Two-bed granny flats: compare 45 m² and 48 m²

Nua Living offers a 45 m² one-or-two-bedroom home and a 48 m² two-bedroom home. The first can fit the Class 3A size band if every site condition is met; the larger option needs planning permission. Start with how you will use both bedrooms and the shared living space.

Compare the two relevant options

Design, build and project management are included. VAT totals are rounded to the nearest euro. Compare each model’s current specification and written scope, including the separate site and professional costs.

What the approved 45 m² concepts show

The Barrow (45 m² 1 bed + flex, 9 × 5 m external footprint) and The Shannon (45 m² 2 bed, 7.5 × 6 m external footprint) are approved named concepts in our scaled plan library. The Barrow is a one-bedroom plus flex concept; The Shannon is a two-bedroom layout. Open the sheets to compare room arrangement, circulation, storage and window positions, rather than assuming every two-bedroom layout has the same trade-offs.

The second room’s use matters: daily bedroom, occasional guest room or a room with future care needs. Mark your actual furniture on the plan and discuss movement around the beds, the bathroom route and the space left for shared meals. The concepts help start that discussion; they are not a promise that a particular site or mobility requirement is resolved.

Download the scaled concept floor plans and compare the notes on each sheet. We do not have an approved named 48 m² sheet in this library; the larger model’s room dimensions and final layout need agreement during design.

Area and planning are separate from bedroom count

Condition 7 of Class 3A sets a 32–45 m² external-footprint band, counted together with earlier Class 3 garden structures. S.I. No. 340/2026, Class 3A.

Earlier garden structures can affect the available area. A 45 m² home does not automatically qualify merely because it has two bedrooms. The 48 m² option sits outside this exemption. Check the complete conditions and planning route for your property.

A Class 3A auxiliary dwelling follows the normal Building Control process, including a Commencement Notice, design and assigned certifiers, a competent builder and a Certificate of Compliance on Completion. Department Circular BC07-2026.

The planning notification and Building Control submission are separate. Lodge the BCMS Commencement Notice 14–28 days before starting work; allow at least 14 days after the council notification too. Start with the BCMS submission, then the council notification, so the periods can run together. Check the pre-start paperwork guide for current council forms and professional responsibilities.

Choose around daily use

• Compare privacy between bedrooms and the living area.
• Discuss the bathroom route at night and any mobility or care equipment.
• Allow for belongings and storage as well as the drawn furniture.
• Check access, daylight and window positions against the actual garden.

Discuss your garden

Tell us who will use each bedroom and which approved concept you prefer. Request a callback and a free, no-obligation site visit. We can discuss site eligibility and prepare a written scope and quote.