Deb Ray, owner of Music Bizarre on Magellan Street has a vision of seeing more shop top housing in the Lismore CBD, bringing more life into the town centre.

So, she decided to do something about it. After year of planning and renovating, she turned a storage area on top of her shop into a self-contained one bedroom apartment.

Not surprisingly, with such a shortage of available rentals at the moment, she had a list of people keen to rent it out before it was even finished.

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“We have a housing here and need more accommodation – and there’s more than enough office space being rented out,” Deb said. “There’s also a lot of space above shops that is not being utilised and we and we need more single person housing options.”

Deb wants to see more people create shop top housing in the CBD, especially considering that the demographics of who is coming to live in Lismore have changed.

“We have more people moving up from the cities and they have different expectations - like CBD living, arts, dining and entertainment,” she said.

“Shop top housing is great for professionals. It’s low maintenance, brand new and conveniently close to town, especially if you don’t have a vehicle.

“I talk to the hospital and there are doctors there who come here and they don’t want a house with a garden they have to look after.

“People also want secure accommodation for when they are not there for periods of time. Even if it floods, they won’t lose furniture or equipment.”

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The new flat is located right in the CBD, near cafes, shops and restaurants and the Back Alley Galley.

There’s a big open plan kitchen and living space with lots of light and high ceilings. The bathroom and bedroom have been carefully designed to let in lots of natural light.

Its something Deb is proud of – from decorating it, to putting in a staircase so the flat has its own entrance.

Deb sees creating her shop top flat as a safe and solid investment, and not a big expense when she looks at it as a long term investment.

“People might think apartments are expensive, but houses are not ideal for everybody and people always need somewhere to live,” she said.

“The more we make these funky living spaces above shops, we more we also make the CBD safer and better for all of us.

“It mean we have more people around at all times of day and it makes the CBD a friendly, lively space.

“It also encourages more businesses to start up evening wine bars or spaces with activities.”