Undoubtedly one of the great Australian dreams for Baby Boomers and mature age citizens is to hit the open-road, living the grey nomads travel lifestyle. In 2019, the 55-plus age group accounted for a whopping 43 per cent of all overnight caravan or camping stays across Australia. If you are approaching retirement, wanting to downsize and explore Australia’s backyard at your own pace, yet still want to spend time with your family and grandchildren, read on - we reveal why a granny flat is the perfect home base for you.
A Granny Flat is the Perfect Home Base
Do you have an urge to travel, but still want to spend quality time with your grandchildren? Have the best of both worlds by downsizing to a modern Granny Flat. The humble Granny Flat has come a long way - with so many sophisticated Granny Flat Designs and models to choose from. These days Granny Flats have spacious layouts and optional luxury features such as outdoor alfresco areas, cathedral ceilings, expanded pantry space and more.
By building a Granny Flat on your adult children’s property, you gain peace of mind knowing you aren’t intruding when you want a few weeks to rest or plan your next steps. You can keep a sense of privacy by staying away from the main house, with your own private bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room to watch telly with a cuppa without waking the kids. You can also help with the babysitting and give your adult child and his or her partner some greatly needed time out – no doubt they will be excited to see you at every visit!
Granny Flats are perfect for downsizing but this doesn’t mean they have to be small either. While it can depend on how big the backyard land space is you have to work with, an experienced builder such as Cubitt’s can expand the usable space by building on sloping, narrow or difficult areas, or can even build over unused pool areas! You can browse a wide range of spacious Granny Flat solutions, such as 1-bedroom Granny Flats, 2-bedroom Granny Flats or even 3-bedroom Granny Flats.
Rather than having to find and pay for a caravan park near the location of your family, moving into a Granny Flat also means you can clean, repair and restock the caravan while you live comfortably in familiar bedding and extra space. Did you know that every Granny Flat built by Cubitt’s is packed with free inclusions, such as the latest Ubiquiti Unifi Wi-Fi aerial? This innovative aerial extends the NBN from the main dwelling into your Granny Flat, providing the strong Wi-Fi connection you need to research and map out your next itinerary.
Selling the Family Home Can Help Fund Your Next Adventure
Many senior Australians are funding their grey nomads travel adventure not only through their superannuation and savings, but also by selling their big empty family home, and building a Granny Flat on their adult children’s property to act as a ‘base’.
If you are a grey nomad on a budget, it’s important to understand the financial and legal implications of selling your house and using the proceeds to build a Granny Flat on property owned by your son or daughter. Otherwise, it may adversely impact your pension, it could lead to a hefty capital gains tax bill for your children, it could affect the inheritance of multiple family members and may not even be guaranteed accommodation for you and your partner. Have you ever heard of a Granny Flat Agreement? If not, it’s a good idea to start investigating. Also known as a Granny Flat Interest, Granny Flat Agreements are formal family arrangements, where seniors are provided with guaranteed accommodation from their adult children in exchange for payment, without affecting their Centrelink entitlements.
Usually, the transfer of property of funds from an ageing parent to their adult children would be considered a gift and would affect that parent’s Centrelink entitlements. However, as long as you are able to establish that a formal Granny Flat agreement is in place, the specific transfer of money paid or assets transferred can be except from the usual deeming legislation by Centrelink. This is because this is the money you have paid for the lifetime right and exclusive use of the Granny Flat.
It is recommended that you consult your legal specialist for more details and to put your Granny Flat Agreement in place. You can also read our article What is a Granny Flat Agreement for more information.
Enjoy a Stress-Free Experience When You Build with Cubitt’s
Cubitt’s Granny Flats and Home Extensions are the experts in Granny Flats, home extensions and upgrades, having built these throughout NSW and the ACT for over 25 years. We are proudly a family-run, Australian business who are passionate about delivering our customers their dream project and a stress-free experience, working with some of the best and most reliable tradesmen in the industry.
Build with confidence when you build with Cubitt’s. Our Service Guarantee includes no design costs, a fully-insured project, no hidden costs and no post-contract charges. Plus, our expert planning and drafting teams handle all council approvals on your behalf, so you can spend more time choosing colours and furnishings!
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