A deck or alfresco area is one of the best ways to make a small home feel much bigger. If you are looking for granny flat deck ideas, here is the part that surprises most people: a covered patio, verandah or carport sits outside the 60 square metre internal floor area limit. So a deck genuinely adds living space without eating into your indoor rooms.
We have been building modular and transportable homes across NSW for over 30 years, and an outdoor area is one of the upgrades we recommend most. Done well, it turns a compact granny flat into a home that lives like something twice the size.
Under the NSW Housing SEPP, a secondary dwelling can have up to 60 square metres of internal floor area. The key word is internal. Covered patios, verandahs and carports do not count towards that 60 square metres.
That means a covered deck is bonus living space. You get the full 60 square metres of bedrooms, bathroom and living inside, and then a sheltered outdoor room on top of it. For an open-plan design, a deck that runs off the living area effectively doubles your everyday living space in good weather, which in Sydney is most of the year.
Some of our most popular granny flats are built around indoor-outdoor living from the start. The two-bedroom Banksia 60 with its deck is a great example, with a separate kitchen and a deck that gives you a real outdoor entertaining spot. For a one-bedroom layout, the Avoca 60 with its alfresco is designed so the inside flows straight out to a covered area.
If you want a verandah feel rather than a deck, the open-plan Jacaranda 60 with a verandah wraps sheltered outdoor space around the living zone. You can see how each layout handles the outdoor area across our full range of designs.
The magic of a good deck is in the connection to the inside. A few choices make all the difference.
Once the bones are right, the finishes set the mood. A covered deck can become an outdoor dining room with a table and a couple of pendant lights, or a relaxed lounge with weatherproof seating and a ceiling fan for summer. Café blinds or screens on one side let you close it off on windy days and stretch the season out.
Built-in seating along an edge saves space and doubles as storage. A small bench with a tap turns the deck into a spot for a barbecue or a morning coffee. None of this counts against your internal floor area, so you can be generous with how you use it.
Because our homes are built in the factory in about eight weeks and installed on site in about two days, the deck is usually completed once the home is set in place. That keeps the messy outdoor carpentry quick and contained, rather than dragging on for weeks.
It is worth deciding on the deck early though, even if it is built last. The home's door positions, window placement and orientation all work better when the deck is part of the plan from the start. Our step-by-step build process shows how the indoor and outdoor stages fit together.
No. Covered patios, verandahs and carports sit outside the 60 square metre internal floor area, so a covered deck adds living space without reducing your indoor rooms.
Most of our designs can take a deck or verandah, and several come with one built in. It is best to plan it early so the doors and orientation suit the outdoor area.
A covered deck is far more useful year round because it works in both summer sun and rain. It also stays outside the internal floor area limit even with a roof.
A deck or alfresco is one of the cheapest ways to add real, usable living space to a granny flat. If you want a home that flows out to the backyard, browse our modular granny flats and studios and pick a layout that suits indoor-outdoor living. Then get in touch and we will help you design a deck that makes the whole home feel bigger.
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