You’ve decided you want a granny flat and picked your favourite design from the website. Before you commit a single dollar, there’s a critical step that prevents expensive surprises and council rejections: a proper granny flat free site assessment. At Innovista Group, our free site assessment is conducted in two stages by Melbourne’s Granny Flat King himself, Theo Stone. This granny flat free site assessment is the exact step most people skip, and it’s what separates successful projects from expensive nightmares.
Meet Theo Stone: The Granny Flat King
When we say we know granny flats, we’re not exaggerating.
Theo Stone, CEO of Innovista Group, has earned the title “Melbourne’s Granny Flat King” for good reason. With a background as a professional engineer and hundreds of successful granny flat projects completed across Melbourne, Theo has seen every possible site challenge Victoria can throw at a build.
Sloping blocks in Werribee. Tiny rear yards in Frankston. Properties with nightmare easements in Craigieburn. Heritage overlays in inner Melbourne. Bushfire-prone areas in the Dandenongs. Flood zones. Rock underneath. Trees everywhere. Council requirements that seem designed to make building impossible.
Theo’s seen it all. And more importantly, he’s solved it all.
His engineering background means he doesn’t just look at your property and guess whether a granny flat will work. He calculates setbacks precisely, identifies utility connection points, assesses drainage requirements, and determines exactly what’s needed to make your project compliant before you’ve wasted time or money.
Granny Flat Free Site Assessment: Our Two-Stage Process (100% Free)
Most builders take your money first and discover problems later. We do the opposite.
Stage 1: Satellite Site Assessment
Once you enquire about a granny flat, we conduct a satellite assessment of your property using advanced aerial imagery and mapping tools before we even discuss pricing or designs in detail.
During this stage, we’re checking:
- Property dimensions and total land area
- Existing building footprints and locations
- Approximate setback distances from boundaries
- Access points for construction and future use
- Neighbouring properties and potential privacy concerns
- Visible easements or unusual site features
The satellite assessment is usually completed within 24-48 hours of your enquiry.
You’ll receive a preliminary feasibility assessment sent directly to you. This tells you whether your property looks viable for a granny flat and identifies any obvious red flags that need addressing.
This initial check matters because if there’s a deal-breaker (your block is too small, there’s a massive easement running through the only buildable area, access is genuinely impossible), you find out immediately. No wasted time. No false hope. Just honest assessment based on engineering reality.
Stage 2: On-Site Inspection (If You Want to Proceed)
The satellite assessment looks promising and you want to move forward? Theo or one of our senior engineers schedules a free on-site inspection at your property.
Our on-site inspection covers:
Ground conditions and levels: Is your block flat, sloping, or stepped? Where does water naturally flow? Are there obvious drainage issues? Any signs of unstable soil?
Utility connection points: Where are your existing water, sewer, stormwater, electrical, and NBN connections? How far are they from the proposed granny flat location? Are additional pits or trenching required?
Easements and restrictions: We check your title for registered easements (sewer, drainage, gas, electricity, telecommunications). Many homeowners don’t even know these exist until they try to build.
Trees and vegetation: Protected trees? Council-regulated vegetation? Root systems that could affect foundations? We identify what can stay, what needs permits to remove, and what complicates construction.
Access for construction: Can trucks and equipment reach the building site? Is crane access needed? Are there overhead power lines restricting delivery? Can materials be brought through side access or does everything go over the main house?
Neighbouring considerations: Privacy concerns? Overlooking issues? Boundary fences that need agreements? Windows that create planning complications?
Council-specific requirements: Different councils have different interpretations of Victoria’s granny flat regulations. We know exactly what Wyndham requires versus Monash versus Casey versus Frankston.
Site inspections typically take 45-60 minutes. Theo walks the entire property, takes detailed measurements where needed, discusses your specific requirements, and answers all your questions on the spot.
You’ll receive a comprehensive feasibility report explaining exactly what’s required for your granny flat to proceed. This includes specific design recommendations, any council hurdles we’ll need to navigate, estimated fixture connection costs, and timeline expectations.
This stage is where Theo’s engineering background becomes invaluable. He’s not guessing. He’s calculating. Your sewer connection is 15 metres away instead of 10 metres? That affects pricing. Your block slopes significantly? That changes foundation requirements. There’s a heritage overlay? That triggers additional approval processes.
You get complete transparency before signing anything.
What Makes Our Free Granny Flat Site Assessment Different
1. Engineering expertise, not sales pitches
Theo approaches every property as an engineer first, salesperson second. His goal isn’t to convince you to build. It’s to determine whether building makes sense for your specific situation. A granny flat won’t work? He’ll tell you directly and explain exactly why.
2. Client-focused solutions
Every property has unique challenges. Theo doesn’t offer cookie-cutter solutions. Your preferred design won’t fit due to setback requirements? He’ll suggest layout modifications that work. Utility connections are problematic? He’ll identify the most cost-effective solutions. Council requirements seem overwhelming? He explains exactly how we navigate them.
3. Hundreds of successful projects
Experience matters enormously in granny flat construction. Theo has guided hundreds of Melbourne families through the process, from inner-city sites with barely enough room to sprawling acreage properties in growth corridors. This breadth of experience means he immediately recognises challenges and knows proven solutions.
4. Council relationship knowledge
After years of working across Melbourne’s councils, Theo understands the nuances of how different municipalities interpret regulations. He knows which councils move quickly, which require additional documentation, which are flexible on certain requirements, and which have specific local policies that affect granny flats.
Why Innovista’s Granny Flat Free Site Assessment Protects Your Investment
Here’s what happens when builders skip proper assessments:
You pay a deposit based on a standard design. Construction starts. Suddenly, the builder discovers your sewer connection is on the opposite side of the property. Or there’s a drainage easement exactly where the bedroom was supposed to go. Or council requires additional setbacks that make the whole design non-compliant.
Now you’re facing expensive redesigns, delays of months, additional fees you weren’t quoted, or in worst cases, abandoned projects and legal disputes over deposits.
Innovista’s approach prevents all of this.
We identify every site-specific requirement before quoting, before designing, before you commit financially. The price you’re quoted accounts for YOUR property’s actual conditions, not generic assumptions.
What Your Site Assessment Covers
When Theo conducts your on-site inspection, here’s the comprehensive checklist he works through:
Legal Compliance:
- Title check for easements and covenants
- Council zoning verification
- Heritage overlay assessment (if applicable)
- Bushfire overlay requirements (if applicable)
- Flood overlay considerations (if applicable)
Physical Site Conditions:
- Accurate boundary measurements
- Site levels and slope calculations
- Soil type observations
- Drainage patterns and water flow
- Existing vegetation and tree locations
Utility Infrastructure:
- Water connection location and capacity
- Sewer connection point and fall requirements
- Stormwater disposal options
- Electrical service position
- NBN/telecommunications accessibility
Access and Construction Logistics:
- Vehicle access for deliveries
- Crane access requirements (if needed)
- Equipment movement space
- Material storage areas during construction
- Neighbour access considerations
Design Optimisation:
- Best orientation for the granny flat
- Privacy considerations for all parties
- Natural light maximisation
- Outdoor space allocation
- Future landscaping possibilities
The Innovista Difference
Most Melbourne granny flat companies do one of two things:
Option 1: They skip assessments entirely, quote based on assumptions, then hit you with variations and extras when reality doesn’t match their template.
Option 2: They charge $500-$1,500 for “feasibility assessments” that amount to someone looking at your property for 20 minutes and telling you what you wanted to hear so you’ll proceed.
Innovista does neither.
Our granny flat free site assessment (satellite analysis plus comprehensive on-site inspection) costs you absolutely nothing. Theo’s time, expertise, and detailed reporting are provided free because we believe you deserve complete transparency before making significant financial decisions.
We’d rather lose a potential project by being honest about challenges than take your money for something that won’t succeed.
What Happens After Your Assessment
Your property is suitable (and most are, with the right approach)? You’ll receive:
- Detailed feasibility report – Specific to YOUR property’s conditions, not generic information
- Customised design recommendations – Layouts that work with your site constraints whilst meeting your needs
- Accurate, all-inclusive pricing – No surprises, no hidden costs, no variations for “unforeseen” issues we already identified
- Clear timeline expectations – Based on your council’s specific processes and your project’s complexity
- Next steps guidance – Exactly what decisions you need to make and what approvals we’ll handle
Your property has challenges? Theo explains exactly what’s required to overcome them and whether the investment makes sense. Sometimes the answer is “this particular design won’t work, but here’s what will.” Sometimes it’s “we can make this happen, but here’s the additional cost and why.” And occasionally, it’s “honestly, this isn’t viable for the outcome you want.”
How to Book Your Granny Flat Free Site Assessment
The process is straightforward:
Step 1: Contact Innovista Group expressing interest in a granny flat. Provide your property address and brief details about what you’re hoping to achieve (student accommodation, rental income, aging parents, etc.).
Step 2: We conduct the satellite assessment within 24-48 hours and send you preliminary findings.
Step 3: Feasibility looks positive and you want to proceed? We schedule Theo or a senior engineer for your on-site inspection at a time that suits you.
Step 4: You receive your comprehensive report with specific recommendations and accurate pricing for your property’s unique conditions.
Step 5: You decide whether to proceed with complete confidence in what you’re getting and what it will cost.
No pressure. No sales tactics. Just a professional engineering assessment delivered with the client’s best interests in mind.
Why Theo’s Engineering Background Matters
There’s a reason Theo’s assessments prevent problems that plague other builders’ projects.
As a professional engineer, he understands:
- Structural requirements for different soil types and slopes
- Hydraulic calculations for sewer, stormwater, and drainage
- Load-bearing capacity and foundation engineering
- Regulatory compliance at both state and local levels
- Construction sequencing that minimises cost and disruption
- Problem-solving approaches that turn challenges into workable solutions
This technical expertise combined with hundreds of completed projects means Theo sees solutions where others see impossible obstacles.
The Bottom Line
Building a granny flat is a significant investment. You’re spending $150,000-$250,000+ on a permanent addition to your property. That investment should be based on accurate information about what’s actually achievable on your specific block.
Innovista’s free two-stage assessment (satellite analysis plus comprehensive on-site inspection by Melbourne’s Granny Flat King himself) gives you that information before you commit financially.
No other Melbourne granny flat builder offers this level of professional assessment at no cost. It’s our commitment to transparency, our confidence in our expertise, and our respect for your investment.
Book your granny flat free site assessment with Innovista Group. Find out exactly what’s possible on your property, what it will cost, and why Theo Stone’s engineering expertise makes the difference between projects that succeed and projects that become expensive nightmares.
