If you have an elderly relative living with you, granny flats can be an excellent investment. Built separately from your main dwelling but still on your own land, they offer self-contained accommodation that provides privacy and independence while still keeping an elderly family member feeling close to the rest of your family.
As you might expect, there are plenty of things to think about when choosing a granny flat, but one thing people often fail to consider is how well skylights combine with these freestanding structures. Here are just four reasons why granny flats and skylights are an ideal match.
1. Brings in Lots of Natural Light
Since granny flats are set on one level and therefore close to the ground, you may find that natural light is blocked by surrounding structures or trees. This can make them quite dark inside without the use of artificial light, but a skylight can avoid this problem. Since natural light comes in from above, it isn't going to be impeded and can be depended on throughout the day.
2. Provides Plenty of Privacy
Relying on traditional windows can be tough with granny flats since they don't provide much privacy. As granny flats are often placed in backyards, anything going on inside is going to be easily visible through those windows. Adding skylights can eliminate the need for so many traditional windows, so part of the main room can be blocked from view without having to forfeit natural light.
3. Makes the Most of Available Wall Space
Since granny flats usually only feature one main room, they can end up running low on wall space. As such, it makes sense to reduce the number of traditional windows by adding one or two skylights. This means more wall space will be available, and that wall space is going to be useful for anything from hanging pictures to fixing fittings.
4. Makes Smaller Spaces Feel Larger
By their very nature, granny flats are going to be smaller than other dwellings. In fact, they often consist of only one main room and an attached bathroom. That smaller footprint can be very attractive since it is easier to keep clean and always feels nice and cosy. However, such smaller spaces can often feel cramped or cluttered, especially when there's a lot inside. Since skylights bring in a lot of natural light from above and allow such wide and unbroken views, they can make such spaces feel larger and more open.
For more information on skylights, contact an installation service today.