I have long been obsessed with discovering how people live in small spaces. One year for my birthday, I dragged my husband and four young children to the RV show at the convention center in Boston. And I wasn’t even really in the market for an RV. I thought the kids would enjoy popping into all these little dwellings, but they really weren’t. And soon enough my kids were on the sidelines holding soft pretzels and popcorn while my then-husband drank a beer. They were just waiting me out.
And don’t even get me started on house boats! Along the marsh side of Ipswich, the landscape is just littered with them. Some of them completely homemade—just a shed on a raft made with old oil tanks welded together. And others look like they belong on a lake in the Midwest—kind of kitschy and cool in a tri-level, 1960’s type of way. And still others look like full throttle homes – with gingerbread detailing, generators, kitchens, and a large back deck. Do their sheets get damp at night, I wonder? Do their kids wear life preservers just all the time? Would you feel cooped up if you were on it for a weekend, even with the views?
I digress, but you can now imagine my excitement when Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) became a hot topic in Massachusetts. Starting this February, recent legislation will allow all single-family homes to build one, if they meet the requirements. Hey, that’s right around the corner! Undoubtedly, there are still more questions than answers on how this will all pan out, and I can’t begin to shed any light on the policy end of things, but I can on their design and construction. I mean, it’s almost like having a houseboat in your backyard, right?
But let me first qualify that by saying that ADU’s can be lots of things. In my head I always think of them as cute little freestanding units, but they don’t have to be that. They can be accessory apartments, in-law suites, granny flats, a basement or garage conversion, or an attached addition to your existing home. They are related to the Affordable Homes Act and are meant to provide relief to the housing shortage. They can’t be more than 900 square feet, and they are not to be used for short-term rentals. Other states have used them, California most notably, and have found them to be successful so their popularity is spreading.
This will be welcome news for you homeowner’s that have had to carefully refer to that additional space in your basement as an in-law or an au-pair suite. Yup, you could have them, but zoning prevented you from ever renting them. But don’t start writing that Zillow listing yet. Make sure you understand what’s involved with getting an occupancy permit for that rental. Safety standards must be adhered to, especially the need for two egresses which can trip-up some existing basement or attic apartments.
As a designer, I’ve worked on building out small spaces more and more in recent years. They are fun to work on, in a sudoku-puzzle sort of way, because they can be tricky for sure. I can sneak bed space in easily enough, but kitchens and bathrooms are more challenging. And I guess my biggest take-away from that experience is that you are actually building a house. It may be a small house, but it’s still a house.
So, all the sub-contractors you need for a full-sized house, (plumbing, sewer, electric, HVAC, insulation, roofing, siding, etc.) you will still need for this cute, little, it’s-no-big-deal, it’s-practically-a-shed, ADU. And because of this, they are surprisingly expensive to build. So, it sometimes comes down to, how bad do you want it? Because even though it sounds fun and easy, you may be surprised by how long it will take for that rental income to offset the construction costs.
But everyone’s situation is different. Maybe you are an empty-nester, and you are the one who will be living in the ADU while renting your larger home, which will in turn pay for your warm weather escape down south. Or maybe your young family has grown to the point that you absolutely need an ADU to use as a home office for now but will rent it down the road. All that sheds a new light on your ADU financials.
Are there lower cost alternatives? Well, ADU’s are a hot topic on the internet, and for a low investment you can buy yourself a set of plans suitable for permitting. You’ll of course need to be an intrepid do-it-yourselfer, and it’s not something I would take on. But some of you will … and will undoubtedly succeed.
Also, there are prefab options. They run the gamut on cost and on how much is included. For instance, some of the larger shed companies are promoting their wares as ADU’s. But many of those come as just a framed shell (otherwise known as a shed,) so once again there’s still lots of work involved with getting it up and running.
But keep googling, because they also sell these ready-to-assemble kits. You can even buy them from Amazon or Wayfair, and their computer-generated pics make them look ok, I guess. But for my money, here in New England, I would buy something sturdy. I would probably choose a reputable, prefabricated company that guarantees an airtight finished product, complete with a kitchen and bath. No kits for me, I would want it turn-key and ready to go. Luckily there are plenty of those companies to choose from.
And let’s quickly talk about prefab homes, because I think they get an undeserved bad rap. True they once represented the cheapest way to put up cookie-cutter house after cookie-cutter house. But many companies have come a long way—you just have to find the right ones. Their designs can be varied and well-thought out. And there is something to be said (especially in New England) for building the bulk of your home in a controlled, indoor environment with craftsmen that do nothing but work on these particular houses all day long. Plus, they are in a position to negotiate good prices for their supplies and many of them use environmentally friendly products.
The turnkey, prefab ADU’s come in all shapes and sizes. From shingled New England-style to Scandinavian-style A-frames, to some that are just made of glass and steel. You just have to figure out what’s right for you. Additionally, try looking up “prefab park models.” It’s an interesting little niche market of companies building cottage/cabins for campgrounds and national parks.
But all that said, the question still remains, will a prefab unit be cheaper than one that is stick-built? Well, by the time you use a reputable prefab company, do the site work, get it installed, and hook it up to all its services? I guess I would tend to say, usually yes—it will be a little less expensive. But probably not the savings you anticipated. Because at the end of the day, you are building a house. It may be a small house, but it’s still a house.
And by the way, if anyone hears about an ADU expo at the convention center, please let me know. I’d be all-in. And if I see you there, I’ll spring for the popcorn and beer.
Jennifer Coles is a local interior designer www.colescoloranddesign.com instagram: coles_color_and_design
