Why Constructing a Tiny House in My Yard Has Made Me an ADU Evangelist

• Joyce Higashi is a San Jose native who constructed an ADU in her yard in 2020 for $230,000.
• She leases the unit out to touring nurses for 3 months at a time and prices $3,000 per 30 days.
• Higashi has turn into a self-proclaimed “ADU evangelist,” since constructing her personal. 

This story relies on a dialog with Joyce Higashi, who constructed an adjunct dwelling unit, also referred to as an ADU, in her San Jose yard in 2020. Now, she advocates for ADUs at occasions all through the Bay Space. The dialog has been edited for size and readability. 

I’m a San Jose native. I left for 15 years. I went to high school and lived in San Francisco for some time. I by no means deliberate on transferring again to San Jose however in some way I landed again right here. 

I purchased a home in 2000, once I turned 40. It is the primary and solely home I’ve ever owned. It is a small home on an enormous lot, and I all the time thought I used to be going to develop on it however that by no means occurred. 

I left my job on the Oracle Company in 2015, and now I’m semi-retired. I’m planning on doing one thing to return to work however have not discovered that but. So in 2017, I informed myself, within the meantime, I must have some passive earnings. 

That is once I determined to place an ADU in my yard — again earlier than ADUs have been even remotely common in California. 

Via ADU builder Abodu, I had a 500-square foot one-bedroom ADU inbuilt my yard. I paid $230,000 for it, begin to end. 

Now, I hire the ADU out for $3,000 a month to touring nurses for 3 months at a time. 

It was actually arduous to seek out what I used to be on the lookout for firstly 

At first, I seemed into doing a customized construct as a result of I assumed that was the one possibility I had on the time. Once more, this was earlier than ADUs have been common right here. 

It was so complicated for me: you must get an architect to design it, then you must do all this engineering, you want soil inspections, after which allowing — which is meant to be a nightmare. 

On prime of that, I talked to some contractors attempting to determine how a lot it might price and the way lengthy it might take. Nobody may inform me precisely as a result of all of it is dependent upon how a lot the architect is and the way a lot the allowing is. 

I acquired somewhat pissed off with the thought, plus I did not actually wish to design one. I’ve no want or skillset to design a home. However all the pre-approved plans that I had checked out have been form of boring. They seemed like packing containers. 

I simply did not wish to spend that a lot cash for one thing that was simply okay, so I put it on maintain for a bit. 

Then, I grew to become a prefab convert

Then two buddies throughout the similar week had seen Abodu on the information, and mentioned “I believe that is what you wish to do.” So I seemed it up on-line and noticed that they have been prefab models. 

At first, I wasn’t . In my thoughts, prefab meant cellular residence, and I didn’t desire a cellular residence in my yard.

However then I went to the showroom in Redwood Metropolis and instantly, as quickly as I walked in, I went oh my god, that is that is it. I liked it. It was a lot greater than I anticipated and it had excessive ceilings and quite a lot of lights. It was very trendy, which may be very a lot my aesthetic. 

One of many causes I picked it was as a result of I did not must make a single resolution concerning the design. All the pieces I wished was simply sitting there. I informed them I would like it precisely prefer it was in your showroom and so they mentioned, nice, we are able to do this.  

I took out a personal mortgage by way of a financial institution to finance it. 

COVID slowed down the method, but it surely all labored out

In early 2020, they despatched somebody out to do the muse. Then, the day it was speculated to be there, it was delayed due to the climate. Then COVID occurred, so it truly acquired delayed two months. 

It acquired delivered in Might. I did not notice — as a result of they’d taken care of all the things — however they needed to shut my avenue as a result of this ginormous crane got here. 

The crane took the ADU off the again of a truck, hooked it up after which the ADU flew over my home into my yard in about 4 minutes. 

Then as soon as it landed it was related to the utilities and acquired a ultimate inspection. After that, I constructed the deck and I did the landscaping. 

I began renting the unit out in 2021 to touring nurses. 

I did not hire it out all in 2020 as a result of, , it was COVID, and my unique plan was to do Airbnb.

However then somebody informed me about touring nurses. So I listed my unit on Furnished Finders — a web site for touring nurses and different touring professionals — and somebody reached out. 

I acquired my first tenant in Might of 2021 and I’ve by no means had an empty day since.  I’ve liked the nurses — the rental is a minimal of three months and most of them have prolonged their keep. 

Now, I’m an ADU advocate

I simply love going to networking occasions and speaking about ADUs. As a result of I haven’t got a job title, I identical to to say I’m an ADU evangelist. 

I give displays at networking occasions within the Bay Space. I clarify what an ADU is, what an connected versus an indifferent is, that form of stuff. Then I ought to simply present my photos. I give them totally different sources. 

On the final Friday in February, I gave a presentation about ADUs at an occasion and I invited individuals to come back see the unit on Tuesday as a result of that was the day my tenant was transferring out and it was earlier than the tenant was transferring in.

Once they opened up the LaCantina doorways, those who got here to see the unit have been blown away. It is like its personal little non-public oasis.