Hello,
My sister and I are thinking of building a house. Where we are looking at building is zoned agricultural/rural in southern Tasmania. If the land is under 40 hectares (which it will be) we can only build one dwelling on it but we want to be able to live separately. We most likely won't be able to get two titles next door to each other or anything like that.
My question is, what exactly constitutes one dwelling? The woman at the council said that we would have to share one of the essential rooms so we were thinking of sharing the kitchen. The building would essentially be two two-storey 7m2 squares joined at one corner (like a squared-off figure eight) with the kitchen forming a rounded pie-shaped wedge at the back.
The whole building would be made of the same materials but the facades would be different styles (one victorian, one georgian) and the roofs would be different pitches. The kitchen-appendix-thing would only be one storey, with lawn on the roof, but would otherwise be made of the same materials. Before we go to a house designer or someone like that (and they laugh at us) I was just wondering if anyone here had any knowledge of whether this would likely pass as one dwelling or house?
Thanks for your help,
Angela
Kalandu, can you let us know which council you are under. In Tasmania, with the exception of the major residential zones that have recently come under "Planning Directive No 4", an attempt at rationalising to one statewide planning scheme, each council has different planning and building schemes.
From my limited experience even when you are limited to one "dwelling", you can usually build an "ancillary dwelling".
I'm sure the definitions of an "ancillary dwelling" vary but, by way of example, Clarence council defines it as
A second dwelling on a lot which already contains a single dwelling or approval is current for or the application is concurrent with a single dwelling. The second dwelling must be:
- A maximum of 50m2 Gross Floor Area;
- Part of the cluster of buildings which comprise the Single Dwelling;
- Connected to the same services as the main dwelling;
and
- Not subject to a separate Strata Title.[/i]
Is Strata Title a potential option? Maybe one to ask the council lady?
We're looking around the Kingborough and Huon councils' jurisdictions. Kingborough is moving toward that statewide thing, but even if it comes into effect before we start planning or building, the council lady said that it wouldn't effect us because most agricultural/rural rules would be basically the same or not applicable or something. I'm not sure about strata title; I will go in next week to find out if that could help. We can't use the ancillary dwelling rule because the "second" house is too big, that's why we need it to be seen as one house. Kingborough's ancillary rule was you could have a second building as long as it wasn't over half the size of the main dwelling and wasn't at all self-sufficient. I think you could even have a couple of ancilliaries if they weren't too big. I can't remember the exact words but that's when she told us to share the kitchen
.
I will definitely see about strata titles though; I had never heard of those before so I will look into it and see if it could help.
Thanks Destination.
Bugger!
You are right in thinking the new planning directive (which can be found here
http://www.planning.tas.gov.au/assessments_and_reviews/planning_directives/finalised_assessments/planning_directive_no._4 if anyone is interested) wont apply to rural. It only applies to specified residential zones (you can find which ones at the above link too).
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you on strata, or on them seeing it as one house. I can't see how they can really say it isn't as long as you stay within site coverage and other planning/building regs. Surely what you put in it is up to you?!?!
I knew someone who had to do this up in perth on a special rural/ semi rural block a few years ago. . They built a double sized laundry which they shared. That way if in future there was a change of rules they could divide the laundry in half. To be honest I think sharing a laundry is more practical than sharing a kitchen.
My aunt and uncle built on to my cousins house . The shared room was a games room and their end of the house went on from there. But I suspect in your case it has to be a room with facilities not just a joining room. Hence my suggestion for a laundry.
People around the corner from us got away with building a granny flat on their property just by having a connecting roof. I don't know if they share any facilities but I suspect not.
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/pubs/fs811.pdfThis is a home in Victoria which shares a laundry - I think that's the way to go too.
Thanks for the examples, those are giving us hope
From what you guys have said, it seems like there are ways to ensure it is seen as the one dwelling, so we should be good to go. I won't be embarrassed to take the preliminary designs and ideas to a professional now.
another reason why a shared laundry is a better idea is resale value. it will be a difficult sell anyway. I most cases these kinds of houses are built for multi-generational families. Or for someone looking to rent out the 2nd half. In both cases only having a laundry joined would be more functional. For resale value alone making sure that there are 2 kitchens would be essential