An accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) also referred to as a secondary or Granny unit are small structures constructed on an existing property, having all facilities (bedroom, kitchen, living area, bathroom, parking space) and privacy of a single family house. An ADU can be an extension to the main single family house or can be constructed separately in the backyard etcetera.
Types of ADUs:
- Interior ADUs: you can change your Basement or Attic into a secondary unit.
- Detached ADUs: these are Constructed as a separate smaller unit on the existing property in the backyard or any other empty space.
- Attached ADUs: these are Constructed as an extension to the main building in the front or on the backside.
- Garage ADUs: you can convert your garage into an ADU
Cost-effective;
ADUs are relatively affordable for millennials as constructing an ADU costs around $80,000 to $100,000 which is way cheaper than getting a new single family house. Buying a new single family house in Cupertino CA can cost up to $200,000.
Why construct an ADU on your property
- Increases value of your property: Constructing a secondary unit significantly increases the value of your property.
- An extra source of income: you can rent your ADU and it can be an easy extra source of income.
- Can give it to your adult children to keep them close: if you have adult children who can’t afford their own house for time being, you can give your ADU to help ad keep them close.
- It can use as a guest room: you can use it as a guest room and it will give privacy to you as well as your guests.
ADUs an Answer to Housing Crisis:
The bill passed on ADUs in state of California revolutionized the housing forever and now other states (Washington DC particularly) are contemplating the idea of passing the same type of bills regarding affordable housing. ADUs are the answer to all the housing problems in major states as US is facing shortage of affordable housing. Accessory Dwelling units are especially popular in Cupertino as it is called the heart of Silicon Valley and buying a single-family house here is almost impossible for a middle income family.
Rules and Development standards for ADUs:
- Only one ADU is allowed per single family house and two for a multifamily house. An exception is JADU (Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit) which is a secondary dwelling that doesn’t exceed 500 square feet area. A single property can have 1 ADU and 1 JADU.
- The maximum allowed size for an ADU is 1200 square feet.
- ADU can’t be constructed in a way that it turns a single story building into multistory building i.e. it can’t be constructed as a first or second floor over the primary house.
To get an ADU constructed on your property you need a professional and experienced construction company that is familiar with all the standards of constructing an Accessory Dwelling Unit in Cupertino. Breakthrough Builders have a vast experience in construction of ADUs
