Few could have ever predicted that we’d be spending the better part of the last year in our homes. The pandemic forced the majority of us to work from home, workout from home, teach our children at home and have nearly every meal and milestone, at home.
While the time has been a blessing in some ways, sometimes it’s nice to be able to get away – even if it’s only to an oasis in your own backyard. Hence the surging popularity of Tiny Homes, ADUs built on your property.
Tiny Homes have long been popular for guests, even earning the nicknames Granny Flats and Mother-in-Law suites for those made to shelter family members (whether mothers or adult children) who become permanent houseguests. This gives them the freedom of their own personal space, often their own bathroom, and in some, a kitchen. In addition to guest houses they’ve also historically been added to generate income as rental units and to increase the resale value of the property with the additional square footage.
I interviewed several local contractors who all echoed that the requests for ADUs have substantially increased in the past year to allow relatives to comfortably quarantine together but apart from extended family. They also say they've been building many more tiny homes to serve as offices, gyms and a place to homeschool children - as our office, gym, school and home have become one.
Peter Pesoli & Daliah Maurer of Pesoli Properties are professional flippers. They recently built a tiny home turned office space flooded with natural light that made my heart flutter. “We mainly flip houses for ourselves, but we’ve done a handful of detached offices now,” Pesoli says, explaining, “When Covid hit I thought it’s what everyone needs to get away from the kids and family or to work or do exercise. We put it on Instagram and got so many responses. They’re just so versatile.”
An ADU can run $50,000 for a basic space, but costs add up once you start adding things that need additional permitting, like plumbing. "You don’t have to get a permit to build an ADU if it’s under 200 square feet.,” Pesoli says, “ But, you still do need an electrical permit, and once you add plumbing it becomes a dwelling and becomes a whole another thing.”
Jason Kahle, owner of Small House Solutions says he’s received so many inquiries he's been having trouble keeping up with them. He said the requests he's been getting have been a good mix of people looking to build space for gyms, offices and more.
He says the average size he generally builds is 750 square feet because, “If you go under 500 square feet it’s really expensive cost/square foot because you still need to pull the same permits, to get the architectural and engineering drawing and install the electrical and plumbing.”
Although, he also says if you choose to go the under 200 square foot route without plumbing, you save on permits, soft costs and inspection fees.
If you’re looking to get a Tiny House in your own backyard, it’s good to start planning early. Local contractors are getting backed up and Kahle says, “If you want something 200-500 squareee ft, with just electric, the design, engineering and permitting, it will be about three months. Permitting for plumbing doubles the time, so if you want a bathroom, it’s at least months.”
TexZen Design co-founder Suzanne Braden is co-founder of TexZen Design. They build tiny houses from the ground up, but also work with a company called EscapeSpace that delivers customized, ready-made tiny houses in less time and for less money than a custom build. Brazen is proud to work with them, saying, “They are the leader in the tiny home industry and an option that we can offer our clients looking for something more immediate.” She says they sometimes design larger, but 240-400 square feet is the average. While their spaces can be customized, many of them are just blank canvas spaces. They say on their website, “an emptiness full of possibilities, like a promise yet to be fulfilled."
Braden says, “Starting with a manufactured or modular structure like EscapeSpace can be a more financially accessible option.”And, while she says new builds range from 90 to 180 days depending on builder and permitting, an Escapespace can typically be delivered in 60 to 90 days.
If you want one, for an in-law, a child, a home office, a gym or a home ‘school,’ you should start putting plans in motion sooner rather than later. Permitting can take a while and you may become hard-pressed to find a contactor. Pesoli says, “I think everyone is going to be getting one soon.”
If you’re looking for more inspiration, take a day trip to check out the Great American Tiny House Show in Arlington, Texas Mar 13 – 14, 2021