficiently and effectively, improving the liveability of the space now and into the future.”
Three of the four lots at Slacks Creek have sold to young local buyers – two of them first-home buyers.
“If a single parent is also eligible for a First Home Owner Grant of $15,000, the $9,500 deposit (2% of $475,000) means that the buyer still has $5,500 to pay for fees and incidentals,” Ms Degenhart said.
“We are offering the only new homes in Slacks Creek, so the only way to ‘stay home in a new home’, so to speak, is to relocate to HOLM Pocket Urban Village.”
The “nanny flat” is an “independent intergenerational studio”, built separate to the main four-bedroom home – “perfect for shared housing or working from home, both being a common need for single parents,” Ms Degenhart said.
Established home prices are skyrocketing in price, but new homes are also rising due to higher costs of building supplies.
These homes are being built by Simonds Homes which earlier this year froze its prices, including driveways.
The urban village house is 116 square metres inside. It has a single garage and portico.
Freehold title means no body corporate fees.
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