Kit builds the perfect home right in her backyard for a friend in need while also supplementing her income.
Well, it started with my friend who couldn’t afford to live in San Diego anymore. And we thought, well, it would be great to build a little tiny house back here. We ended up with 435 square feet.
Overall, it has been a fantastic experience with this project and it is just magical.
The Backstory
As anyone who lives in California knows, housing can be expensive!
California suffers from a serious housing shortage and as a result, many people have been forced to pack up their belongings and leave the place they’ve always called home. Unfortunately, Kit’s close friend, T, was close to having to make the same move.
Sad to see her friend go, Kit proposed the perfect solution that would benefit everyone. Build an ADU in her backyard!
It was a win-win solution. T gets a comfortable safe home with affordable rent, and Kit gets to keep her friend in town while also bringing in passive rental income.
Kit’s Cozy Standalone
With the new laws that California just passed for companion units, or more commonly known as granny flats, many are unaware of this new feature as a way of helping the statewide housing crisis.
In a statement from San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, he says, “One of the fastest and least expensive ways we can increase affordable housing in San Diego is to make it easier to build granny flats. With these new incentives, we’re removing barriers to encourage the construction of new units that San Diegans can actually afford.”
So that’s what our client, Kit Gateley, did. She took advantage of this opportunity and just finished her beautiful new companion unit in the North Park area of San Diego.
Going Green
Kit didn’t want just any average ADU.
Sustainability and long-term savings were big things on her mind when thinking about the design for her friend’s new home.
Adding solar was an obvious choice! Not only do the solar panels installed on the ADU fuel the new unit, but they also power the main house which means both households enjoy the benefits of green energy.
She even added a tankless water heater. For as low as $240, she installed this mighty machine to heat the water for your whole unit. It even takes up much less space than a traditional water heater.
