Bene ts of Accessory Dwelling Units

ANaccessory dwelling unit is a really simple and old idea: having a second small dwelling right on the same grounds (or attached to) your regular single-family house, such as:

• an apartment over the garage • a modular house (on a foundation) in the backyard • a basement apartment

Regardless of its physical form, legally an ADU is part of the same property as the main home. It cannot be bought or sold separately, as a condominium or a dwelling on wheels might be. The owner of the ADU is the owner of the main home.

Though accessory dwellings are not a new idea (think of the carriage houses you see in fi ne old Vancouver homes), they fell out of favour in the middle of the 20th century. Now, however, they’re coming back, and they have lots of names. Planners call them ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), but they’re also known as granny fl ats, inlaw suites, laneway houses, secondary dwelling units, etc.

People build them for lots of reasons, but some of the most common is to generate income via rent, create additional space for artistic endeavours, a workshop, a yoga studio, or maybe house a family member.

Flexibility in housing makes sense for environmental, lifestyle, and fi nancial reasons. If you have a reasonably sized house, and a smaller-sized ADU, you’ll have several options along with some social benefi ts as well. You could have your best friend, your mother, or your grown kid, live with you. This kind of fl exibility and informal support could really help as our population ages.

Here are 10 ways an ADU can support you in your retirement:

1 Create Housing Flexibility:

Live in either your primary residence or your ADU, selecting the housing type best suited to your current space and accessibility needs, and swapping as needed.

Throughout your lifetime your ADU could serve as an offi ce, a guest house, or a short- or long-term rental.

2 Live Close to Family:

Coordinate with your grown children so you live in one unit and they (and potentially their children) live in the other. Support each other in daily life, which may include: childcare, grocery shopping, home repairs, cooking, gardening, companionship, etc.

3 Age In Place: Design an ADU for accessibility so you can age in place in the community you already know and love.

4 Secure Additional Income from a Long-Term Rental:

Rent out either your ADU or your primary dwelling, securing additional income to supplement your fi xed retirement income from Social

Security, pension, and savings.

Rental income will likely keep up with infl ation better than your fi xed income and could enable you to remain on your

5 Host Friends & Family:

Make your ADU a guest suite, providing a place for friends and family to stay nearby without them being underfoot during their visit.

6 Rent Short-Term: If your community allows it, you could also rent your ADU shortterm, meeting new people from around the world, while bringing in additional income.

7 Downsize to Maximize Your

Time & Energy: Downsize into your ADU, reducing the costs, time, and energy of maintaining a larger household.

8 Have a Caretaker Nearby:

Live in either your ADU or your primary dwelling and offer the other to a caretaker, friend, or family member who can provide support, companionship, and (potentially) rental income, enabling you to retain your independence as long as possible.

9 Increase Your Property’s

Value: Take comfort in knowing that you’ve likely increased the value of your property so that when the time comes to sell or pass it on to your children your property is a more valuable asset than it was before you created your ADU.

10 Travel With Your ADU as

Home Base: Rent out your primary dwelling long-term and make your ADU your home base, while travelling the world.

For more information on local bylaws and how you can have an energy-effi cient and affordable ADU installed on your property here on the Sunshine Coast, contact EcoFab Modular homes. ( see the ad on the page 31)