What are the Things to Consider as You Build an ADU in Bay Area?
Plenty of homeowners in the Bay Area are pondering over the idea to expand the living space and perhaps the easy legislation in place for an ADU build is the reason. It is however not easy to have the construction in place and there is a need to plenty from expressing a desire to finally having the construction in place. You will need professional help and it is better to outsource the job to any reputed ADU construction company.
The registrations have eased but they are still in place and are complicating. The laws regarding parking are confusing so it is better to have professional assistance right at the planning stage. A professional ADU builder will offer you technical inputs on the legislation and make sure that you quickly have in place a legal robust ADU. However, there are some issues, which as a homeowner you will need to look into. You will be using this space and hence one can always make a few suggestions. Here are the details for readers.
The layout and design of your current home
The granny flat is an extension of your current home and therefore, one must have in place an ADU design, which matches the main building. Now, say you live in a brick home, then it is essential to consider an ADU design, which should complement it. You can speak to the contractor and insist on using materials such as concrete wood or cut stone. The ADUs are known to enhance home value, but one should realize that the opposite could happen in the case of mismatched units.
Do you desire privacy?
An ADU is smaller than the main building for sure, but one must not confuse it with a tiny home. It is significantly bigger than a tiny home and the maximum space, which you can construct is 1200 square feet. One of the issues, which you must communicate to the contractor is the desired level of privacy. It is extremely important if there is a desire to rent out this space and earn money. A tenant will not want to compromise on this aspect. It is alongside the privacy one can also communicate the luxury features, which you may desire in this residential unit.
The regulations
The contractor will update you on the regulations and you need to adhere to them. Do you live in an HOA-restricted community? There might be some regulations regarding the unit style and size. There will be a need to adhere to these guidelines and you need to communicate them to the contractor.
What do you want to build?
There is also the necessity to explore the probable construction options as you intend to have an ADU within the property. There are five options, which you can try out and must communicate to the contractors. Here are the details for readers.
- The detached ADU
- The attached ADU
- A garage conversion
- An ADU on top of the garage
- You can do an internal conversion and change the storeroom into an ADU..
The size of the ADU
If you doing a conversion there is already the size in place, but for new construction, there is a need to discuss the size factor. The maximum you can construct is 1200 square feet and in the case of an attached ADU, there is a clause. You can construct 1200 square feet or half the space of the main building, whichever is smaller.
The site access
You must also plan the site access and the general safety rules say that there should be uninterrupted access from the ADU to the street. One must realize that tenants will not want to rent this space until there is direct access from the unit to the street.
The utility connections
There is a need to plan for everything and certainly the utility connections. The person residing here will need electricity water and you must have them in place. You can always speak to the contractor on these issues and they will look into them.