A Sunshine Coast innovator has presented his flat-pack granny flat offering to an event that brings together the brightest minds in business, innovation and government.
Wolfgang Schulte was invited to speak at the 2023 BiiG Conference in Brisbane, with his flat-pack concept recognised as an innovative solution to the current housing crisis.
The BIIG Conference brings together industry experts with the aim of creating a better future for Queensland, with this year’s theme being ‘innovation everywhere, impact for all’.
Mr Schulte said he spoke about the current housing crisis on both the Sunshine Coast and across the state, and how his affordable flat-pack houses are a practical solution to increase supply.
“The Sunshine Coast is in a housing and rental crisis right now and the community needs fast, quality solutions to achieve more housing supply to stop more people becoming homeless,” he said.
“Using pre-fabricated components with our flat-pack design, we can reduce installation time and costs compared to traditional construction methods, and using timber as the primary building material has environmental benefits as well, such as reducing the carbon footprint of the construction process.
“Our solution offers a unique combination of efficiency, affordability and sustainability.”
Mr Schulte says his Timber Garden Cabins, which come in different sizes, can be used as granny flats by homeowners with the yard space, and he’s also exploring options to create urban villages with 20-70 cabins on currently vacant land.
“Previously, people may not have thought of this as a solution to the housing problem as there were restrictions around renting out a granny flat, but legislation changed late last year enabling homeowners to rent out secondary dwellings on their property, such as granny flats, to anyone,” he said.
“Of course there are rules and regulations around adding a second dwelling to your home depending on where you live and your block size, but for people who want to create positive change in the community and gain some extra income yet don’t have the funds to buy a whole investment property, this is the perfect solution.”
Depending on trade availability and shipping, it is usually a four- to five-month turnaround to install a Timber Garden Cabin, with prices starting from $130,000 for a two-bedroom design.
“It is more important than ever that we all work together to think of solutions and I am proud our product has recently been recognised for its innovation at a statewide level,” Mr Schulte said.
For more information visit timbergardencabins.com.au.
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