- Justin Mauldin built an accessory residential unit, or ADU, in his Austin backyard for $ 41,500.
- Mauldin said that the ADU office allows his family to live comfortably in a small house.
- The ADU also increased the value of the property of his house, according to his real estate agent.
This test as told is based on a conversation with Justin Mauldin, 40, who built a Accessory or adu housing unitIn his backyard of Austin. The interview was published for duration and clarity.
I am the founder and CEO of Salient, a public relations agency which is associated with Tech Startups.
In 2019, before the COVVI-19 epidemic, my team had already moved to a mainly distant configuration, with many freelancers working at home or in shared office spaces like WeWork. My wife and I decided to get the most out of our property and build a dedicated home office.
Our property is within the limits of the city of Austin. We live on a quarter of a quarter of acre with a main house relatively small by about 1,200 square feet. At the time, our great backyard was not developed, with only a small farm hangar on the property.
We have added an accessory housing unit of just under 200 square feet to our backyard. The cost of the ADU was $ 32,542, which covered the products, shipping and installation. I think prices have increased since then, but we were able to take advantage of a sale and a 10% discount at the time. The total cost of the entire project was around $ 41,500.
The Unit of Accessories Accessories of 200 square feet by Justin Mauldin, or ADU. With the kind permission of Justin Mauldin
It was the best decision we could have made for our property. We bought our house in 2020 for around $ 450,000, and its value has definitely increased. When we asked for an estimate from our real estate agent, she said that it could be worth $ 750,000 today. (Publisher’s note: the median price of houses in Austin has increased by 12.8% since 2020, according to Redfin.)
Working from the ADU was fantastic – it allowed me a calm moment. We have two young children, so I can “go to work” without being in the main house with all the chaos and the noise. It really changed the situation.
The construction process was simple and quick
Even if it is separated from the main house, the home office is the most beautiful room of the property – all those who come is completely seduced.
I did everything with super-tours and dramatic ceilings and a solid wall of windows. We also built a home in front, which has become a real focal point.
Mauldin’s workspace. With the kind permission of Justin Mauldin
When we decided to build an ADU, Covid made it difficult to offer offers, materials and reliable entrepreneurs, so a prefabricated option seemed to be the best choice. I went with studio Shed, a company based in Denver which builds the structure in their warehouse, then send it to be assembled on site.
The process was simple, like building with Lego bricks or designing a car. You choose your model, customize the size, ceilings and windows and select your upgrades. You can go as basic or as sophisticated as you wish. Everything is done online – like ordering anything on Amazon – and you get the price immediately.
Before the arrival of the ADU, I cleared the site and poured the concrete cushion, which cost about $ 1,500.
The ADU of Mauldin during the construction process. With the kind permission of Justin Mauldin
When it was delivered, I did not want them to simply deposit the materials and let me understand it, so I paid a few thousand dollars so that they assemble the structure. The walls, the windows and the roof were in just two days.
Once the structure is assembled, a local handyman and I worked on the finishing details, in particular the installation of the floor, the paint, the addition of door handles, electric work and other keys. Since the ADU was too far from the main house to connect to our central AC, I also added a mini-split system that I bought for $ 600 and paid about $ 500 to install.
Everything was built and finished quickly. The ADU was delivered on February 1, 2021 and completed by the end of the month.
The ADU allowed our 4 -year -old family to live more comfortably in a small house
Given the price of our house, it is clear that we are not in a fantasy district filled with McMansion. Most houses here are bungalows from the 1950s.
When we moved home for the first time in our house, instead of following the common trend – where people demolish these houses to build new constructions – we have adopted the opposite approach.
We wanted to preserve the character, so we made a lot of renovations: replace the coating, repaint, completely redo the interior and reproduce landscaping. I think the neighbors really enjoyed this.
Mauldin heads his business at home at home. With the kind permission of Justin Mauldin
However, we have two daughters, so a 1,200 square feet house with a single bathroom can be a challenge, especially when we have visitors.
Of course, we would like a larger house, but with always unaffordable prices, it’s difficult. When we bought our house, our interest rate was locked at 2.5% – the rates are now much higher. Most of the houses in the desirable areas are in the fork of $ 1.5 million, and with the land taxes raised here, it is simply not realistic. We could not afford a place in Austin now without doubled or triple our accommodation costs.
For the moment, we are satisfied with our place, and maybe we will add a bathroom one day.
Adus becomes popular in Austin, and I can see why
Austin has a housing crisis, but people still want to live here and continue to move to town. I think creative solutions like Adus are necessary.
In recent years, the city has made it easier to add it to the properties, in particular the type I have built, which is less than 200 square feet.
Historically, with a license, you can divide a quarter or smaller property into two lots – one for your main home and the other for an ADU, often for uses like Airbnb. But now, with relaxed regulations, you can simply add a small structure to the back of your property without the need for a license.
The office is a few steps from the main house but isolated enough to offer Mauldin peace and loneliness. With the kind permission of Justin Mauldin
Although some may have concerns about the proximity of houses, I think it is the best solution to facilitate the construction of ADU and houses – and it works well.
The office has certainly made life in our house much more comfortable.
In today’s world, there is so much background noise, whether you are in the office or you work at a distance, which makes it difficult to focus and be creative. You can try to block it with headphones, but there is a big difference between this and being in a really quiet space.
I’m used to my children running and going out – it’s part of a father – but when I close the door, it’s so serene.
Beyond avoiding interruptions, you sometimes need real concentration time, especially for creative things. With all the noise around us, having a calm space looks like a complete escape.
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