Dena & Allen: Flexible Options for Family
When we were looking for a new home, we had a wish list: a place for us and our two teenage girls, an ADU for Dena’s mother, a home office, a nice neighborhood, and a reasonable price. But we just weren’t finding anything.
Then, almost by accident, we came across a piece of land for sale that could work. We bought it with plans to simultaneously build a house for themselves and a granny flat for Dena’s mom.
Adding the ADU was important, and doing the two units together cut down on costs. It was important for my mom’s sense of independence to have her own place. Also for us, it was so convenient. Especially after she stopped driving. And, we were thinking ahead, potentially using it as a rental someday.
Now that Dena’s mom has passed, we do in fact rent out the unit. It’s super easy to find a renter — everyone you know is trying to find a space for someone they know. As a landlord you have your pick of who and how to rent. We picked someone we liked to interact with because we knew they would be our next-door neighbor.
“When you actually build something and it takes shape, then you come away with this feeling of pride and success for accomplishing something like that.”
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|---|---|
| Location | Sonoma County |
| ADU Type | Detached |
| Year completed | 2010 |
| Size | 600 square feet |
