A Garage Apartment ADU – Keep Family Closer In Los Angeles

Grownup kids, newly-wed, even grandparents in their later years, seems to detach themselves from the family they used to have and want some privacy. Why so? Most of the time, one family should be living in one house. Or, at legal age, kids should separate from their parents. And, if children are married, they will eventually move out, or parents will be moving out. While this is necessary, the process might not be easy.

Having to say goodbye to the people whom you have lived with for a while needs time to adjust – a great deal of it. However, this dilemma can be minimized, or even mitigated with ADUs.

Below are some of the tips to maximize your ADUs for different purposes.

For Grownups

Most grownups want to live separately from their homes, but not all. In the same way, most parents want their kids to live an independent life, but not all. So, if you belong to the minority of either of these two scenarios, then, you might need to consider the following:

Design – the preference of a grownup kid is way different from the preference of a child or an adult. The second floor maybe a good place for your kid, while the old garage can be renovated for his or her car. However, if you are a parent wanting your child to live closer to you, involve him or her in the design process. Otherwise, he/she may think, you’re still controlling and making decisions for him/her.

Privacy – this is very important. You need to consider the privacy in your design. Don’t create a window in the ADU that can be seen directly from the second floor of the main house. Or, don’t make the door directly opposite to the door in your balcony, where you can see what your grown-up child is doing.

For Grannies

For grannies, the second floor apartment is NOT good for them. You can convert your garage, renovate it to care for older people. To have these considerations, you are giving them comfort and peace. And, they can still live the next few years of their lives to play with the family during the weekends.

For ADUs specifically for grannies, you need to consider their needs and limitations. No Stairs. No sudden change of floor elevation. Reachable cabinets, sink, and other facilities. Simple design will do – no unnecessary detours because of appliances and other furniture. As much as possible, make the bathroom accessible from every part of the house. If possible, make every alley straight and should have a handrail where they can hold.

For Visiting Relatives

If you are expecting visitors often and your house seems to be too small, you can design an ADU over your garage. You can design the apartment to have more than one room, especially, if you got a lot of relatives. This will not only give your visitor the comfort and some savings, they’ll also feel more secure. Plus, more time for bonding.

Even if you charge them for staying in your garage apartment, they’ll still prefer to live near you. This is to eliminate the burden of looking for hotels and house for rents in the city that they barely know. Extra income! If you do this often, your investment will surely have more return.

Key Takeaways

Whether you have grown up kids or parents, it’s always nice to have a family member close to you. You may not be living together, but just a few steps away. Aside from the bond that you’ll be making, you are also a help to one another. This is a great benefit of having an ADU. Yet, sometimes conflicts between families living in ADU and the main house are inevitable. But, the benefits always outweigh the challenges. So, it’s still a better investment.

Living in a garage apartment is not a demeaning situation

In fact, it’s very common in the cities and suburbs. So what if you’re living in a tiny house or on the second floor of your family garage? An ADU might be small in size, but, it’s no way less than a home. Remember, not all big houses are home. Something, it's those tiny little houses and ADUs that feel like home than the mansions.

Call us for a free in-home ADU/garage conversion estimate. Our contractors have been converting garages in Los Angeles County way before it was legal…LOL. Call us for a quote here 1-818-532-0482