ADUs (Additional Dwelling Units) Are Growing In Popularity For Some Very Good Reasons: Here Are Just A Few.
Additional dwelling units are becoming much more widely accepted across Fairfield and Westchester counties. ADUs, also known as accessory apartments or granny flats, are self-contained living spaces that are either attached to or located on the same lot as a single-family home. The rise of ADUs may be due to a number of factors, such as the growing demand for affordable housing options, the desire for multigenerational living arrangements, or the need for flexible living spaces for aging parents or adult children.
One of the main goals for towns and cities to adopt the building of these structures is to enhance the diversity of housing while still maintaining the aesthetics of the town or city. Many former city dwellers have recently moved away from the crowds and congestion and are opting for a more suburban life, which often means more property to spread out and build.
Another aim is to allow seniors to age closer to their families in addition to creating a way for people who might not have been able to afford Westport, CT and other higher priced communities to move to town, either as a renter of one of these apartments or as rental income to help defray the cost of purchasing a home with accompanying ADU.
Some highlights:
· If you have 1.5 acres or less, the maximum footprint is 650 square feet.
· If you have more than 1.5 acres, you can build up to 1,000 square feet.
An ADU is like a second mini home on your property; under the new regulations, you are allowed to include a kitchen and a bathroom.
Consider utilizing super insulation and a heat pump to heat your ADU through the cold Connecticut winters without having to rely on gas or oil. In addition, solar PV panels can provide enough electricity to power your ADU and even charge that electric vehicle you’ve been thinking about.
In many locales, including Westport, CT, for instance, regulations do not allow you to use your ADU as an Airbnb (the minimum rental term is at least six months). Still, that shouldn’t stop you from renting it out or converting it to a new secondary office. For more information, check out the FAQ.