Most homeowners consider their homes to be their babies that they built from scratch and take care of on a daily basis, which is why it is logical why people might not want to leave their homes when they become not big enough for the family dwelling in it.
And fortunately, selling our current houses and buying new ones in another neighborhood is not the only option these days! You can also build Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs on your property land and still receive an increase in the living space that you need so much! This option is especially enticing for those of you living in highly populated urban areas.
Accessory Dwelling Units come in many shapes in sizes, which is why those of you who consider building them would benefit from reading this article further and learning all that there is to know about prefab ADUs!
Accessory Dwelling Units, What are They?
An Accessory Dwelling Unit is legally considered to be an independent dwelling that is built on your already existing land near the primary residence that you own right now. As with any other home, they still have their own bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom, only they are smaller in size. And because of that, they can be a perfect addition to your family’s needs!
Many different types of ADUs exist nowadays, but the two main ones are called detached and attached ADUs. Here is some information about them that you might find helpful:
- Attached ADUs are tiny homes that are built right next to your main house and will share one wall with it. They are the perfect choice for those people who just need to add a little bit more space to their already existing structure so that the kids would have more privacy or the parents could have a quiet place to rest;
- Detached ADUs, on the contrary, are completely independent dwellings that stand aside from your main home but still share the same property land. They are usually bigger in size than attached ADUs and can have a variety of different purposes. However, such perks also come with a higher construction cost: this type of backyard ADU will need its own foundation and one more wall to be built as well.
And no matter what type of ADU you will choose, they both can be built either from scratch or made in professional factories in advance. The latter choice is called a prefab ADU, and it is considered to be the cheapest and the quickest option as they are built off-site with a non-custom design. Hence, if you want to receive the fastest results, opt for a prefab ADU!
Prefab ADU versus Custom ADU
Now that you know that any type of ADU can be either a prefab or a custom one, you can think more about the option that you like the most, and we can help you with that!
As you already know, a prefab ADU would be made by professionals at the factory and then placed on your property land almost completely finished. This fact has its own advantages: the construction period would be shorter as the process is highly automized, and the cost would be more negligible as the number of mistakes made would be close to 0. However, building this type of backyard studio also means that you will not have a chance to design your new dwelling the way you want to: you will be provided with a list of already-made interior design options for you to choose from.
Custom ADUs, on the other hand, allow you to build an ADU just as you want to, and this is the main reason why some people choose this option: for them, it is really important to customize their new living space as much as they can. And as you can guess, such an ability makes the whole construction process of an ADU much longer and expensive: every design detail needs to be chosen, an entire layout plan needs to be created, and many things could change in the construction process as the reality might not coincide with expectations.
Hence, you need to decide which things are more important to you, as it would allow you to make a decision that will reflect your needs and desires. However, any type of ADU can be created with the help of ADUMAXX, so contact us today and start the building process of your custom or prefab ADU!
Types of Prefab Housing ModelsÂ
Prefab ADUs, in comparison with custom ADUs that can be made any way you want them, can actually be classified into two distinct types for you to choose from, which is why you might want to learn about them as well.
Here is some information that could help you to create a basic understanding of two types of prefab ADUs that you can build in California:
- Modular ADU
When thinking about a prefab ADU, a modular one is usually what people think about. A modular ADU is a home built completely off your property in professional factories and is later simply placed on your land during an ADU installation process, meaning that only some interior or exterior finishes could then be added.
As you can guess, this is the most popular option as it provides homeowners with the cheapest floor plan that is made in the fastest manner possible. However, this choice of a prefab ADU also means that there would not be anything personalized about the result that you will receive after the completion of the project in California.
- Panelized ADU
Panelized ADU, in comparison with a modular one, is only a partial off-site work that is then completed on your own land. Only the walls and the roof of your final living space would be built by prefab ADU manufacturers so that the rest of your floor plan could be created on-site together with your own architect and general contractor within a few weeks of close collaboration once the installation of all other things is finished.
For instance, you can design your own built-in storage, bathroom, kitchen, and lots of other things! You can even add some awning windows or led lighting to the interior of your backyard studio!
Yes, the cost and installation of such a studio would be a bit higher, but it provides the owners with a good mix of possibilities so that those who cannot afford a fully customized backyard home could still opt for an ADU that allows some amount of creativity from their side.
As you can see, the amount of options provided to you these days by professional contractors like ADUMAXX is huge, which means that every one of you can receive your dream house! Hence, do not hesitate to contact us today so that the work on your new prefab ADU can start!
Why Choose a Prefab ADU?
Any type of ADU has its own advantages and disadvantages. Our experience shows us that homeowners understand the perks of building a custom ADU almost entirely on their own, but they struggle with understanding why prefab ADUs might be a better option for some of them.
Hence, we will now cover this topic so that you can make up your mind about the type of affordable housing with all of the information on prefab ADUs provided to you:
The Cheapest Option that Exists
In most cases, building prefab ADUs is a process that is much cheaper than constructing custom ones, and it does not matter whether they are attached or detached.
And as almost all the steps will be done by us independently of you, it would not be necessary for you to be involved as much if you do not want to or do not have enough time to do that. You can simply state to us the type of ADU you want, the number of rooms you need, and the prefab ADU design you like the most, and that is it!
The Same Increase in the Property Value Provided
The beauty of a prefab ADU lies in the fact that it is considered to be just as valuable as any custom in-law suite would be. This means that you would actually receive the same increase in the property value from the prefab ADU as from a custom one, and you would actually pay a smaller cost for the building process!
For those of you who do not care much about the uniqueness of the design of your interior space, this is actually a win-win! And you can also use prefab ADUs to create rental income!
Decent Design Options to Choose From
Nowadays, a prefab tiny house can actually look pleasant, which means that as long as you do not need to design every little detail of your tiny home, you will still receive a nice interior space for a new dwelling!
And as you can opt for panelized ADUs instead of modular ones, your single-family home could still be personalized by you a bit!
The Most Energy-Efficient Option
When it comes to prefab ADUs, the construction process is highly automized as not a lot of things inside of them need to be done in accordance with individual preferences. What is more, such a construction allows one to consider all of the building codes only once and then simply create similar ADUs. These facts allow your own ADU to provide you with the biggest energy efficiency possible!
That way, only a small footprint is left by your general contractor after the construction is complete.
Our company offers a lot of different solutions to choose from, so you might want to visit our office and choose the right type of ADU for you and start the construction of a prefab ADU!
Frequently Asked Questions — FAQ
How much does a prefab ADU cost in California?
The final price of your ADu would depend on the square foot amount that you need, the number of rooms to be created, and the local contractor which you are working with. On average, the total cost of construction for such an ADU project is somewhere around 100,000-400,000 dollars, with each additional square foot of a floor plan for your new living area adding more expenditures to the project.
Are prefab ADUs worth it?
Yes, they are! This is the most affordable housing option that you have and is considered to be the same as custom ADUs by state regulations. As long as you have utility connections, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a bedroom, it would still be an ADU approved by your local regulations. At the same time, it could help you to save money from being spent on bigger modern form projects.
What is the difference between a prefab ADU and a manufactured home?
In comparison with prefab ADUs, manufactured homes are considered to be personal property that you can move away from your land whenever you want to and hence, decrease your future value. Prefab ADUs cannot be moved away, which is why they are always included in the resale value of your space.