Granny Flat Design
Buildana Luca
40m² · 1 bed · 1 bath · indicative $140,000 from
All floor plans and room sizes are fully customisable.
About this design
The Luca lands at 40m² with 1 bedroom, living space, bathroom and separate laundry. For what it fits into that footprint, it's one of the more efficient layouts in the range. All rooms are fully customisable — dimensions, finishes, configurations.
Luca is light—simple, modern, warm. This 40m² design is straightforward without being bare. One bedroom, one bath, built with the kind of clean thinking that comes from knowing what matters and what doesn't. Buildana's reputation is built on this kind of clarity. You get what you need, built properly, with no unnecessary complication.
Small space, big execution.
Room dimensions
What's included as standard
Every Buildana design comes with a full inclusions package — not a stripped-back base spec that needs topping up before it's liveable. The Luca is no different. All fitout listed below is standard.
Bathroom Inclusions
- •Floor to ceiling wall tiles, including 300 x 600 ceramic tile options.
- •Stylus Banksia back to wall dual flush wc.
- •750mm polyurethane vanity with stone top, drop-in sink & mirror over.
- •Look vanity and shower mixers.
- •Look towel rail & toilet roll holder.
- •Framed shower screen.
- •Light, fan and heater combination.
Kitchen Inclusions
- •Sprayed polyurethane doors and panels (any colour of your choice).
- •10m cabinets includes upper, lower & overhead fridge cabinets & pantry.
- •600mm full length pantry with microwave space.
- •Laminate benchtop, tiled splashback – includes 300 x 600 options.
- •Westinghouse oven and ceramic cooktop (gas cooktops where available).
- •Ducted slide out rangehood (Euromaid), Clark 1 3/4 bowl with ‘look’ mixer.
Upgrade options
Tick what you want — your indicative total updates live. Final fixed price comes back in your formal proposal after a site assessment.
Exterior finish system
Choose the wall system for the external envelope. Pricing below is calculated against this design's external wall area — approximately 61m² (perimeter 26.6m × 2.7m wall height, less 15% for openings). Standard polystyrene-render is included; Hebel, face brick and brick-render are priced as upgrades over standard.
Foamboard polystyrene cladding system finished with cement render and texture coat. Included in the base price — light, fast to install, and the standard exterior on every Buildana granny flat.
Ceiling height
Standard ceiling height is 2.4m. Higher ceilings make small footprints feel larger and lift natural light through windows. Pricing below is calculated against this design's external perimeter 26.6m, covering the extra wall framing, plasterboard, render/cladding and cornice/painting needed to raise the envelope.
Standard ceiling height across all Buildana granny flats — already 100mm taller than the BCA minimum for habitable rooms. Included in the base price.
Doors & highlight windows
Door height and highlight-window upgrades. Tall doors are typically chosen alongside the 2.7m or 3.0m ceiling upgrade so the proportions stay right.
Slim 300 x 600mm highlight windows for natural light to bathrooms, ensuites, hallways, walk-in robes or above kitchen benches. Frosted or clear glazing. $1,100 each, supplied and installed. Pick how many you'd like below.
Premium fitout
Lift the standard spec to higher-end finishes.
Air conditioning
Choose how the granny flat is cooled. The standard living split is included in your base price.
Included as standard. Wall-mount inverter split unit to the living area, sized to the room load.
Outdoor & site
Pricing varies with site conditions, falls, and existing services. Final figures confirmed in writing after a site visit.
Compliance, services & metering
Almost always required for tenanted secondary dwellings. Pre-ticked by default.
Add-on rooms & layout changes
Layout extensions are quoted from your block survey — they may need a fresh CDC/DA pathway.
Common questions
Is Luca closer to a studio than a true 1-bedroom?
Luca is a 1-bedroom by definition — the bedroom has its own door and walls, it's not open-plan. But the overall envelope is studio-sized at 40m², which means living, kitchen and meals share one room rather than reading as separate zones. That's the trade-off for the smaller footprint, smaller price and easier block fit.
Does the Luca go through CDC or DA?
Almost always CDC (Complying Development Certificate) — that's what SEPP (Housing) 2021 was set up to enable. CDC is faster (10 working days statutory) and cheaper than DA. The Luca only needs DA if your block has heritage overlay, bushfire BAL-29 or above, flood zone, or a council that's opted out of CDC for secondary dwellings. We confirm which pathway applies during the free block check.
How long does it take to build the Luca?
Allow about 14–18 weeks on site once the slab is poured, plus 6–10 weeks for design, engineering, BASIX, CDC or DA, and pre-construction. Total wall-clock from signed proposal to handover is typically 5–7 months for the Luca, weather and council pace dependent. We update the program weekly during construction so you can see exactly where the build is up to.
Can I rent the Luca out as a separate dwelling?
Yes — this is exactly what SEPP (Housing) 2021 allows for. The Luca is built to be tenanted independently of the main house. To do it cleanly you'll want separate water and electricity metering (configurator option above) so the bills sit with the tenant, plus the BASIX 7-star upgrade to keep their power bills competitive. We'll flag any council-specific tenancy conditions during the block check.
Request a formal proposal for the Luca
Pick your upgrades, send through your details, and we'll come back with a fixed-price proposal — usually within 3 business days.