The median sales price in Danville, a quaint city just over an hour's drive east of San Francisco, is a staggering $2 million, as reported by Realtor.com. The Benjamins, however, found a way to bypass the traditional housing market and its exorbitant prices by opting for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU).
The couple now resides in a 1,200-square-foot ADU in San Ramon, a neighboring city to Danville. The ADU, which boasts three bedrooms and two bathrooms, cost a total of $500,000 to finance and build, a sum the couple managed to pay with assistance from their parents. "This was the best decision we ever made," Ali Benjamin stated. "It allowed us to save so much money and live where we wanted."
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ADUs have seen a surge in popularity in recent years, serving as an appealing alternative to traditional apartments or houses. They offer homeowners the opportunity to generate extra income, reduce debt, or provide independent yet supportive housing for adult children or aging parents. Amid high home prices, relatively expensive mortgage rates, and a scarcity of starter homes, first-time homeowners like the Benjamins are increasingly turning to ADUs.
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For the Benjamins, who operate small businesses in San Ramon, the decision to build an ADU was primarily a financial one. "The main reason we chose to do this is to stay close to our work," Ali Benjamin told Business Insider. "The area where we work in San Ramon is pretty expensive, and we wanted to live somewhere without a commute, with good schools and a strong community, where we could eventually start a family."
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ADUs are compact housing units that typically range from 150 to 1,200 square feet, depending on the location. The average cost to build an ADU generally falls between $100,000 and $300,000, with additional expenses potentially including site preparation, inspections, utility installations, and permitting fees.
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The prevalence of ADUs is steadily increasing across the United States. In California, ADUs accounted for just 8% of permits and 5% of completions in 2018. By 2022, however, they comprised 18% of total permits and total production, according to an April 2024 report from the Urban Institute.
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To fund their ADU, the Benjamins requested monetary contributions towards the project instead of traditional wedding gifts for their 2022 nuptials. They managed to raise $5,450 through a GoFundMe campaign towards their $10,000 goal. After consulting with several builders, they chose to work with Villa, an ADU builder operating in Los Angeles, San Jose, and other Bay Area cities, recommended by a family friend.
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The couple began designing their ADU in October 2022. By March 2023, they had removed a pool from their parents' backyard to make room for the ADU, which was delivered three months later. Construction was completed by September 2023, when they moved into the home.
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To finance the ADU, the couple made a down payment of $100,000, while Ali Benjamin's parents took out a $150,000 retirement loan and a $200,000 HELOC on their main home to assist them. The remaining $50,000 was allocated for add-ons, including concrete work, which the Benjamins financed throughout the process.
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Despite California offering grants of up to $40,000 to residents building ADUs, the Benjamins did not receive any funding for their project. They plan to remodel the main home in the coming years and, when they start a family, they intend to switch living arrangements, moving into the main house while their parents occupy the ADU.
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The couple's monthly housing costs have decreased significantly since moving into the ADU. They transitioned from a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment costing $3,086 a month in rent to a whole home for $2,900 monthly, including utilities. The payment goes towards a 15-year mortgage on the property.
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Their ADU features a kitchen with quartz countertops and an island, skylights throughout the family room, kitchen, and bathroom, and a deck and a long driveway leading up to it, complete with an electric gate for added privacy.
Ali Benjamin dispelled misconceptions about ADUs, stating, "I think the biggest misconception we got when I told people we were getting an ADU is that they imagined it as a tiny shack in someone's backyard. In reality, there are homes that are much smaller than our ADU." This innovative housing solution has allowed the Benjamins to live where they want, save money, and plan for their future, all while debunking the myth that ADUs are merely 'tiny shacks.'
