Narrow-Lot Homes: Designing Smart for Brisbane's Small-Lot Code

Live large on a compact footprint.

If you've been house hunting for land in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, or anywhere across South-East Queensland lately, you've probably noticed something: blocks are getting smaller. The days of the sprawling quarter-acre are well and truly behind us in most new estates, and in their place, we're seeing a wave of narrow-lot and small-lot releases—many sitting around the 350 square metre mark, some even smaller.

For first-time buyers, downsizers, and investors alike, these compact blocks offer genuine opportunity. They're often more affordable, closer to amenities, and located in well-planned communities with parks, schools, and transport nearby. But they also come with a question that stops many people in their tracks: Can I actually build a decent home on a block this size?

The short answer is yes—absolutely. With clever planning, thoughtful design, and a builder who understands how to work with Brisbane's Small Lot Code, a 350 square metre block can deliver a surprisingly spacious family home. We're talking three, four, even five bedrooms. Open-plan living. A proper outdoor entertaining area. And yes, in many cases, even a pool.

The key isn't the size of the block—it's how you use it.

At Homes by Markon, we've been designing and building custom homes across South-East Queensland for over 30 years. We've seen blocks of all shapes and sizes, and we've learned that the best outcomes come from designing for the block, not just on it. A narrow lot demands a different approach than a traditional suburban block, and when you get that approach right, the results can be genuinely impressive.

This guide is for anyone considering building on a narrow or small lot in Brisbane or the surrounding regions. We'll walk you through what the Small Lot Code actually means, how custom design unlocks the potential of compact blocks, and the practical strategies that turn tight footprints into homes that feel anything but cramped.

Understanding Brisbane's Small Lot Code

Before we dive into design, it helps to understand the regulatory framework that governs small-lot development in Queensland. Brisbane City Council, along with many other local councils, has specific provisions for small lot housing—often referred to as the Small Lot Code or similar.

These provisions recognise that traditional planning rules (designed for larger suburban blocks) don't always make sense when applied to compact lots. The Small Lot Code adjusts requirements around things like setbacks, site cover, building height, and private open space to make it feasible to build functional homes on smaller footprints.

Here's a simplified overview of what this typically means:

Setbacks: On narrow lots, side setbacks are often reduced compared to standard residential zones. This allows the building envelope to extend closer to the boundaries, maximising usable floor space. However, there are still rules around how much of the boundary can be built to, and requirements for articulation to avoid a "wall of house" effect.

Site Cover: This refers to the percentage of the lot that can be covered by buildings and structures. Small lot provisions often allow higher site cover than traditional zones—sometimes up to 50% or more—recognising that compact living requires efficient use of land.

Building Height: Most small lot codes permit two-storey construction as standard, which is essential for achieving adequate floor space on a limited footprint. Some areas may allow additional height in certain circumstances.

Private Open Space: Even on small lots, there are requirements for outdoor living areas. The code typically specifies minimum dimensions and areas for private open space, ensuring residents have access to usable outdoor areas—even if that's a courtyard rather than a backyard.

Car Parking: Provisions for garages and driveways are adjusted for narrow frontages, with options for single garages, tandem parking, or other configurations that work within the constraints.

The important thing to understand is that these codes are designed to enable good small-lot housing, not prevent it. They set the boundaries within which creative, functional design can happen. The challenge—and the opportunity—is working within those boundaries to create a home that genuinely suits your needs.

This is where the difference between a project home and a custom home becomes most apparent.

Why Custom Design Matters on Narrow Lots

Walk through any display village and you'll see plenty of homes marketed for "small lots" or "narrow frontages." These designs exist because builders recognise the market demand. But here's the thing: a project home designed for a narrow lot isn't the same as a home designed for your narrow lot.

Every block is different. Orientation varies. Some lots slope. Some have easements or services that affect where you can build. Neighbouring properties create different privacy considerations. And most importantly, every family is different—your lifestyle, your priorities, and your budget are unique to you.

Project homes work from a fixed set of plans. They might offer some flexibility in finishes or minor layout tweaks, but the fundamental design is locked in. If that design happens to suit your block and your needs perfectly, you might be fine. But more often, you end up with compromises: a living area that faces the wrong way for light, bedrooms that look directly into a neighbour's window, wasted space in hallways or circulation areas, or outdoor areas that are afterthoughts rather than genuine living spaces.

On a narrow lot, these compromises matter more. When space is limited, every square metre counts. Wasted space isn't just inefficient—it's expensive. You're paying for land, construction, and ongoing maintenance on areas that don't add value to your daily life.

Custom design flips this equation. Instead of starting with a plan and trying to fit it to your block, we start with your block—and your life—and design a home that makes the most of both.

This means considering questions like:

• Where does the sun rise and set relative to your lot? How do we capture northern light for living areas while managing western heat?
• What are the privacy implications of neighbouring properties? Where should windows and outdoor areas be positioned to maximise your sense of space without feeling overlooked?
• How does your family actually live? Do you need a home office? A media room? Multiple living zones for kids and adults? Space for extended family visits?
• What's your approach to outdoor living? Do you want a low-maintenance courtyard, a small garden, or are you dreaming of a plunge pool for those Brisbane summers?
• What's your budget, and how do we allocate it to the things that matter most to you?

When you answer these questions before the design begins, the result is a home that works harder for you. Rooms are sized appropriately. Circulation is efficient. Light flows where you need it. Storage is built in where it's useful. And outdoor spaces are integrated into the design rather than tacked on at the end.

This is what we mean by efficiency and maximum value for dollar spent. It's not about building cheap—it's about building smart.

Light, Air, and the Feeling of Space

One of the biggest concerns people have about narrow-lot homes is that they'll feel dark, cramped, or claustrophobic. It's an understandable worry. When you're building between two neighbouring properties with limited setbacks, how do you avoid ending up with a home that feels like a tunnel?

The answer lies in deliberate design strategies that prioritise light and airflow from the outset.

Courtyard Light Wells: This is one of the most effective tools for narrow-lot design. By incorporating a central courtyard or light well into the floor plan, you create an internal source of natural light that illuminates the middle of the home. Rooms that would otherwise be dark—like bathrooms, laundries, or internal bedrooms—can borrow light from the courtyard. It also creates opportunities for cross-ventilation, drawing breezes through the home.

Strategic Window Placement: On narrow lots, you can't rely on windows on all four sides of every room. Instead, we focus on placing windows where they'll have the greatest impact—capturing northern light for living areas, using highlight windows or clerestory glazing to bring light in without compromising privacy, and positioning openings to encourage airflow.

Open-Plan Living: Removing unnecessary walls between kitchen, dining, and living areas creates a sense of spaciousness that belies the actual floor area. When these spaces flow together and connect visually to outdoor areas, the home feels much larger than its footprint suggests.

Voids and Double-Height Spaces: In two-storey homes, incorporating a void—an area where the upper floor is open to the ground floor below—adds vertical volume that makes spaces feel grander. A void above the living area or entry, for example, draws the eye upward and creates a sense of openness.

Light Colour Palettes and Reflective Surfaces: While this falls more into interior design territory, the choices you make with wall colours, flooring, and finishes can significantly impact how light moves through a space. Lighter tones reflect more light, making rooms feel brighter and more open.

Indoor-Outdoor Connection: When internal living spaces open directly onto outdoor areas—whether that's a courtyard, alfresco, or deck—the visual boundary between inside and outside blurs. This borrowed landscape makes the interior feel more expansive.

These strategies aren't about tricks or illusions. They're about understanding how people experience space and designing accordingly. A well-designed narrow-lot home doesn't just look spacious—it feels spacious to live in every day.

Privacy Solutions for Close Neighbours

Let's be honest: when you're building on a narrow lot, your neighbours are close. Side setbacks might be minimal, and the house next door might be just a few metres away. This proximity is simply part of small-lot living, but it doesn't mean you have to sacrifice privacy.

Good design anticipates privacy challenges and addresses them proactively.

Orientation and Room Placement: The first line of defence is thoughtful floor planning. Bedrooms and bathrooms—the spaces where privacy matters most—can be positioned away from boundaries or oriented toward private courtyards rather than side fences. Living areas can be placed to open onto rear yards or internal courtyards rather than facing neighbours directly.

Window Placement and Glazing Types: Where windows do face neighbouring properties, there are options beyond simply leaving them out. Highlight windows (positioned high on walls) bring in light without sightlines. Frosted or obscured glazing provides privacy while still allowing natural light. Louvres can be angled to direct views while blocking direct lines of sight.

Screening and Landscaping: External screens—whether timber battens, laser-cut metal panels, or planted green walls—can provide privacy without creating a fortress feel. Strategic landscaping with hedges, trees, or climbing plants softens boundaries and adds greenery while blocking views.

Fencing and Boundary Treatments: The right fence height and style can make a significant difference. In Queensland, boundary fences up to certain heights are generally permitted, and the choice of materials (timber, rendered masonry, or composite panels) affects both privacy and aesthetics.

Courtyard Design: Internal courtyards are particularly effective for privacy. Because they're surrounded by your own home, they're inherently private—a sheltered outdoor space that feels like an extension of your interior living areas.

The goal isn't to create a bunker. It's to design a home where you feel comfortable and relaxed, where you can open your blinds without feeling exposed, and where your outdoor spaces are genuinely usable rather than just for show.

Storage Done Right

Here's a truth about small-lot living: you can't afford to waste space on poorly planned storage. Every cupboard, every shelf, every nook needs to earn its place. This is another area where custom design pays dividends. Rather than accepting whatever storage a project home happens to include, you can design storage solutions that match how you actually live.

Built-In Wardrobes and Cabinetry: Custom-designed built-ins make the most of available space, including awkward corners, under-eave areas, and spaces that would otherwise be dead zones. Walk-in robes can be designed to fit your specific needs—more hanging space, more shelving, shoe storage, whatever works for you.

Under-Stair Storage: In two-storey homes, the space beneath the staircase is prime storage real estate. Depending on the stair configuration, this might become a walk-in storage room, pull-out drawers, a study nook, or even a small powder room.

Garage Integration: On narrow lots, the garage often occupies a significant portion of the ground floor frontage. Smart design integrates storage into the garage—wall-mounted shelving, overhead storage platforms, or dedicated zones for bikes, tools, and outdoor equipment—so the garage serves multiple purposes.

Kitchen and Laundry Design: These working areas benefit enormously from thoughtful storage planning. Pull-out pantries, corner carousel systems, overhead cabinets that extend to the ceiling, and integrated appliance housing all contribute to kitchens that function efficiently without sprawling across excessive floor space.

Linen and General Storage: It's easy to overlook general storage in the excitement of designing living areas and bedrooms, but a home without adequate linen cupboards, broom closets, and general storage quickly becomes cluttered. We factor these into every design.

The principle is simple: design storage for the things you actually own and the way you actually use them. This sounds obvious, but it's remarkable how often it's overlooked in standard home designs.

Parking and Access on Narrow Frontages

Driveways and garages consume a significant portion of narrow lot frontages, so getting this right is essential.

The typical narrow-lot solution is a single garage with tandem parking—one car behind the other. This works well for many families, keeping the garage footprint compact while still accommodating two vehicles. The trade-off is that one car needs to be moved to access the other, which suits some households better than others.

For lots with slightly wider frontages, a double garage might be achievable, though this often means the garage dominates the street presentation. Good design can mitigate this through setbacks, material choices, and architectural detailing that balance the garage with other facade elements.

Some narrow-lot designs place the garage at the rear of the property, accessed via a driveway that runs alongside the house. This frees up the front facade for living spaces and creates a more attractive street presence, though it does consume side-yard space.

The right solution depends on your lot dimensions, your vehicle needs, and your priorities for the rest of the home. It's another area where one-size-fits-all project home designs often fall short—what works on one narrow lot might be completely wrong for another.

Outdoor Living: Courtyards, Gardens, and Yes, Even Pools

One of the most common misconceptions about narrow-lot living is that you have to give up on outdoor space. People assume that a 350 square metre block means a tiny courtyard at best—certainly no room for a garden, let alone a pool.

This simply isn't true. With clever design, narrow lots can deliver genuinely enjoyable outdoor living.

Courtyards and Alfresco Areas: A well-designed courtyard can feel remarkably spacious, especially when it's integrated with indoor living areas. Sliding or stacking doors that open fully blur the boundary between inside and outside, effectively extending your living space. Add comfortable outdoor furniture, some greenery, and good lighting, and you have an outdoor room that's usable year-round in Brisbane's climate.

Vertical Gardens and Green Walls: When horizontal space is limited, think vertically. Green walls, climbing plants on trellises, and tiered planter boxes add lush greenery without consuming precious floor space. They also soften hard surfaces and improve privacy.

Rooftop Terraces: For two-storey homes, a rooftop terrace can provide outdoor space that doesn't compete with ground-level living areas. Subject to engineering and council requirements, this can be a fantastic solution for capturing breezes and views while keeping the ground floor footprint efficient.

Plunge Pools and Compact Pools: Here's where people are often surprised. A pool on a 350 square metre block? Absolutely. Plunge pools and compact lap pools are specifically designed for smaller spaces. A pool measuring 4 metres by 2.5 metres, for example, provides genuine swimming and cooling opportunities without dominating the yard.

Of course, any pool in Queensland must be fenced in accordance with current pool safety regulations. We default to glass pool fencing—frameless or semi-frameless—which provides the required safety barrier while maintaining visual openness and avoiding the "caged in" feeling that older-style pool fencing can create.

Low-Maintenance Landscaping: Many narrow-lot owners prefer low-maintenance outdoor spaces—and that's perfectly valid. Paved courtyards, artificial turf, hardy native plantings, and automated irrigation systems can create attractive outdoor areas that don't demand hours of weekend maintenance.

The point is that outdoor living isn't off the table just because your block is compact. It simply requires more intentional design.

Single Storey vs Double Storey: Which Makes Sense?

On a 350 square metre block, you have two fundamental options: build out (single storey) or build up (double storey). Both can work brilliantly, and the right choice depends on your circumstances.

Single Storey Advantages:

• Accessibility: No stairs means easier living for young children, older family members, or anyone with mobility considerations.
• Simpler construction: Single-storey homes are generally more straightforward to build, which can translate to cost efficiencies.
• Connection to outdoors: Living areas can flow directly to outdoor spaces without the separation that stairs create.
• Lower ongoing costs: Less external surface area can mean reduced maintenance and potentially better thermal performance.

Single Storey Considerations:

• Limited floor area: On a small lot with setback requirements, a single storey limits how much floor space you can achieve.
• Less separation: All living happens on one level, which can mean less privacy between zones (though good design can address this).

Double Storey Advantages:

• More floor space: Building up effectively doubles your potential floor area without increasing your land footprint.
• Zoning opportunities: Bedrooms upstairs, living downstairs (or vice versa) creates natural separation between active and quiet zones.
• Views and breezes: Upper levels can capture views and cooling breezes that ground floors miss.
• Street presence: Two-storey homes often have more architectural presence and can feel more substantial.

Double Storey Considerations:

• Stairs: An unavoidable reality that affects accessibility and consumes floor space.
• Construction costs: Two-storey homes typically cost more to build than single-storey equivalents.
• Thermal management: Upper floors can be warmer in summer, requiring good insulation and ventilation design.

For many families building on narrow lots, a double storey home makes the most sense—it's simply the most effective way to achieve adequate living space on a compact footprint. But for downsizers, couples, or those prioritising accessibility, a well-designed single storey can be perfect.

At Homes by Markon, we don't push one option over the other. We help you understand the trade-offs and design whichever approach best suits your block, your budget, and your life.

Efficiency and Value: Getting the Most from Your Build

Throughout this guide, we've touched on efficiency repeatedly—and for good reason. On a narrow lot, efficiency isn't just nice to have; it's essential.

But what does efficiency actually mean in practice?

Efficient Floor Plans: Every square metre of floor space costs money to build and maintain. Efficient design minimises wasted space—long hallways that serve no purpose, oversized rooms that won't be used, awkward corners that become dumping grounds. Instead, spaces are sized appropriately for their function, circulation is streamlined, and every area serves a purpose.

Efficient Construction: Smart design considers how a home will be built, not just how it will look on paper. Straightforward structural systems, standard material sizes, and logical construction sequences all contribute to smoother builds and better value.

Efficient Energy Performance: All our homes are designed and rated to current NatHERS energy-efficiency standards. This means considering orientation, insulation, glazing, shading, and ventilation from the outset—not as afterthoughts. In Queensland, we use white COLORBOND® roofs to reflect heat, and we predominantly build with BlueScope TRUECORE® steel framing for durability and termite resistance. These choices contribute to homes that are more comfortable to live in and more economical to run.

Efficient Use of Budget: Perhaps most importantly, efficiency means allocating your budget to the things that matter most to you. Rather than paying for features you don't need or space you won't use, a custom approach lets you invest in quality where it counts—whether that's a better kitchen, superior insulation, or that plunge pool you've been dreaming about.

This is what we mean by maximum value for dollar spent. It's not about cutting corners or building cheap. It's about building smart—a home that delivers genuine liveability and long-term value without waste.

The Custom Home Journey on a Narrow Lot

If you're considering building on a narrow lot, here's what the journey typically looks like with Homes by Markon:

Discovery and Feasibility: We start by understanding your block, your lifestyle, and your budget. What are the site constraints? What does council require? What do you actually need from your home? This upfront work ensures we're designing something that's achievable and appropriate.

Design and Documentation: Working collaboratively, we develop a floor plan and design that maximises your block's potential. This includes architectural plans, engineering, and energy efficiency reports—all the documentation needed for approvals and construction.

Transparent Pricing: We provide clear, honest pricing with realistic allowances and explicit inclusions. No hidden costs, no "smoke and mirrors." You know what you're getting and what it costs.

Guided Selections: Choosing finishes, fixtures, and fittings can be overwhelming. We guide you through the process, helping you make decisions that suit your style and budget without the stress.

Construction: We build your home with quality checks at every stage, keeping you informed throughout. Our QBCC-licensed team brings decades of experience to every project.

Handover: We walk through your completed home together, addressing any defects, providing documentation and warranties, and ensuring you're confident and comfortable in your new space.

This process works whether you're building a compact single-storey home or a generous double-storey family residence. The principles are the same: understand the site, design for your life, build with quality, and deliver a home you'll love.

Building Your Future on a Compact Block

Brisbane's urban landscape is changing. Narrow lots and small blocks are increasingly the norm in new estates and infill developments across South-East Queensland. For many buyers, these compact sites offer the most accessible path to home ownership in well-located areas.

The question isn't whether you can build a great home on a 350 square metre block—you absolutely can. The question is whether you'll approach it with the right mindset and the right team.

A narrow lot demands more from design. It requires a builder who understands the Small Lot Code, who thinks creatively about light and space, who plans for privacy and storage, and who designs for efficiency rather than excess. It requires someone who sees your compact block not as a limitation, but as an opportunity to create something genuinely tailored to your life.

That's what we do at Homes by Markon. For over 30 years, we've been helping Queensland families build homes that suit their blocks, their budgets, and their futures. We bring curiosity, experience, and attention to detail to every project—because we believe that's what building a home should be about.

If you're considering a narrow-lot build, we'd love to hear from you. Whether you're just starting to explore the idea or you've already secured your block and are ready to design, we're here to help you understand your options and create a home that works.

Tailor a narrow-lot plan with Homes by Markon.

Contact us today to start the conversation.

Phone: +61 7 3153 2000
Email: info@homesbymarkon.com.au
Visit: 20–24 Commerce Drive, Browns Plains, Brisbane
Website: www.markongroup.com.au

Homes by Markon — Building Futures. Creating Spaces That Matter.