It’s almost been exactly a year and Backyard ADUs is excited to return with a brand new Portland, Maine, live project update! Once again we are keeping this journal entry to update you each step of the way, from feasibility to fruition. This time around we are highlighting a unique project that breaks the mold of what many think of when it comes to reasons for building an ADU. Yes, we often build small homes in backyards for aging parents or children with disabilities or families who want to generate rental income but this time we are building a 400 square foot attached ADU for the homeowners ..read more

So you have decided you want to build. After potentially months (or longer) doing your own research, considering various design options and builders, looking into red tape, and figuring out finances, suddenly you may feel like the whole process is overwhelming. We hear this time and time again. Luckily, it’s our job to take a lot of that weight off your shoulders and support you in making that small home dream happen. Curious the process to build with us? Here are the steps to make it happen. Step 1: Acquire Land Before you can start building, of course, you are going to need a spot to build ..read more

There are numerous reasons why downsizing to a smaller home or ADU might make sense for you. From empty nesters who feel that 2,000+ square feet is just too much space without the kids around, to folks who want to travel without a large mortgage and housing footprint to worry about, every reason to explore this change is completely valid. However, when making this shift,  there are often fears or misconceptions about what it will be like to live in a smaller home.  Most commonly, when sharing the footprint of our small homes – which average between 500 to 900 square feet – we are me ..read more

First, let’s look at how we are different from typical home builders. We Build Small. Our largest dwelling unit to date has measured in at 1314 sq ft in conditioned space and had 3 bedrooms. The average size dwelling unit in the US in 2022 was 2310 sq ft and has 4 bedrooms. Smaller is better. They use less carbon-intensive materials, use less energy to operate, and are cheaper to build. We Build Smart While we are loosely tied to the “tiny home” movement, we do not actually build “tiny homes”. Our homes are designed to have all of the amenities of a large home in a smaller, better-designe ..read more

Well, let’s face it. ADUs (accessory dwelling units) are becoming a trend in themselves; not to mention, the overall desire for smaller homes. The housing crisis, driven by continued high monthly rental costs and high prices of already existing homes, has people looking for other options and ADUs seem to be one great solution. With the new year in full swing, Backyard ADUs decided to take a look at some of the trends that we think you will see when it comes to ADUs going forward in 2023. Here are our top 8 when considering planning, design, construction and everything in between. Lower Inter ..read more

But- How do you pay for it? Here are ways we've helped past clients pay for their small homes, the post below provides an overview of financing options available for small homes in Maine and Massachusetts. Backyard ADUs do not represent any products mentioned below and our real estate finance experts are available to consult with homeowners on financing options. Cash Use funds from a savings account, CD, money market, checking account, or from an individual investment account. Fannie Mae Construction Loan: “Home Style Renovation” This can provide 30-year financing at a low mortgage rate wit ..read more

Based on Backyard ADU Live Video on November 7, 2020. If you would like to see the original video you can do so to the right. Here at Backyard ADUs we are doing a really cool project in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. It’s our first ski/vacation cabin project and it’s located just below the access road to Sugarloaf Ski and Summer Resort.   At the time of this writing we’re currently in the process of evaluating two very small pieces of land that each have one existing cabin on them, right on Carrabassett stream. Snapshot from FB Live: Two existing cabins This is a really great opportu ..read more

Transcript from Facebook Live Video on November 11, 2020 If you would like to see the original video you can do so to the right. Chris: Hey everybody, Chris Lee here, with backyard ADUs. I am onsite in Whately, Massachusetts, where we are building yet another backyard home. In this case, the ADU is again for a family. The homeowners are building an extra space, for his brother. The really neat thing about this one is we're poolside and I will show you, we are building the house is right here. We're putting in the insulated concrete forms, but over that fence, you can see the pool. This ..read more

  Amherst Massachusetts is a GREAT city for backyard tiny homes (aka detached ADUs). The cities zoning regulations give homeowners a great set of tools to build in their backyards to create space for family, an income-producing rental or even sell the right to build in unused yard space and get a lump sum of cash. In March, we were welcomed by the Amherst Senior Center to present to city’s residents. The attendees had great questions allowing us to go super deep into developing backyard tiny homes in Amherst. This video covers many aspects about backyard tiny homes: Construction techniq ..read more

A ..read more