The Blog

What exactly are Accessory Dwellings (or ADU’s), you may ask? According to our friends at AccessoryDwellings.org “It is a really simple and old idea: having a second small dwelling right on the same grounds (or attached to) your regular single-family house”. You may have heard of some more informal terms like: Mother-in-law suite, Granny flat, backyard bungalow, basement apartment and the like but Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is used to describe a permitted, livable, accessory structure to an existing home. They are great for a variety of things like earning extra rental income (from renting it out or downsizing and renting out your main house), living quarters for a caregiver, aging parents or college students, an Airbnb nightly rental, guest house, or simply extending your living space. ADU’s can be built over garages, in attics, in basements or they can stand alone on their own foundation on your property.

Watch this video for a more fun explanation 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjkCG9oDrKM

Shelter Wise is building ADU’s (alongside our cute little Tiny Homes) in the Portland area and we want to hear from you. What type of ADU could you see yourself living in? What are some of your must-haves in having an ADU on your property? Tell us your story!

We specialize in space efficient design, alternative construction, metal & living roofing, energy conservation, process assistance, maximizing rebates and creating beautiful spaces to dwell. We can also help you with other aspects of your project like designing, Energy Efficiency, permit assistance, landscape integration, and of course, building your custom ADU.
So, do you want to see an example? One of our ADU’s can be viewed under our ADU’s & Renovations tab. You can also read an in-depth Case Study on this project and others at AccessoryDwellings.org. Or you can come see twelve of them in person on June 1st, 2014–a fantastic opportunity to get a real feel for what they are like on the inside, talk to the owners, and to get inspired for your own project. Hope to see you there!