If you’re looking for extra space for family, a home office, or a rental investment, you might have thought of building a minor dwelling on your property. A minor dwelling might be a smart solution, so where do you start and what should you know?  We asked the team at GJ’s what some of the most asked questions about minor dwellings are, and received the following insights.

Q: Can I build a minor dwelling on my property?

A: This is largely dependent on the council rules around zoning for your specific area and whether it is going to be a separate building or integrated under the same roofline as the main house. Most of the time you will need resource consent. 

Q: What size can a minor dwelling be?

A: This is largely dependent on the council rules around zoning for your specific area. For example in Auckland a minor dwelling must be under 65m2, including the laundry. This excludes garaging, so it is possible to have one or more garage bays attached to a minor dwelling.

Q: Rural site - what distance from the main house can a minor dwelling be?

A: This largely applies to rural sites, where the council preference for distance from a main house is generally as close as possible with the intent that buildings are clustered together.

Q: Does the minor need to match main dwelling (colours and cladding)

A: Generally yes. Certain subdivisions or councils may require you to adhere to the covenants of the subdivision or resource consent.

Q: Can I have separate power or water meters for my minor dwelling?

A: In most cases this would be possible, although there will likely be supplier charges for this. A capacity assessment will be required for a separate power meter. It is important to ensure there is capacity for both the main house and the minor dwelling if running off the same meter.

If a minor dwelling sounds like it might be right for you, or you want to learn more talk to your local GJ’s team today about building you a home that we can both be proud of.