John Geary grew up watching his father build big homes in the San Francisco Bay Area where it can take years to permit a project, so when the state legislature began passing bills to make it much easier to build a home in your own backyard, he set up shop selling smaller, cheaper homes that could be purchased, permitted and installed in less than a month.
Today, his startup Abodu has built hundreds of ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units AKA granny flats, in-law units, backyard cottages) across California for about a third the cost of a new apartment, but they’re not building tiny houses on wheels. In fact, Geary makes it a point that his small homes are real property: built with a concrete foundation, they are “real property”, that is, they extend the square footage of the main house. Unlike tiny homes on wheels or park models which are classed as vehicles (which has also helped them evade permitting and zoning requirements), Abodus are in the same category as a McMansion and therefore, argues Geary, they should be viewed as assets that appreciate in much the same way.
We visited their Redwood City showroom where Geary took us on a full tour of two of their models — a 340-square-foot studio and a 500-square-foot one bedroom – where he explained their uniquely curving roof design (built to enlarge space where needed), the strategic placement of windows and privacy considerations unique to backyard homes. He clarified the state’s streamlined permitting process: anyone can build in their backyard as long as the home is under 14 feet long, under 800 square feet and 4 feet from the inside property line. For those not in California, Geary believes these types of laws will be coming to states across the country.
On *faircompanies
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Seems overpriced and marketed as a product not a home, the guys pants are too tight
Poor California…. Still brainwashing everyone to wear masks
Yup and now any time this type a thing turns into a fad or a new thing it sky rockets in price and logistics …..
we need to make the bare bones version of this available at 90k
the cost they're asking is still ridiculous
Beautiful 😍😍😍.
You cant bend over in that shower. How do you wash your legs and feet? Ridiculous.
Looking at that odd slant roof from the outside does not look artistic it looks like a manufacturing error.
Glad you asked "Is there anywhere you can't put in an ADU?" Here in SLO county in my town and I think at least one other it is still restricted and in fact in my town there is currently a lawsuit against someone who recently put in an ADU. Lack of water is the reason. But I know there are developers dying to start building here and I would much rather backyard ADUs were approved rather than huge open areas be developed with million dollar homes.
I would much rather have people do this. Then rent out their garages likey they do in SF. They throw up some drywall frame a room in a cold garage and throw a bed in there and call it "liveable space," and people pay 1.5k a month for that just cuz it is "the city."
Another excellent video!
I am 50 years old and over the last 20 years witnessed the American dream change from a meager home with a white picket fence , paid for within a 30 year mortgage to people feeling accomplished and secure living in vans , campers or " modular home" being not much bigger than a cardboard box that a refrigerator comes packaged in. Whats more demoralizing is the fact that some people have found a way to market these " homes" that literally 95% of the time does not pass county or city codes for residential use much less power and water hook ups. The prices of these " homes " are equal to or around the same price bracket of what a house cost a few years ago. I have 6 acres of property in the mountians that was obtained through family will. Am on my second mobile home that is needing rebuilt and seriously trying to have a small house built on this land. The market that is in place has made this almost completely unattainable. For the people with less than I have also trying just to have a roof over their head, my heart goes out to you and good luck
The problem isn’t the cost of the home it’s the cost of the land & single dwelling homes.
Skylights would be a better solution for privacy without sacrificing the light
$228k- cost of the luxury car??? Too much even for most of California for a studio or one bedroom in the backyard
Seem like someone could make a fortune just selling finished off sheds from Home Depot. I'm guessing $50,000 complete and installed.
Curious how energy efficient One and Two are. They definitely dont look like they need passive energy for cooling.
The kitchen has decent storage but there is absolutely no place to put your clothes. If you add storage in the living area you literally have only a walk path. I could not see this for long term living and certainly not for the elderly. Using a walker or cane is impossible in this small space.
We live in a 16' X 24" home. We love it! It took some getting used to (we moved from our several thousand square foot farmhouse); but once we were used to it, we wouldn't want to live any other way.
How does the state make money off of this? I'm curious to know if the property taxes increase when adding an ADU
Are you guys also going to pay for increased water line sizing? No? How about increasing the sewer line and treatment plant capcacity? No? How about the parking? No? You act and sound like you think you are doing this great service to humanity; you're not. You may have "convinced" a bunch of ignorant, liberal politicians (oxy-moron) that they could solve the housing shortage without costing the state 1 dime, but all you have accomplished is to make money for your company off the backs of local municipalities, who are going to have to deal with the too small water & gas supply lines, too small sewer lines and plant capacity. These neighborhoods were designed 40 years ago for what is there now, and YOU think it's no big deal to add 50% more stress on the existing systems. I didn't even mention electricity and school facilities. Newsome and his gang of ignorant liberal politicians will not allow more power generation plants or water delivery systems, even though the state population has outgrown what the existing structure was designed for by 50%.! So…NO…nothing should be built or added until the state gets it's head out of it's ass and builds some nuke power plants and more water storage, at least enough to handle all of illegals that Newsom so dearly loves and invites into MY state. This move by the state is what all fascists and dictators do when they think they can get away with it.