Tips for customising a narrow lot home.

Small lot housing is not a new concept, with many existing dwellings qualifying as small lot homes. These include;

• Town houses – also known as terrace houses, these are long double storey dwellings built on narrow blocks side by side, usually facing onto a common street and with lane way access at the rear.
• Loft houses – these are upper storey dwellings often above a garage and built to boundary on two sides. A loft home is typically a one or two bedroom apartment on a freehold title or community title with the parent lot.
• Soho houses – these have a main street frontage usually containing an office or shop and with residential accommodation above or at the rear and a separate entrance for the residence.
• Villa houses – these are often part of housing projects and are typically single storey dwellings, built to boundary on one side and with up to three bedrooms, providing a compact version of a family home.

While the idea of a small lot home is not new, the modern building approach to small lot housing has come a long way in a very short time. Today’s builders and architects see size not as a limitation, but as an opportunity to create more with less, meaning almost anything is possible in a customised narrow lot home.

Narrow lot specialists not only offer a collection of high quality homes off the plan, but can also custom build a new home to your individual specifications.

They can tailor a narrow lot home to match the site slope, ground conditions, solar orientation, weather, open areas and more to create a high quality, spacious and functional home that doesn’t compromise on the features you want.

TYPICAL CUSTOMISATIONS IN A NARROW LOT HOME

• Marble benchtops in kitchen & bathrooms
• Stainless steel appliances
• Colorbond roofing
• Vanity cabinetry with designer basins
• Solar panels and other energy-saving inclusions
• Balconies to maximise views and breezes
• Up to 4 bedrooms
• Up to two car spaces
• Courtyard gardens and entertaining areas.

Of course, while you don’t have to compromise on your narrow lot home design, there are certain regulations regarding small lot housing that will need to be adhered to.

Small lot houses in Australia are generally required to comply with the Small Lot Code, which outlines requirements relating to:

• Occupation – can only contain one household
• Containment – must be within a defined building envelope, which specifies requirements for height, setbacks and outcomes for built-to-boundary walls
• The site – specifications regarding coverage of buildings and structures on the lot
• Parking – must have an appropriate number of car parking spaces.

If you’re building a narrow lot home in Brisbane, you’ll also have to conform to the Character Code if your lot is located in a Demolition Control Precinct.

This code is designed to protect the character of pre-1946 housing in such precincts by ensuring that new buildings are compatible with existing character buildings.

Requirements of the Character Code can include the use of traditional materials on the exterior, a roofing style that compliments other roofs in the area and a low profile to compliment nearby homes.

However, these requirements apply to whatever size home you plan to build in such precincts, and the good news is if you go with a specialist builder, all these considerations will be taken care of in the early planning stages of your customised narrow lot home. New Build Concierge can help find the right builder.

‍