Janie, a client of Maxable and a San Diego homeowner is proud to show off her brand new ADU project and share a bit of her process with us.
Why did you decide to build an ADU?
My husband and I wanted my mother-in-law to move in with us. She’s 95 years old and she’s reached a point where she is less able to care for herself. An ADU was the perfect solution because it allows her to still have her privacy while also having us close by when she needs something.
The idea first came to us about 8 years ago, but neither my husband or my mother-in-law were quite ready to make the move just yet.
A family member of ours had actually heard Maxable’s CEO on the radio talking about the benefits of an ADU and we thought it was a great idea. We arranged a phone call with her and never looked back.
What were the first steps you took towards building your ADU?
Well, we originally thought it was going to be very simple. We actually had picked out a contractor already, but he ended up taking a different job and was unable to continue with our project.
We then realized an ADU project can be a bit more complicated and we spent a lot of time researching and figuring out where to go. Luckily we had been in touch with Maxable and they connected us to a great general contractor. We were really fortunate and he did a really great job.
Janie went with General Contractor Bruce Kaylor, see more of his projects here!
He was very communicative and every member of his team was very versatile in their skills. One tip I have for others considering diving into this type of project is constantly checking in about pricing, timing, and budget.
Not sure how to start your project? Leave the headaches to us! We’ll match you to vetted designers and general contractors in your area. Check your address and see what Maxable can do for your home.
What was the most difficult part of the ADU construction?
Definitely the invasiveness. We didn’t have the option of moving out of our house during the construction so it was a long time of living with the dust, noise, and inconvenience.
Due to the horrible winter, we had with such unusual amounts of rain the duration of the project kept changing. We had estimated that the project would take about 3 months but it ended up being a 5-month project.
Any special tips to consider when designing an ADU for an aging family member?
One thing we had not considered when designing was all of the new technology that’s now available and regularly implemented into new projects. Everything is new, everything has remotes, and my mother-in-law has had a hard time figuring it all out.
That’s something that everyone kind of overlooks. Take into consideration the age of the people using your ADU and how well they will be able to acclimate themselves to the new environment.
For more information on how to make your ADU a suitable living space for an elderly person in your family, you can read more here!
What resources did you use?
At the beginning, there was a LOT of time spent researching online as well as reading a few old-fashioned books. Once we got started with Maxable though they were able to answer a lot of questions and soon enough our project was coming to fruition.
Would you repurpose your ADU in the future?
Well, my mother-in-law has been staying in it for about 2 months now and she really loves it, as do we. She’s very happy to be closer to family. We really can’t believe we waited this long to start this project.
However, once our mother-in-law is no longer living there this ADU has a lot of potential for flexibility, which is really awesome.
It could be a great place for us to use for family and guests coming to visit as well as even a potential source of income if we consider using it as a rental.
What was the most rewarding part of the whole process?
Getting her in here was such a great moment and so was getting her adjusted to her new home. I think blending the new and the old was a big success story as well.
Connecting with our general contractor made it such a great experience and he really did a great job of making it look like the ADU had been a part of the original property. Everything matches perfectly and fits so well.
Honestly, I think what Maxable is doing is really great and can help a lot of people.
