The Exploding Popularity of ADUs & DADUs
Who doesn’t want an extra space for guests or an exercise room, a new home office or a rental property? We all do! That’s why ADUs & DADUs are in greater demand now more than ever. Homebuyers increasingly are adding ADUs to their list of must-haves. They’re willing to pay more for the extra space and income generating possibilities.
What is an ADU, you may ask? ADU stands for “accessory dwelling unit” which is a separate living space within a home or on the same property. A garage or basement apartment would be an ADU. A DADU is a “detached accessory dwelling unit.” It can be a tiny house or small structure built on the same property as the primary home but detached from it. Typically, they’re under 800 square foot.
There’s really nothing new about ADUs. Remember Fonzie’s apartment above the Cunningham’s garage on Happy Days? That was an ADU. ADUs and DADUs have been steadily growing in popularity but the pandemic’s causing a nationwide boom. This past July, Freddie Mac released a study indicating there are at least 1.4 million ADUs in the US.
Because of Covid, parents who thought their kids had flown the coop are now finding their adult children returning home indefinitely. Many of those parents had downsized and are finding their existing homes aren’t equipped to house extra family long term.
This trend is also a good solution in heavily populated cities where housing is unaffordable and scarce, like San Francisco. Fortunately many cities including San Francisco are loosening zoning rules around ADUs and making it easier for homeowners to build them. An advantage of DADUs is that they’re much less stressful on a homeowner than adding an addition which can be messy and time-consuming. Typically DADUs are built in factories and hauled to your property. If you’re handy, you can buy kits online and assemble them yourself.
If you’re feeling Yahoo for a DADU and are interested in adding one to your property, you’ll need to make sure your property is zoned properly and get a building permit.