FAQs

WHAT IS A SMALL HOME?

A small home is a home that is the perfect size for you and your needs and cuts out the excess. Small homes tend to be shorter and have smaller footprints than a traditionally built home and as a result, look cute!

Most importantly small homes follow a design methodology that focuses on how every inch will be used and what furniture is needed for daily activities (work, lounging, play, cooking, entertaining, etc).

Backyard ADUs focuses on small homes ranging from 450 – 1300 Square Feet. These are typically 1–3 bedrooms.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CUSTOM HOME AND A PREFAB HOME?

Nothing. Prefab is a way to build homes off-site in a controlled environment without the uncontrollable factors that are an unavoidable part of construction in the North East. Prefab allows us to build homes in a matter of days, not weeks, and isn’t reliant on weather conditions. You can build a fully custom home in a factory. Check out our Prefab 1.5 story, Gambrel style Damona small home.

WHAT DOES BACKYARD ADUs TAKE CARE OF?

In order to install a small home, homeowners must hire an architect, designer, choose fixtures, petition the planning board, find a contractor, take care of permits and other paperwork, and monitor work progress as the project commences. Here at Backyard ADUs, we take care of that all for you.

Backyard ADUs is responsible for all of these tasks, including design, permitting, construction, and installation of the small home. As part of this model, Backyard ADU’s fixed cost covers not only the cost of construction and installation, but also the cost of permitting, utility connections, and landscaping.

WHAT IS THE MAX SIZE OF A SMALL HOME ADU?

No, that would be a Tiny Home. Here at Backyard ADUs, we build small homes between 450 - 1350 sq ft. Small enough to fit in a backyard or small lot but big enough to meet all building codes and not need to sleep in a loft or store your shoes in the oven.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SMALL HOME AND A TINY HOME?

Here at Backyard ADUs, we build Small Homes between 450 - 1200 sq ft. while Tiny Homes are typically between 100 - 400 sq ft. Small Homes are built on a foundation and meet all building code requirements while Tiny Homes are typically on wheels and do not.

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE PROJECT DURATION?

THE AVERAGE PROJECT LASTS FROM 4-6 MONTHS, FROM PLANNING AND DESIGN TO MOVE IN.

Here is an overview of the typical schedule:

FAQs

Construction FAQs

HOW LONG WILL ON-SITE CONSTRUCTION LAST?

Site Work (2 - 3 WEEKS) 4 weeks before the house arrives our team breaks ground and prepares for the arrival of the house. We build the foundation, install utilities, do tree work and prepare the site for set day. Set Date (1 DAY) The crane arrives at 7:00 am and then by the end of the day there is a house that you can walkthrough! Finish Work (1 - 3 WEEKS) After the set we need to finish siding, paint, flooring, and other customizations such as vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, tile work, or cedar shingle designs.

HOW LONG DOES THE OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOME COMPONENTS TAKE?

Order Home Components (10 WEEKS) As soon as we have the official clear to build, we will finalize our home designs with our offsite construction partner and place an order. The house components will arrive 90% complete 8-10 weeks later.

Design FAQs

HOW LONG DOES DESIGN TAKE?

Design & Planning (2 WEEKS - 2 MONTHS) A successful, on-budget, and on-time project starts with good planning and design. We established a system that ensures we cover everything without forcing a homeowner to make too many decisions.

WHAT IS A DESIGN PATH?

Our design path ensures everyone gets exactly what they need. Each path is defined by a shape, style, and general layout that works in many settings and for many lifestyles. All of our design paths use best practices in small home design and are optimized for the efficiencies of offsite construction.

During the planning phase of projects, our team helps clients choose a fitting design path and then customize it to fit their needs and the uniqueness of the location where it will be built.

DO I NEED AN ARCHITECT?

ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) FAQs

WHAT ARE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS?

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are separate, distinct apartments built on single-family or in some cases multi-family residential lots. ADUs are also commonly referred to as guest houses, mother-in-law units, granny flats, and backyard cottages.

There are two main types of ADU: Detached and Attached Units. A Detached Unit is a separate structure in a backyard or a side yard. An Attached Unit converts space within the primary home such as an attic, garage, or basement.

You can learn more about ADUs on the website accessorydwellings.org.

WHY ARE ADUs GROWING IN POPULARITY?

Thousands of ADUs are being constructed across the U.S. because they are a great way to address the housing crisis and generate passive income for their owner. Moreover, ADUs cost less than other forms of housing and make efficient, environmentally friendly use of existing land.

ADUs also help emergent socioeconomic trends in the U.S. ADUs make aging in place easier. They create the possibility for multigenerational households which makes it easier and less expensive to care for aging parents. Homeowners are frequently turning to ADUs to generate additional income to supplement other sources. Finally, downsizing and minimalist living are in vogue and the trend continues to grow. ADUs allow people to simplify their lives and still live in a neighborhood setting.

ARE ADUs ALLOWED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD?

Many cities, including yours, are updating their zoning regulations and fees to allow for ADUs. Most municipalities see ADUs as critical to stabilizing rents in rapidly growing neighborhoods and have modified the zoning bylaws. See our Local Rules page for more information.

WHAT AMENITIES DOES A BACKYARD ADU HAVE?

A Backyard ADU is a detached living space with the look and feel of a house, just on a smaller scale. Our ADU design paths have 1-3 bedrooms and are anywhere between 450 - 1200 sq ft of floor space depending on regulations and the size of land. Most of our design paths have an open concept kitchen & living room space with full-size appliances, a washer/dryer, and 1-2 bathrooms. Our manufacturer partners use the highest quality materials in the construction of each unit.

Exteriors are customized to match the characteristics of your house and neighborhood. We use new and existing landscaping features to provide privacy between your home and where the ADU is employed.

HOW DO ADUs AFFECT MY HOUSE’S VALUE?

Based on the comparison of single-family and two-family home selling prices, an ADU will likely increase the value of a home due to the possible income stream it provides. However, Backyard ADUs recommends getting a 2nd, independent opinion!

DO ADUs INCREASE MY PROPERTY TAXES?

An ADU will result in an increase in property taxes equal to the assessment of the ADU as an improvement to the property. The addition of an ADU should not result in a new assessment of the rest of the property. The homeowner’s property tax bill can still increase as a result of standard annual increase in taxes and new levies that are added to property taxes each year unrelated to the ADU.

HOW DOES AN ADU ACCESS SEWER, WATER, ELECTRIC, AND GAS SERVICE?

ADUs access sanitary sewer and water service by connecting to the main sewer and water service of the primary residence. Water and sewer connections are accessed through the basement of the primary residence. ADUs connect to existing electrical service through a new meter, allowing the unit to pay for its own electricity. ADUs do not use natural gas so a connection is unnecessary. Our ADUs use hyper-efficient heat pumps for heating and cooling.

WHAT IF EXISTING WATER, SEWER, OR ELECTRIC SERVICE IS INSUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT AN ADU?

The existing service to typical single-family residences is usually sufficient to support an ADU. In the event that it isn’t, Backyard ADUs will work with the property owner to upgrade the necessary service to support the ADU.

Building/Managing a Rental Unit FAQs

HOW AFFORDABLE IS AN ADU TO RENT?

The monthly rent for a detached ADU is typically higher than market rent in a multi-family home, but as the owner, you can set the rent at whatever level works for your finances. For example, 1-bedroom ADUs in Easthampton, Northampton, and Amherst MA are rented for roughly $1,000 to $1,750 per month

WHO PAYS FOR UTILITIES?

Water and sewer usage will be included in the rent and your existing bills will increase by roughly $50 (water) and $70 (sewer) per quarter (every 4 months). Tenants pay for electricity which heats & cools the unit via an efficient heat pump

WHAT ABOUT CABLE, INTERNET, & MAIL?

Backyard ADUs will establish separate cable and mailing addresses for the ADU and the main home.