In recent years, People in the United States have seen a rise in the popularity of backyard apartments, most likely due to growing real estate costs. Bay Area, CA, is no exception! With the average home costing close to a substantial sum and exceeding the expectations of San Francisco Bay Area citizens, it’s understandable why many property owners don’t consider it an ideal opportunity.
The construction of an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) on an existing property is the most suitable alternative. It helps keep families close by and lowers the cost of accommodation. We, as ADU specialists, understand your dilemma of adding a backyard apartment but you aren’t sure if you should. You need to go through some primary reasoning for building a backyard apartment on your Bay Area property to assist you in feeling confident in your logical choice.
Nearly 20,000 backyard apartments were constructed in California before the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic. ADUs are a wise investment for homeowners and have a bright future. You can either provide friends and relatives with a guest room or use it as a rental property to generate passive income.
Installing an accessory dwelling unit is the best option for your backyard apartment, no matter how you will utilize it in the future. Backyard additions offer flexible space optimization and the scope for custom modifications as per your requirements. What kind of backyard apartment is ideal for Bay Area, then? For guidance, refer to the following details.
Different Backyard Apartment Types
You can use an ADU in multiple ways after installing one. A backyard apartment is a great investment possibility that helps create an additional source of income. It may also serve as a temporary or permanent abode for your family or loved ones. And in both cases, it significantly increases the value of your property.
Here are the top three uses for ADUs that are vastly popular among Bay area homeowners:
- Guest House
Converting the backyard apartment on your property as a guest house may be the best option if you enjoy entertaining your friends or frequently have out-of-town guests. A guest apartment may serve the same purpose as a granny flat for visitors who wouldn’t stay there long-term. Your guests would have privacy in a guest house located in your backyard. While they are staying on your property, they will be able to relax completely and feel at home.
Besides, you can also keep your privacy in your existing home. Both transitory and permanent guests would benefit from a guest house. A guest house is usually the best option for keeping privacy for extended stays. It permits guests to go about their everyday business without interfering with the homeowner and his family.
What should be the prerequisites in a backyard guest apartment? You can include a kitchenette, living room, and dining room in the guest home. Any visitors coming from distant places can stay in a master bedroom or any other adjacent room. If you need additional space, you might even build a second level.
- Granny Flat
Several homeowners prefer using their backyard apartment as an additional residence to enable elderly family members live nearby. Giving away the privacy worries many elderly couple. However, their grown children (the homeowners) are concerned for their welfare. They don’t like or allow their elderly parents to live alone or at an old age home. They, rather, ask their aging parents to settle in the newly constructed backyard apartment.
Now, older individuals can have their privacy while still being accessible to a support system which is only feasible in a granny apartment. These newly built ADUs are similar to scaled-down homes with all the amenities of an orderly residence. A comfortable bedroom, a utility bathroom, a living area, and a kitchen are all included in granny flats. They may also have a patio or porch to form an external space.
Additionally, homeowners can install custom-made granny flats. You can include accessibility requirements, such as wheelchair ramps while planning and building such a utility structure.
- Consider as Investment Property
ADUs provide an excellent opportunity to have a passive source of income. Most homeowners decide to let visitors live in their backyard apartments both temporarily and for the long term. The majority of accessory dwelling units in the Bay Area are used as rental properties. In San Francisco, ADUs generally contribute to nearly a quarter of revenue generation through property rentals. A weekend or a few months are typical stays for short-term tenants.
Homeowners may find multiple websites and businesses in Bay Area that support homeowners in finding guests for their backyard accommodations. Tenants can sign a formal lease contract and reside in backyard apartments over the long term. Many young adults, students, and married couples choose to live in ADUs, specially built at backyard property locations.
Normally, leases are for six or twelve months. However, as the proprietor, you are free to define the terms for renting out your backyard apartment on whatever terms you are comfortable with. Nevertheless, not every homeowner should choose this approach. The ADU must adhere to state and municipal requirements to qualify as a legal income alternative.
Land Selection for Backyard Apartments
When creating an ADU in your backyard, the first thing to identify is your primary goal. The ideal location to build your backyard apartment is one which falls at the extreme of your property limit. Here, you may find an opportunity to locate surplus land. An ADU in Bay Area is required to maintain a ceiling of a minimum of 150 square feet and a total of 850 square feet of living space.
The maximum size for your ADU, if it comprises more than one bedroom, should be 1,200 square feet. You should therefore have a property that would enable you to construct an apartment structure of that proportion. Remember that your present residence will also be located on this land.
Important Things to Consider Before Building a Backyard Apartment
Your priority is to familiarize yourself with the zoning rules and restrictions before constructing an ADU. All ADUs in Bay Area must abide by certain laws to qualify as legitimate structures. You can learn from these ordinances to build the backyard apartment of your choice and magnitude. You could look into reputable ADU construction firms as well.
Homeowners benefit from full-service businesses that can manage the legal aspects of accessory dwelling units. These professionals like us will make sure that your backyard structure complies with all applicable regulations and ordinances so that it may be used as a lawful residence.
The last factor you should consider is how you intend to utilize the ADU because that will affect the building’s design and layout. Different specifications apply to backyard ADUs used as second residential versions VS those used as home offices or studios.
Prepare To Create Your Back Yard Apartment in Bay Area
Your backyard apartment is a wise investment for your home addition, regardless of how you utilize it. In the long run, it will increase the amount of usable space on your property. For homeowners, it also presents an investment opportunity. Your ADUs can be completely customized, and you can also design a backyard unit that fits your needs, preferences, and way of life. For homeowners in Bay Area, an addition of backyard apartments brings up a world of opportunities.
Conclusion
You’re prepared to create your backyard apartment now that you are regardful of all the practical explanations for doing so. You can build the ideal living space for your aging parents by converting your ideas into reality. ADU Specialist Bay Area would be delighted to assist you in creating the ideal backyard apartment to suit your needs. Get in touch with us immediately to get the process started!
