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The Benefits of ADUs: Why do You Need One?


The Benefits of ADUs: Why do You Need One?

In 2019, Jake Ryan landed a job in the Silicon Valley and had to move cross country to work for a startup. While he did find a housing option (on rent), he figured out that in the long term, he would need to get a place of his own, which is economical and offers an easy commute to and from his workplace.


And that’s when he figured out the benefits of Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs.


As luck would have it, the odds were in his favor. Here’s why:

● In 2016, San Francisco's Accessory Dwelling Unit Program became available Citywide to all zoning districts that permit residential use.

● In 2017, California had already stripped away some of the obstacles that had prevented homeowners from turning their garages into mini apartments, or building small residential structures in their backyard.

In January 2020, California implemented new laws that govern ADUs statewide, allowing ADUs to be added to Single- and Multi-Family buildings.

● About 100,000 ADUs are being built every year, according to a 2021 analysis.


What is an ADU?


ADUs are independent residential units, located in the same place as a single-family home or an additional dwelling that uses underutilized spaces. Also known as granny flat, an in-law unit, guest house, or cottage, the most common ADU conversion in San Francisco is a first-floor garage space.


Today, ADUs are quite commonplace in California, as depicted in this map from ADU California.


What are the immediate benefits of ADUs?


  1. Low Cost Living - Investing in ADUs gives you greater ROI. For a fraction of the price of buying a house in an expensive neighborhood, say, in the Bay area, you only need to construct a unit and get the same comfort of a home. Best, it’s highly customizable too. So, you don’t need to burn a hole in the pocket to ‘own a space of your own’, wherever you want.

  2. Flexible Housing Option - When you build an ADU, it’ll not only serve as a housing unit, but will also lend help through different stages of your life. The unit that starts as an office space can also work as a guesthouse at a later point. Or, it can act as a supplemental income source, allowing you to increase the size of your living space without moving. It becomes a space where your dreams can take shape.

  3. Simple and Clean Construction- We firmly believe that construction of ADUs should be kept simple, clean, and intuitive. This is the same reason why we’ve introduced high-end modular interlocking components, which require little pre-assembly and can be built on the premises by local builders.

  4. Highly Sustainable - ADUs have changed the housing game altogether mainly because of their sustainable nature. At FormX, we’re proud of creating high-insulation ADUs constructed from 100% recyclable materials and include off-the-grid solar panels and batteries. They help local builders save resources and involve a zero-waste building process. The construction on-site is noiseless. And these are just a handful of pointers that add to the increasing popularity of ADUs.


The Wrap

With such a vivid array of advantages provided by ADUs, it’s a given that they’re going to become more prevalent in the near future. They may look compact, but the value that these living units provide goes way beyond your imagination! Want to invest in ADUs befitting all your requirements? Let’s talk!

1 Comment


aussieum1
Sep 19

Can you connect these to a house? Like one for my elderly Father to be in like a NextGen suite ?

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