What are the advantages of a manor style home?

When people build homes, they build for a purpose. That purpose may be for investment, comfort or design versatility. Regardless of what their purpose is, different houses can achieve different goals which is why the design of your home is crucial for achieving what you want. Some home designs are self-explanatory, such as a single …

16 July, 2021
What are the advantages of a manor style home?

When people build homes, they build for a purpose. That purpose may be for investment, comfort or design versatility. Regardless of what their purpose is, different houses can achieve different goals which is why the design of your home is crucial for achieving what you want. Some home designs are self-explanatory, such as a single living family home, however, others have more complex benefits. A manor style home is one of the designs that requires some explanation. In this article, we’ll discuss what a manor style home is and why it might be the most advantageous option for you.

What is a manor style home?

A manor house is a single building consisting of three or four dwellings on one lot. It can be up to two storeys in height (excluding the basement), and each dwelling must be attached by a common wall or floor/ceiling. The dwellings can be a studio or 1, 2, 3 or 4-bedroom. Each dwelling has its entrance and amenities. Depending on the design of the property, each dwelling may be either directly and wholly or partially on top of another.
Manor houses fall under the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Low Rise Housing Diversity Code. This means that it must follow the stipulations of the code (e.g. two storey limit), but also benefits from the goal of the code which is to provide faster housing approvals.
Mano style homes are unique in their design and offer a special selection of advantages. To help you decide if a manor style home is right for you, we’ve outlined 4 of the main benefits of building this type of design.

4 advantages of a manor style home

Quick approvals

Manor style homes often benefit from quick approvals because they fall under the Low Density Housing Code. This code facilitates a diverse range of housing and allows well designed dual occupancies, manor houses and terraces to be carried out under a fast track complying development approval.
You can acquire complying development approval within 20 days if the proposal complies with all the relevant requirements in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008.
This can be considered an advantage for property owners who are interested in a quick approval and construction process. It can potentially reduce the amount of time and money spent waiting on approval and instead, get you quickly on track with your construction.

Opportunity for an added income stream

The design of a manor house allows an owner to be both an occupier as well as a landlord. Depending on the number of dwellings within the property, you can occupy one section of the home and rent out the others – potentially acquiring two to three income streams and repaying your home loans simultaneously.
If you are not an owner-occupier, then you can acquire rent from all dwellings while still benefiting from the low operational costs of one, relatively small piece of land (in comparison to three or four single-family dwellings).

Improve affordability for the housing market

As a property developer, the rental prices of dwellings have become unattainable over the last few years. As homeowners search for more affordable options, property developers are tasked with investing in properties that are both profitable and affordable for the tenant.
A manor style home is an affordable unit to rent due to its small area and shared lot of land. However, it’s a profitable option for property developers because it does not require a large investment (again, due to its singular lots of land and structure) and because its profitability is determined by three to four rental streams.

Plan for the future

Lastly, a manor style home allows you to plan for the future with your family. As people grow, their families expand and needs change. Due to the multiple dwellings within their property, a property owner has the option to expand it into a large singular unit (or partial and maintain at least one rental unit).


Alternatively, property owners with older parents can use the units as an independent living space for them while having the peace of mind of keeping them close by.


At ES Design, our team works with you to ensure that you get exactly what you want from your home. While we know that the design and architecture of your manor style home are extremely important, we also know that it is important to your livelihood as well as the overall practicality and functionality of the property. For this reason, our team will collaborate with you and other parties to ensure that your home aligns with your goals.


To find out more about our design services, call us on 0460 000 000.

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