When it comes to designing a home, you want to achieve a certain look and feel – and at the same time. You want to provide your family with the proper amount of space. For example, if you’re living in a house that is nicely designed with natural light and natural ventilation. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Dutch-style house with papered walls and elaborate fireplace mantles. If you’re looking to build an accessory dwelling unit, you can accomplish this by combining two existing structures and creating a new structure. In this article, we’ll tell you how to build an accessory dwelling unit, including design details, materials, and costs. Read on to know more.
01. Attic Apartment
Before you begin construction on an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), you need to research the availability of space in attics and cellars. These are usually located at the bottom of houses, and they tend to fill up quickly. If you’re building an ADU in a home, you may want to include an attic apartment as part of the design. This way, you can have enough space for a bedroom and kitchen, and not worry about the space getting too full in the future.
Depending on the size of your house, you may be able to fit one to two rooms in an attic apartment. In addition, you can also fit a couch and a close-able table into one room. You may want to consider adding a bed in the future to avoid taking up too much space.
02. Basement Apartment
Add another floor to your home and you have a lower-cost basement apartment. This is one of the most affordable ways to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). A basement apartment is often used as a vacation home. It can be great when you have the space and funding for multiple vacation rentals.
There are a few types of basement apartments available. Some people use a skylight to create an exposed-brick floor, while others use a wall of windows. The advantage of a skylight is that it’s low-cost and will allow you to build your home directly in the sun instead of spending thousands on powerful overhead light fixtures. The advantage of a wall of windows is that they’re high-cost, and they’re needed for the sun to shine.
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03. Secondary Dwelling Unit
Another way to create it is with a bedroom/bath combo. If you’re looking to create a home in your backyard that offers tons of space. But is also a charming dwelling unit full of character, which you may want to check out. This quaint little cottage is on a hill in the field outside your home.
This house is less than 100 feet from the garage and has plenty of room for all your gardening, herb growing, and furniture needs. The kitchen is huge, with a breakfast table that can seat six, a refrigerator/freezer, and a stove/oven. The bedroom is large and has plenty of space for a king-sized bed and hardwood floors. The bathroom is small (only measuring about 42 inches by 26 inches), but well-utilized.
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04. Garage Conversion
Add a garage to your home and you have a low-cost accessory unit. This is often found in elderly homes or commercial properties. It’s a great way to create a charming home in your backyard. The downside of this type of house is that it’s low-cost and requires a significant amount of construction. You’ll need to secure the property, pay for the upgrades (like a new roof or garage), and begin the process of construction.
If you’re building it in your garage. You may want to try this adorable little cottage on a hill in the field outside your house. It’s perfect for a low-cost garage accessory unit.
05. Garden Cottage
If you’re looking to build it in your garden, this adorable little cottage is the perfect solution. This earthen cottage was designed by the same architect who designed the house on your house lot. It fits the basic requirements of a basic dwelling unit, such as a single room, a one-car garage, and a closet.
The downside of this cottage is that it’s not attached to the house. So you won’t be able to use it as a guest house or store it in the garage. You might want to consider a larger, mobile home-style home instead, though.
06. Granny Flat
This is one of the most affordable ways to build it. A granny flat is a traditional-style house with a raised roof. This house is always intended to be used as a vacation home. And it can be great when you have the space and funding for multiple vacation rentals.
If you have the money to build a granny flat, you can probably find these types of homes for about a dozen dollars each. The downside of this type of house is that it’s a low-cost structure and it takes a significant amount of work to build.
07. Tiny House
This is a one-person house that is only 1,000 square feet in size. It is not a luxury house, but it is an adorable, inexpensive alternative to a standard home. You can build this house yourself, and it only takes about one day to build.
The one catch is that you will need to hire a professional crew. They will have to clean, haul, and connect the structure to the internet. This is not cheap, and it will definitely be a time-consuming project for you.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of building an accessory unit is that it is not a large-scale construction. You will not have to spend a significant amount of money to complete this project. You will be able to build this house for about $95,000.
