Here's why you may want an ADU.

Most people build, or buy, ADUs for extra income and housing family members.

A recent study reported that such dwellings help a high proportion of elderly people and that 43 percent of ADUs are accessible to people with disabilities. So if you have an elderly or disabled person in your family, you save money housing them in this “granny flat”.

On top of that, U.S. census data finds that a growing number of young adults live with their parents way into their 30s, according to a 2017 Pew Research Center report. If you have a child who fits that bill, an ADU is perfect!

Then again, your environmental, lifestyle and financial living needs change with time, but American homes are not built to reflect that. Most houses are too big for 1- or 2-person households, making you pay far more for utilities and land than necessary. A reasonably sized home with a reasonably sized ADU, not only slashes costs but also helps you grab some social benefits, since you can use your ADU to house an extra person.

In many localities you can get legal rental income from a permitted ADU, or, if you want, you can live in the ADU and rent out the other dwelling.

For these reasons and others, Zvik considers ADUs as one of the 21st century's best comebacks:

“I chose that as my model for Spectrum Holding investment vehicle because of the great return on investment via the rent and the added value of the unit.”

“Small units,” he added, “also have a small impact on the environment.”

What are liveable additional dwelling units?

Liveable additional dwelling units (ADUs),  also  known as “backyard homes,” or “granny flats”, are simply having a second small dwelling right on the same grounds (or attached to) your regular single-family house.

Such dwellings include:

* A basement apartment

* An apartment over the garage

* A Tiny house ( on a foundation ) in the backyard

It is  any residence, no matter how small, with a full kitchen and bathroom that is an add-on to your home.

Regardless of its physical form, legally an ADU is part of the same property as the main home. It cannot be bought or sold separately, as a condominium or a dwelling on wheels might be. The owner of the ADU is the owner of the main home.

Though additional dwelling units are an old idea, they fell out of favor in the middle of the 20th century. Now however they're coming back with a vengeance.