Home Visit: Garage Apartment ADU

Facebook Twitter The apartment above the garage can be reached from inside the garage or from an exterior side entrance accessed from the yard it shares with the primary residence. Photo by

Mara Owen

“I see our ADU as something very similar to a student loan,” says Mara Owen. “It’s something you invest in the future with. It was cheaper than buying a house for Mom, and it lets her have

independence. It’s great knowing we can check in on her whenever.”

AH-HA MOMENT: Owen, her partner, Andrew, and their three dogs were sharing a one-bedroom, one-bath house with her mother, Diane. When Owen learned that ADUs were allowed in the city, she

decided the best way to get more space for her small home’s many residents would be to remove their “leaky and defunct” garage and build a new two-car garage with an apartment above it.

WISE ADVICE:  “Get a really great builder and architect,” says Owen. “Interviewing architects was similar to a first date. It’s not just who you feel connected with. That’s important, but

get to the values. It’s a niche market, so see if you can find someone who has built ADUs before, because ADUs are a little different.”

FUTURE PLANS: The stairs to Diane’s apartment are wide enough for a stair lift, if it’s ever needed. The roof was built at the correct slope for the eventual installation of solar panels. 

Design: Hive ArchitectureBuilder: Hive ArchitectureCost to build: $167,000 in 2016

Article from “ADU Case Studies” by Lina Menard on AccessoryDwellings.org and The ABCs of ADUs, by AARP Livable Communities. 

links to more articles and to order AARP's free publications about accessory dwelling units.  

More from AARP.org/Livable

 Use the dropdown to choose a livability topic.

Select a Subject Select a Subject AARP.org/Livable Home Page AARP Age-Friendly Network AARP Community Challenge AARP Livable Communities Newsletter AARP Livable Map Bicycling Community

Engagement Community Health and Wellness Community Resilience Community Diversity Economic Development High-Speed Internet Access Housing Inspiring Examples Livable Lessons Local Solutions

Placemaking Public Places and Outdoor Spaces Rural Livability Social Participation Surveys and Statistics Transportation Walkability Workshops and Conferences Zoning and Land Use Unlock

Access to AARP Members Edition

Join AARP to Continue Already a Member? Login

AARP NEWSLETTERS

%{ newsLetterPromoText  }%

%{ description }%

Privacy Hub