A Look At The Origin Of Granny Flats

Granny flats are very popular in many countries, including Britain, the USA, and New Zealand. They are known by other names such as the Mother-In-Law Apartment, Granny Suite, In-Law Suite, and Accessory Apartment.  In the past, this type of housing was used to accommodate an elderly relative who is not capable of living on their own, but is not ready to live in a nursing home environment or other similar facility.

The History Of Granny Flats

The precursor of the granny flat is the dowager house. When the heir of an estate was ready to inherit the house, the former owner’s widow would usually move to a smaller dwelling on the property. This accommodation was referred to as the dowager house. This property allowed the widow to continue to live on the property she had lived on for years and remain close to her family, while also maintaining her independence and not feeling as though she were in the way of the new official owners of the house.

In urban areas, the dowager house gave way to the granny flat: a smaller version of the dowager house and this was usually physically attached to the main house.

The features of granny flats varied depending on their size and situation. However, in general, they all contained at least one bedroom, a small bathroom and some even had their own small kitchen and sitting room.

Info source: www.grannyflatengineers.com.au