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Minor dwellings and relocatables

When your space needs outgrow your house, you might consider putting on an outbuilding or minor dwelling. But be careful: your council will have a word or two to say about plonking buildings willy-nilly on your property.

The Building Act 2004 requires consent for most buildings. You can only put up a shed without a consent,  and only if it is one storey high and does not exceed 10sq m in floor area. More to the point, it cannot be used for sleeping accommodation or a kitchen or bathroom.

Be cautious about some of the cute cabins on wheels currently advertised as spare rooms _ office yes, bedroom no. They may be a smart step up from your nana's caravan, but the moment the building is no longer on wheels or roadworthy (the wheels having been removed and the building placed on skids or foundations) then it would require a building consent.

You still have to comply with the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Building Act before you create a minor dwelling. The space has to have sufficient headroom, comply with fire and sound ratings and so on.

If the flat is for a relative then no fire or sound rating is required (be sure to clarify this for your insurance coverage too). But do not try to pass off the property as a home and income when you come to sell: your statutory declaration that the flat is for a family member only is registered on the property title.

Your local council's district plan will specify a maximum floor size for the minor dwelling, plus minimum outdoor areas, parking and services. And in many council districts, you will still need to pay a development contribution; the same as for a subdivision or full residential unit. In the United States, trailer homes, either in a trailer park or as relocatable in a regular neighbourhood, are becoming increasingly stylish and creative, no longer and the domain of the downmarket or down-at-heel. Auckland City doesn't track if this is likely to emerge as a trend here, although it points to caravan parks with permanent residents.

In the meantime, a couple of companies are offering designer relocatables based on containers: www.habodehomes.co.nz, www.containersdirect.co.nz (both currently only in the South Island), www.port-a-bach.co.nz or www.containerarchitecture.co.nz.

Categories: News , Top 5 Articles , Building and renovating