| home & garden |
Home Away From Home The ABCs of ADUs by KOURTNEY JASON
ccessory Dwelling Units, also known as ADUs and sometimes called in-law apartments, casitas, or granny flats, are smaller homes located on the same lot as a primary house. They can either be attached to the home or detached as a stand-alone. “You can build a new one or convert an attached or detached garage,” Kathe Russell, chief designer at DreamBuilders Home Remodeling (ourdreambuilder.com), says. Depending on where you live, however, the exact definitions of ADUs can vary. “For example, Sacramento County doesn’t consider a detached guest house without a kitchen an ADU. Also, tiny homes and most homes on wheels aren’t considered ADUs,” she says. Russell has an attached ADU to her primary residence, where her mother-in-law lives. “[The home] has a separate entrance from the exterior (but there’s also a connecting door that can be accessed from our house) and a parking space in our three-car garage that connects to the front porch and entrance. It’s worked out well. She has her independence, and we have our peace of mind,” Russell says. BENEFITS The benefits of having an ADU are increased property value and the potential for rental income. “We’ve seen clients who have also benefited from an ADU by being able to move an aging family member onto their property to care for them,” says Brenna Krouse, a certified interior designer at K Squared Interior Design & Remodeling (ksquaredconstruction.com). Colton Paulhus, co-founder
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and CEO of Anchored Tiny Homes (anchoredtinyhomes.com), says they’re a cost-effective way for grown kids to move back home (without moving back into your home) and avoid buying an unaffordable house and/or paying for a rental. According to Russell, some people use them as a separate home office or rent them out through platforms like Airbnb. With that said, some areas, such as Sacramento County, don’t allow short-term rentals. PERMITS Krouse, Russell, and Paulhus all recommend working with experts if you’re interested in adding an ADU to your property. “Each jurisdiction can be a little different and each parcel can have different challenges related
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to setbacks or HOAs, etc.” Krouse says. “As a general rule of thumb, ADUs can be a maximum of 1,000 square feet and must have a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.” There are also rules for separate exterior access, parking spaces, the height of the structure, the foundation, and setbacks, Russell shares. Says Paulhus: “From
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