As you get older and your kids leave the nest, you might wonder whether you want to stay in your home or move into a more affordable living situation. With an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), you can make both options a possibility. This style gives you an independent facility while allowing you to be close to family. You may even be able to build onto your property and avoid the hassle of putting your house on the market.
This ADU guide will help you make an informed decision about ADU living to see if it’s the right choice for your future endeavors. Explore the various accessory dwelling units we offer at Valley Home Builders and design your custom ADU today.
People move into ADUs to reduce costs and have more accessibility as they age. Instead of settling into a retirement home or moving to a different state, you can stay where you’ve grown your roots while investing in your children and grandchildren’s lives.
You might consider installing an accessory dwelling unit in your house to:
As you get older, you may realize that you don’t need as much property as you did when you had a house full of kids. If you’re overwhelmed by all the cleaning and maintenance that comes with owning a full-sized home, you might consider moving into a new place and starting all over again. Instead, you can stay on your current property in an accessory dwelling unit.
Over the years, it gets harder to go up and down stairs or use the tub in a big house. A typical ADU is one floor, and we’ve built plenty of bathrooms for those who have accessibility issues. In an ADU, you’ll have all the features of your current home — a bathroom, living room, dining area and bedroom — but on a smaller, more manageable scale. You can downsize in place with a home addition by:
Multigenerational living is beneficial for young parents who need help with the kids and grandparents who need affordable housing and a caregiver. An accessory dwelling unit is also known as a “mother-in-law suite” or a “granny house” because it’s an ideal home for grandparents to live in. About 84% of people ages 50 and up would add to their existing home or create a detached residence to care for their loved ones.
Often, middle-aged and elderly homeowners feel the need to move to a more affordable location because they can’t keep up with their monthly payments. If you don’t want to leave your family, you could build onto your property or near your children to maintain your close relationship with them.
Some of the benefits of multigenerational living in an accessory dwelling unit include:
Even in this competitive housing market, you've managed to keep your home in good shape over the years. You must be proud of your investment, and you want to leave it for your children, so they can continue your legacy. However, as you age, you may want to sell your property because it's too big for you to live in by yourself or with your spouse.
If you decide to move into an accessory dwelling unit, you can live in a more affordable living space in your backyard to keep an eye on your house. As a result, you may be able to gift your home to your children when they're ready instead of selling your property to strangers. In addition, an ADU substantially increases property value and provides an incentive for future potential buyers.
To prepare for living in an accessory dwelling unit, you need to create a plan and downsize. Ask your family members to help you sort through your items and pack up your belongings. After you've figured out what you're bringing with you, consider how you want to build your secondary unit and what legal requirements you need to follow.
If you decide that you want to live in an ADU in the next couple of years, you should have a conversation with your children about your plans. Before you move into an accessory dwelling unit, discuss the particulars of your future endeavors to allow your family to get involved.
As you plan, include these essential items:
The hardest but most critical component of downsizing is sorting through your belongings. While you could pass them on to your kids, they might not have the same affection you have toward your mementos.
Follow these tips for downsizing your property:
As you design your custom ADU, be realistic about the amount of space you have and what features you need. Follow these tips for planning the layout of your accessory dwelling unit:
When you move into an accessory dwelling unit, it may be an adjustment, so you should mentally prepare yourself for this change. Even though you'll have less space than you did for the last few decades, you'll appreciate the lower utility bills and easier maintenance to accommodate your lifestyle. As you go from a full-sized house to an ADU, here are some of the benefits you'll experience over the years.
Most builders bring in natural light with several full-sized windows and skylights to make the unit seem more spacious. If you're not used to this much natural light in your home, here are some ADU tips to give your tiny house more privacy:
When you walk into your new accessory dwelling unit, you'll feel like you're walking into a smaller version of your current house. Take advantage of these features you can expect to have in your home:
While you might have had to spend a lot of time and money maintaining your home over the years, you'll be happy to know that accessory dwelling units come with less maintenance. Cleaning and repairing your new home will take a fraction of the time.
An accessory dwelling unit is more energy-efficient than a full-sized house because it takes up less space. Since you use less energy to create a comfortable temperature in your home and power your appliances, you'll save money on energy costs each month on your:
Along with your rent at an assisted living place, you might have to pay extra money for these services, including garbage and recycling pickup. On the other hand, in California, you don't have to use a separate service meter for your new property, so you can save money on installing utilities in your ADU. If you live near your kids, you also won't need to use as much gas driving back and forth.
Your neighbors will make or break your experience in your new home. With an accessory dwelling unit, you can choose the people who live next door to you. Your new home addition puts you in the same neighborhood as your loved ones, which encourages your family to stay in place for centuries.
Even if you're building your accessory dwelling unit for your personal use, you could leave a legacy for your loved ones. The family could use this home for countless generations by:
Whether you decide to use your new ADU as a living space for your parents or adult children or as a home office or workout room for yourself, you can expect it to increase your property value.
Depending on your property and where you are located, this addition may not just add value — it can also help make your home more competitive and improve your resale potential. This is because the space provides additional square footage and can be used for rental opportunities.
Accessory dwelling units are available in various different types, depending on the amount of available land and how much you want to spend. Check out the most popular models to find the best one for your home:
A unit attached to the house is an addition that builders will often install on the back or side. Here are some of the advantages of an attached ADU:
However, keep in mind that it costs more money than a garage or basement conversion. You need enough land on your property to attach a separate living space to your house.
With this option, you have your own house while being within walking distance from your loved ones. A detached accessory dwelling unit is a separate structure from the house, but it's still part of your property. These residences need to be on foundations, such as a concrete slab.
Some of the advantages of a detached ADU include:
As with an attached ADU, you need enough space on your lot for a detached unit. You also need the proper utility lines and parking space, and this configuration is more expensive to maintain and install.
If you have a garage on your property, you can turn it into an accessory dwelling unit. Most homeowners who invest in a garage conversion ADU put the structure on top, so they can use the garage and still have a functional space for their family.
Here are some of the advantages of a garage conversion ADU:
Keep in mind that you'll need to pay more money if you already have an attachment above your garage. You would also need to use the stairs if you live in this space, so this option wouldn't work for you if you have limited physical capabilities.
A basement conversion involves creating a separate living space from an existing basement inside the house. Most of the time, homeowners use this type of ADU for an extra bedroom, such as an office, apartment or studio. If you're going to use this setup as you get older, you'll need a separate entrance.
Take advantage of these benefits of a basement conversion:
Basement conversions don't offer as much additional space as other types. Unless you have a split-level ranch or a house where the basement is ground level, this type of ADU might not be suitable for you as you age because you'll most likely need to take the stairs.
When you are looking for a comprehensive, trustworthy team to handle your ADU project, turn to Valley Home Builders. Our team is made up of experienced designers, architects, craftsmen and project managers.
You can expect our in-house team to be by your side every step of the way. We even offer a customer portal that makes it easy for you to do everything from communicating with project managers to viewing progress photos or videos.
Our design team is here to help you take advantage of all the benefits of ADU living. No matter what your goals are, we can help you achieve the perfect space for your property and applications.
Get started today by scheduling an appointment.
