Greater comfort at home: unlock your backyard’s affordable development potential

Following the introduction in 2016 of the Auckland. Unitary. Plan, complex planning provisions were consolidated, greatly increasing the scope for using residential land. This was undoubtedly good news for many Auckland landowners. Since then, areas where the AUP permits medium-density development have allowed three or more dwellings, provided resource consent and subdivision consent requirements are met. Medium- and high-density residential development in Auckland has flourished as a result.

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As New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland’s housing shortage has been a much-discussed issue for many years. Substantial increases in land values, continued growth in the local population, and an influx of migrants, international students and overseas workers have all increased demand for quality housing year after year.

Alongside demand for more homes, the need for affordable housing is also growing. The AUP has made adding a second dwelling to an existing site much more feasible, with a wider variety of small-home designs available to owners. Of course, for most owner-occupiers, their land has no short-term potential for medium- or high-density development, for example, land in the Single. House. Zone, and they cannot afford the high costs of subdivision or development.

In these circumstances, adding a small dwelling to make better use of an existing site may be the best option for many ordinary families, whether they need accommodation for elderly relatives, want a home office, or are considering additional passive income through rent.

 

A small home without subdivision: the minor dwelling

Minor. dwellings are familiar to New Zealanders. Within the Chinese community, they are better known as granny flats, or homes for elderly relatives. Other common local terms include home and incomes, sleepouts, baches and so on. Unlike the tool sheds commonly found in backyards, an accessory. building），Minor. dwelling is still fundamentally a home. A minor. dwelling therefore generally has its own kitchen, bathroom, living room and other living spaces. A minor. dwelling can also be

space created by adding to or extending the main home. A common example is a loft garage, where a loft is added above an existing detached garage.

Under the AUP, minor dwellings may be built only on residential land in the following three planning zones:

• Large Lot Zone

• Rural. and. Coastal. Settlement Zone）

• Single House Zone

Generally, most cases we encounter are in the Single House Zone. The AUP sets out requirements for building minor dwellings in this zone in H3 Residential – Single House Zone, section H3.6.4:

• A maximum floor area of 65 square metres, excluding decks and parking spaces;

• Compliance with the specified outdoor living space requirements;

• Only one minor dwelling is allowed on a site in addition to the main dwelling.

A small home with subdivision potential: the second dwelling

The following three residential zones also allow small homes that meet your needs and have subdivision potential. We call this type of small home a second. dwelling, or small home.

• Mixed Housing Suburban Zone

• Mixed Housing Urban Zone

•Terrace Housing  and Apartment Buildings Zone）

Subject to AUP planning provisions and resource consent, small homes in these three residential zones have no maximum floor area, but must have a minimum floor area of 30 square metres.

From a design perspective, these small homes and minor. dwellings differ little. However, specific assessments and designs are needed at the initial design stage to address each residential zone’s planning requirements.

So, how do minor. dwellings and second. dwellings differ in function and character? Put simply, a minor. dwelling is a small home that is ‘accessory’ to the main dwelling.

Its characteristics are:

1. It cannot be subdivided off and is secondary to the main dwelling;

2. Some facilities and functions depend on the main dwelling.

A second dwelling, by contrast, is independent of the principal dwelling. It can have fully independent utility services and internal facilities, and can be subdivided off onto its own title.

There is no need to be confused by the various names. What matters is knowing your land’s planning zone and speaking with professionals to establish your specific needs and budget, then finding a small-home design and development solution that suits you.

Which small homes can qualify for a building consent exemption?

At this point, it is worth mentioning that the new building consent exemption legislation released in August 2020 has formally taken effect. The new building consent exemptions include:

• Single-storey detached residential buildings no larger than 30 square metres;

• Single-storey prefabricated homes no larger than 30 square metres;

• Carports no larger than 40 square metres;

• Awnings and verandas no larger than 30 square metres.

Please note:

•Projects exempt from building consent must employ a Licensed Building Practitioner for design and construction;

•Kitchen and bathroom facilities are not covered by these building consent exemptions. This means that if you want to add a kitchen or bathroom to this 30-square-metre small home, you will still need to apply for building consent.

Case study: Top House by SGA Architects

Here is an excellent design example from Auckland architectural practice Stranchan Group Architects.

This small two-bedroom home in Mt. Eden has an interior floor area of less than 65 square metres. The designers made the most of the backyard space, integrating the home seamlessly with the garden while providing good privacy.

Left: A lush garden and stone steps are visible from the entrance, enhancing the backyard home’s independence and privacy.

Right: The dining room’s bay window slides open to the side, maximising the connection with the outdoor living space.

The designers cleverly used projecting bay windows to gain extra interior space. The area projecting out from a bay window is not included when calculating the building footprint.

With limited interior space, the designers used floor-to-ceiling windows in many areas, making the modest living spaces feel exceptionally spacious through abundant natural light.

An additional small home on your existing land can meet your family’s housing needs, generate extra rental income and enhance your property’s long-term value.

For a successful project of any size, good communication with professional designers and planners during the early planning stage is essential.

About the author:

Louise Li

A New Zealand registered architect and graduate of the University of Auckland’s architecture programme, with ten years of extensive local industry experience.

Specialises in residential design and medium- to high-density development projects, and has helped lead several award-winning new neighbourhood development projects at Hobsonville Point.