Have you dreamed of having a tiny home right outside your own home? Well, you are in luck. Whether you are looking to rent it out or have a place for your aging parents to live, we have put together a quick guide on how to build your own ADU.
Table of Contents
Set Your Budget
The first step is to always set your budget. You don’t want to end up overspending so much that you cant complete your project. A well-thought-out budget will save you time and money.
You can reference an ADU guidebook to help you figure out how to best budget your ADU development.
Design And Plan Your ADU
Once you have your budget set, it’s time to start figuring out how you want your ADU to look. First, you will need to know the different types of ADU’s and the costs associated with them to ensure you stay within your budget. The different types of ADUs are:
- ADUs above a garage or workshop
- Attached ADUs that attach to the primary dwelling
- Basement conversion ADUs
- Detached ADUs that are stand-alone dwellings
- Garage conversion ADUs that are garages made into an ADU
- Internal ADUs that are a part of the interior of the primary home
From there, you can begin working on your design plans to maximize storage and space. The planning aspect will require a more experienced approach because it requires things like:
- Architectural plans
- Electrical drawings
- Plumbing drawings
For this reason, you will need to consider hiring professionals to do these for you.
Build Your ADU
Once you have your plans, you will need to acquire the appropriate permits. After that, you can go about hiring a contractor or beginning the construction yourself.
You will need to acquire all the necessary materials to build the ADU. Many contractors have deals with local suppliers that can make this process easier and cheaper for you.
Furnish Your ADU
Once your ADU is built, you will have to think about what appliances and furniture will fit nicely inside. Remember, you need to maximize space as best as possible, so be sure to buy appliances that have more than one function. For example, a washer and dryer combo machine that acts as two machines but takes up the space of one.
