Abodu is a startup that specializes in building ADUs, or accessory dwelling units. These are small homes that are built on a concrete foundation and are designed to blend in with the main house. The backyard cottages are often used as rentals or extensions of the main home for family members. Abodu has already built over one hundred of these units across California, Oregon, and Washington! They are typically much cheaper than renting an apartment or retirement home.
The company makes a point that its units should be viewed as assets that appreciate in value, just like a regular house. This is because they are built on a solid foundation and are a permanent part of the property, instead of being classified as vehicles or trailers that normally depreciate in value over time. These prefab backyard tiny homes can be installed in as little as a month’s time.
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They’re Building 340 and 500-square-foot Prefab Backyard Cottages
Images via Kirsten Dirksen/YouTube
John Geary was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area watching his father build traditional homes. The permitting process for these homes could often take years. However, when the state legislature passed bills making it easier to build backyard homes, John took advantage of the opportunity by designing, building, and selling smaller and cheaper homes.
Images via Kirsten Dirksen/YouTube
These homes could be purchased, permitted, and installed within as little as a month’s time. This allowed John to effectively serve a market that was in dire need of more housing.
Images via Kirsten Dirksen/YouTube
Their Redwood City showroom offers full tours of two of their models — a 340-square-foot studio and a 500-square-foot one-bedroom.
Images via Kirsten Dirksen/YouTube
The homes feature a curving roof design called a diagonal gable roof, which is meant to enlarge space where needed, as well as the strategic placement of windows and privacy considerations unique to backyard homes.
Images via Kirsten Dirksen/YouTube
According to Geary, the state has streamlined permitting process for these backyard homes. The criteria are as follows: anyone can build in their backyard as long as the home is under 14 feet long, under 800 square feet, and 4 feet from the inside property line.
Images via Kirsten Dirksen/YouTube
For those not in California, Oregon, or Washington, there is hope! John Geary believes that these types of laws will be coming to states across the country to further help with housing shortages and affordability issues. What are your thoughts on Abodu and ADUs in general?
Images via Kirsten Dirksen/YouTube
According to Abodu, half of ADUs are built for income while the other half are built for family members. In most cases, it is more affordable to purchase one of these units versus paying for a retirement home so it is giving people a better option that’s more affordable, builds wealth over time, and allows families to be together.
Images via Kirsten Dirksen/YouTube
Pricing starts at $228,800 which includes the budget for a home visit, pre-approved plans for permits, permitting process done for you, a completed Abodu unit, standard site work, delivery from the factory, craning, and installation. Learn more below!
VIDEO – Beautiful Prefab Backyard Homes by Abodu
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Related stories
- 850-sq.-ft. Small House Built Legally As An ADU In Los Angeles
- Breakthrough legislation allows CA homeowners to build up to two ADU’s (Tiny Homes) on their property
- Blue ADU Nanostead Tiny House near Downtown Asheville
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Alex
I stand Corrected…$580 sqft….
If comparing to general real estate market then that’s very inaccurate, as most of those costs are one time, includes services, and do not get passed on to later owners of the property.
Like it states in the article, the price includes the budget for a home visit, pre-approved plans for permits, permitting process done for you, a completed Abodu unit, standard site work, delivery from the factory, craning, and installation.
This is one of the reasons it’s an issue when people compare costs of any new builds to existing properties. Since, there’s usually a lot more costs involved when creating new properties that go beyond just the cost to build it, which in real estate doesn’t really get passed on either but only the present estimated market value at the time of the sell, influenced by the factors that effect the location. That’ll still be pretty high for California, Oregon, and Washington, but it won’t include those one time costs in the later estimates of the property value.
Among other reasons cost per sq ft is misleading when comparing larger structures to smaller ones but that’s a whole other issue…
starting at $228,000??????
Yes, but that includes budget for a home visit, pre-approved plans for permits, permitting process done for you, a completed Abodu unit, standard site work, delivery from the factory, craning, and installation…
The price may seem high to some, but to those of us who live in areas where you can’t even get an apartment for that price and sq. footage, and is 40 yrs old, this is smoking hot deal! In some cities it is diffiuclt to find decent tradespeople so having some one delivery your house–excellent.
Many people don’t want to live in apartments, strata fees, cash calls, strata boards, etc. With a small house, which is all I’d want, you just have to purchase a piece of land.
Many seninors and singles would find a house like this perfect. as some of us age, walking around a big house is just not on the agenda nor is cleaning it. This gives you everything you’d want.
Thank you for the picture of the house being craned in. That is fun.
Price is all relative. In some parts of the country, you can get a heck of a “normal” 1,800 sq ft house for $228K. Where I live, that won’t get you a studio apartment. And you are looking at $650K+ for a very basic starter home. And there are many, many places far more expensive than where I am now. The last town I lived in had a median home price of over $1million. And $1million didn’t get you all that much.