What Is an ADU and Why Do You Want One?

In the old days, prospective guesthouses needed expensive plans custom-designed by an architect or builder. Not these days, since the tiny house movement has created a market in which builders compete to sell you reasonably-priced, prefab homes in a variety of styles from the sleek Kithaus to a shingled Ideabox.

Want to list your little backyard home on a short-term rental site or rent to a long-term resident? The money you make can cover your mortgage on the whole property, according to the just-published Backdoor Revolution by ADU-dweller Kol Peterson.

Want to have your parents live where you can easily assist them—or where they can help with childcare? Need a space for visiting relatives to sleep, but not be underfoot? Want to offer a sibling or college-age child a way to pay affordable rent in a safe neighborhood? An ADU is the answer.

Make sure to have all the necessary permits in place, and then any additional square footage in your ADU is added to your total living space, which adds to your house’s price when you sell or refinance.

Possibly the most fun part of developing ADUs is the opportunity to channel your inner Joanna Gaines without having to leave home. You’ll get to incorporate popular features like lofted ceilings, open sight lines and space-saving pocket doors. If you’re decorating, you can browse the spate of new small-space collections from quality sources including West Elm and Pottery Barn.