For many Perth families, the shape of home life is changing—and it’s sparking a quiet revolution in how we build, adapt, and live together. Vance Thompson from Thompson Design explained talks about multigenerational housing, subdividable blocks, and creative ways to make space work.
Why Families Are Renovating
With tight budgets and busy work lives, more families are looking to their own four walls for flexibility. Perth’s bigger builders have responded with fully self-contained “4 by 2” designs: these aren’t just houses with extra bedrooms—they’re places where grandparents or adult kids can live independently, yet remain close to the family. These modern granny flats offer private bathrooms, kitchens, and entrances. It’s a compelling alternative to aged care, and a strategy for families where three kids might not be keen on sharing bathrooms.
It’s a trend that matters: as house prices climb, people are buying bigger blocks, sometimes paying premium rates for land they hope will one day be subdivided. Yet a hurt remains—if the zoning or shire rules don’t allow for division, these families may be locked out of turning one block into two homes. As one listener texted, “We live on 800 square metres in Kingsley but we can’t divide because of shire regulations. Is there anything we can do?”
Navigating Council and Building Rules
Building for the future often means navigating layers of local regulation. Converting a shed to a living area, for example, is about more than just adding a couch—it’s a formal change in building classification and requires council permits. If you’re adding just a kitchenette and bedroom alongside a main kitchen, it’s still a single residence. But once the under-the-roof addition becomes a totally separate, self-contained unit, it’s classified as an “ancillary dwelling”—a granny flat in the legal sense.
Some listeners, stuck just under the minimum subdividable block size, have two options: wait (perhaps decades) for local zoning to change, or try to purchase extra patchwork meters from neighbours to reach the required size. Corner blocks get a bonus—sometimes a 5% reduction in minimum frontage—while others can design outbuildings so they’re ready to split off when and if the council rules change.
Challenges of Multigenerational Living
The move toward “tighter living” isn’t only about brick and mortar. Families have to adjust to sharing space, bathrooms, and daily routines. For many, it’s a fundamental mindset shift. With both parents often working just to hold onto the mortgage, adapting the home is sometimes the only way to keep everyone under one roof.
Trends: Pods, Tiny Homes, and Shared Space
Pod systems, modular building blocks created off-site, are making it cheaper and quicker to expand. Builders in Perth say the price for pods—starting around $300,000—can be lower than traditional second-storey additions, and you can choose one or two pods to fit your land. Meanwhile, tiny homes are on the rise but face hurdles around council approval and sufficient ceiling heights. For young adults entering the market, shared living—with private bedrooms but communal kitchens and living spaces—is gaining appeal.
Advice for Homeowners
If you’re hoping to subdivide, check your zoning and minimum block size. For an R-20 zoned property in Perth, you’ll need 900m², and amalgamating with neighbouring land may be possible. Before building, consult with the council—timing matters, as schemes change slowly. For now, maximising ancillary dwellings can be a smart way to prepare for future flexibility or subdivision.