As the rhythm of life changes and children grow into independent adults, many empty nesters find themselves facing a new chapter filled with possibilities. Amidst this transition, a growing trend emerges – the desire to downsize into Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Penny and Chris have always been intrepid travelers, and their lifestyle in retirement will be no different. Together with their financial planner they devised a retirement scheme with a pivotal piece: building an ADU in the backyard of their Mill Valley home. Their plan would allow them to travel whenever they want with the flex ..read more

Throughout our journey in supporting homeowners who are building Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), we witness a compelling narrative of family support that resonates strongly in California as the state explores innovative approaches to enhance connectedness and affordability through ADUs, fostering a return to multigenerational living. This echoes the communal lifestyle prevalent in our nation before he 1950's, prior to the advent of the single-family home area. It is estimated that 66.7 million adults ages 18+ in the U.S. are living in a multigenerational household; that’s more than 1 in 4 Am ..read more

What is this ADU going to cost, and can I afford it is one of the biggest questions a homeowner faces when taking on a potential construction and/or renovation project. In this post, we'll explore the best strategy for making sure your new dwelling unit is one you can afford! To start, some jurisdictions have created ADU pricing calculators to help you get a sense of the potential costs to build. These tools are designed to help provide a very rough estimate of the costs to build an ADU based on information such as the size of the unit, whether you are building a new unit or converting an exi ..read more

There are many things to weigh when adding an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to your property. In this post, we'll explore the choices you have when it comes to providing power, water, and sewer to your new dwelling unit. We will touch on how some of the costs depend on if you want to have your ADU’s utilities separately metered or connected directly to the mains that run to the house. We will also discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Four main factors need to be considered when making this decision: cost, timeline, planned use for the unit, and convenience as a lan ..read more

Several options exist when adding an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to your property. In this post, we'll explore the three main types of ADUs: Attached, Detached, and Conversion. Then, we'll outline the benefits and disadvantages of each type to help you make an informed decision. Attached unit over the garage Attached Attaching a new addition to the home can be an effective way to create an ADU that is separate from the primary living areas of the home. This type of ADU can add square footage to the home, maximize outdoor space and provide a separate entrance for the occupants. Benefits: It ..read more

ADU Financing Strategies When planning an ADU project, there are several financing options to consider, and the right one depends on factors such as home location, credit score, income, existing debt and available home equity. While there are several different financing strategies, below are the most commonly utilized by homeowners who we have worked with. Cash-Out Refinance Allows you to access equity in your by refinancing your existing mortgage. The money that you access from your available equity is combined into one new mortgage. You pay monthly payments of Interest and Principal each mo ..read more

Tip #1: Plan for Permits It's important to consider the permitting process early in your ADU or JADU project. Permits are required before you can start building, and the process can take several weeks or even months, depending on your jurisdiction. Also, remember that permit and development impact fees into your cost for design and construction. In addition to the basic fees for filling building and planning permit applications, property owners may be charged various other fees, such as road and school impact fees, special traffic mitigation fees that apply in certain areas, sewer and water c ..read more

"After years of watching our son struggle to make ends meet as a teacher in the Bay Area, we could never have imagined that a solution might be right in our own backyard. When the laws started to change, my husband and I realized that we might have the space and now the opportunity to utilize our large yard to create an affordable place for our son to live and continue to pursue his passion for teaching. But the process still scared us. We had no idea where to start. We got mixed messages from the County staff about what we could do and were not getting calls back from professionals. Thank you ..read more

We did a feasibility assessment in Castro Valley today where a question came up about setbacks from the main house and other structures on the property, including a pool! Alameda County requires an 8 foot setback from the main residence, which can only be reduced to make room for the state exemption ADU which is up to 800sf. Other structures on the property, however, like this greenhouse and pool require a setback of 6 feet. TIP: Setbacks very by jurisdiction so check in with your Building Department to see if their requirements are the same ..read more