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If you’re looking to build a detached accessory dwelling unit in Seattle, the city has a list of pre-approved construction plans. This can streamline the permitting process, as all you need to do is pick a plan and connect with the designer.

There are plans available in various sizes, from 288 square feet to 1000 square feet. And there are a variety of designs to choose from, so you can find one that fits your needs and taste.

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Browse the City’s Growing Catalog of Pre-Approved DADU Small Cottage Plans

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Here’s a tiny house you can walk to the beach from out of  Dennis Port, Massachusetts.

It’s called the Sand Pebble Cottage, available to book via HomeAway, and located within 1/2 mile from the beach, and 1/2 mile to the village of Dennis Port. What do you think?

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Sand Pebble Tiny Cottage Vacation near Cape Cod – The Dennis Port Tiny House

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Seattle is an interesting place to pay attention to for tiny and small homes because of these 5 trends, as showcased via the Seattle Backyard Cottage blog.

They’re all very interesting trends that we will very likely see spread to other areas. And who knows, you could very well be one of the first to inspire it. Let me tell you a little bit about these trends, and how you could possibly see them in other areas of the country and world.

Don’t miss other interesting articles and discussions on all things tiny and small when it comes to homes and real estate – join our FREE Tiny House Newsletter for more!

1. Newly adopted Seattle code allows for family-friendly DADUs… With an extra 200-sq.-ft. of space, many detached accessory dwelling units (DADUs) are being built for families.

Up until now a majority of cottages were being designed for aging parents or as rentals accommodating an individual or a couple without children. These new larger cottages are also being designed for families with children including a 900 sq. ft. cottage we are designing in Ballard for a family of five. And a 1,000 sq. ft. cottage for a family of four.1

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This is the Rainier Valley Cottage by Bruce Parker of MicroHouseNW. It’s a small house designed to be simple to build to keep construction costs low. What do you think of this design/build?

This Rainier Valley backyard cottage takes advantage of solar access and territorial views. The design of this cottage was intentionally simple to keep construction costs down and to make it easier for the owner who operated as the general contractor for this project.

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Rainier Valley Cottage by MicroHouseNW

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This is the Laurelhurst DADU in Seattle, Washington by MicrohouseNW, they specialize in backyard cottages. This one is a 575-square-foot home with a 390-square-foot footprint. The cabin even features a living/green roof, exposed trusses, and interestingly enough, the bedroom is downstairs. Opposite of a loft, hehe.

DADU stands for Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit, which is basically just another term for a detached guest house. These guest houses are one way to design and build small homes while still meeting local building codes. And in Seattle, people are even creating their own homeowners associations (HOAs) and selling their backyard cottages to others. Yes, some have been listed and recently sold, and we talk about that in this article.

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Beautiful Small Backyard Cottage in Seattle, Washington… The Laurelhurst Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit

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This is one couple’s fisherman’s tiny cottage in Ballard. It’s a backyard tiny home they built which was featured over at the Seattle Backyard Cottage blog. I love backyard tiny homes like this because they’re a wonderful way to (legally) get more small and tiny houses built.

This idea reminds me of the article we did on the city who is encouraging homeowners to build backyard tiny homes. It’s such a great idea, isn’t it? Anyway, take a look at this beautiful little cottage below and let us know what you think about it in the comments. You can also read the interview with the couple who built it over at Seattle Backyard Cottage’s original article on it.

Please don’t miss other interesting tiny homes – join our FREE Tiny House Newsletter with more!

Fisherman’s Tiny Cottage in Ballard – Seattle Backyard Cottage

Fisherman Tiny Cottage in Ballard – Seattle DADU – via MicrohouseNW

Images via MicroHouseNW

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