ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, have been gaining popularity in recent years as a way to add extra living space to a property. However, there are still some people who oppose ADUs in their neighborhoods from both homeowners and the surrounding community.
This is because there’s been a lot of confusion about ADUs—also known as mother-in-law apartments, granny flats, or backyard cottages. Many people don’t realize they can build an ADU on their property, or they think that ADUs are expensive and difficult to construct.
We’ve also heard some concerns from our clients worried that their community might oppose the construction of their ADU. Thankfully, there are ways to alleviate this opposition. By working with an experienced developer that helps not only build your unit but also ensures that you abide by your community standards, you can get your ADU approved without any problems.
When booking a consultation with us here at ADU.Works, our goal is to make sure that our models and build process fits your requirements. Then after setting a free site visit, our in-house permit technician immediately does his initial research about the rules and regulations of your jurisdiction concerning ADUs – making several calls and e-mails to your area’s planning and building department. This is so by the time we present our 2nd demo, we’ll be able to configure our proposal accurately and give you a transparent briefing about all the documents and approvals we’ll need to undergo. We want to make sure that your entire customer journey with us becomes a smooth, streamlined, and truthful process.
ADUs indeed have a lot of benefits to homeowners – including increased property values, extra income, and more space for friends and family. However, there are still some misconceptions about ADUs that need to be addressed. Today we’ll list down four of the most common myths and give some clarity to it.
1. ADU Homeowners exhaust the resources of the community.
ADUs have gotten a bad rap in recent years, with many people believing that they use too much resources from the surrounding community. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, ADU residents are actually some of the biggest supporters of their community. They pay taxes that go towards supporting and improving infrastructure, schools, and parks. They also buy goods and services from local businesses, helping to keep employment levels stable and money circulating within the community. This was borne out by a UC Berkeley study, which found that ADUs actually contribute to the vibrancy of a community and improve the lives of its residents.
Contrary to the common myth, ADUs help to support the very infrastructure and services that make communities livable and attractive places to live. These secondary units are actually a key part of keeping communities healthy and thriving.
2. ADUs cause congestion in communities.
As accessory dwelling units have been getting a lot of attention lately as a potential solution to the housing crisis, there are some who claim that ADUs will cause overcrowding. In fact, the opposite is true. ADUs are actually a type of infill development, which is widely considered to be a much more sustainable way to grow cities than urban sprawl by:
- Making more efficient use of extra space – developing unused land in already developed areas means that we don’t have to use up valuable resources like farmland or green space.
- Revitalizing neighborhoods – when done correctly, infill development can help to improve the quality of life in a neighborhood by creating new jobs and businesses.
- Being more financially feasible – developing vacant lots in already developed areas is usually cheaper than building on undeveloped land, since infrastructure like roads and utilities already exist.
Another reason why ADUs are a better solution to population growth than urban sprawl is that they help to create more walkable and livable communities. ADUs provide an opportunity for people to live closer to where they work and play, which reduces reliance on cars and helps to create a sense of community.
So, if you’re concerned about overcrowding, ADUs are clearly not the problem. In fact, they’re part of the solution.
3. ADUs affect the environment negatively.
This myth that ADUs create “heat islands” is based on the idea that ADUs are built close together and therefore don’t allow for adequate ventilation or cooling. However, the facts show that ADUs are usually smaller than the average single-family home, but they still provide all the necessities for comfortable living.
As mentioned earlier, ADUs are a type of In-fill development. This means that these projects are usually designed to be compact and built in underutilized space; converting unused into homes or offices. This allows people to walk or bike to their destination rather than drive which in turn, reduces pollution and traffic congestion.
Moreover, all ADU models of ADU.Works are equipped with solar panels and are inclusive of Energy-Star rated appliances. The mentioned ADU builder also values window placement which maximizes the use of daylight and the open space layout. This ultimately makes your ADU not only environmentally sustainable, but also decreases your utility costs – saving you money in the long run.
You can download the complete specification sheet of all ADU.Works Maverick Models by entering your e-mail address in this link here.
4. ADUs cause long, expensive, and bothersome construction.
While this may be true for traditional ADU contractors, there are plenty of off-site ADU Builders in California wherein they build your units in factories/off-site stations and simply deliver it to your location as one entire piece. Though that may seem to be beneficial and it does solve the problem, this modular-type of method usually requires large equipment like cranes and huge trucks to enter your neighborhood which may pose a challenge logistically.
To find a better build, ADU.Works innovated their construction process by using their own hybrid-build setup. This is where the utilization of all their 3 Innovative Factors comes into play – the Helical piles, Structural Insulated Panel (SIPs), and Pre-Engineered plan sets. This doesn’t only make it easier for the homeowner but makes the overall build process easier.
Based on the plan sets, ADU.Works manufactures their SIPs off-site while they conduct the Helical Piles installations in your property which only requires minimal excavation and only takes an estimate of 3 days to finish without the use of large and heavy-equipment. This is a far comparison from the traditional concrete slab method where it takes around 21-28 days.
Once the SIPs are done, these are then delivered to your property for an on-site assembly and utility tie-ins which only takes an estimate of 45 days or even lesser to complete. In contrast, stick-built framing methods take an estimate of 90-120 days of on-site construction.
Conclusion
As it turns out, ADUs have been shown to have a positive effect on communities. They provide an extra source of income for homeowners, and they also help to increase the density of a community, which can lead to a more vibrant and diverse community. ADUs also help to reduce traffic in a community, as they provide an alternative to driving to work or school. Lastly, ADUs can also help create a sense of community by providing a place for people to gather and interact – giving them an important role in making a community better.
If you’re interested in a quick but comprehensive demo, please don’t hesitate to book a consultation with us or give us a quick call through our number +1 (650) 227-4810. Our team looks forward to hearing from you.