Take a look inside 12+ Peninsula ADUs

Homeowners interested in adding a separate guest house to their property can learn about local zoning regulations and see a variety of home designs and styles on Sat., Aug. 10, during a self-guided tour of accessory dwelling units located in the backyards of private residences throughout the greater Peninsula. 

Co-hosted by Redwood City and Inspired ADUs, the Bay Area-Peninsula ADU Tour showcases 17 backyard homes ranging from 395 square feet to 1,000 square feet and everything in between, including a studio with indoor-outdoor living spaces, a converted basement, a row of carports that are now multifamily units and a variety of custom-built and prefab homes with separate bedrooms and full-sized kitchens and bathrooms.  Some of the homes were assembled from prebuilt home kits with panels that essentially snap together onsite, others were built in a factory and lowered onto their foundation with a crane and others were custom-built. Construction costs for the homes range from $200,000 to $550,000.

Organizers said the goal of the tour is to help change common misconceptions about small spaces by providing people an opportunity to walk in and around local ADUs and see firsthand the potential for comfortable and stylish living in these small-footprint homes. 

Those on the tour can talk to homeowners, builders and designers about the design and construction process and potential benefits of adding an ADU to a property while getting inspiration for their own potential projects.

For those who want to see how prefab homes are actually put together, ADU provider Prefab ADU will hold a live construction demonstration of their panelized home kit at the event’s free Info Hub in downtown Redwood City (1900 Broadway). The Info Hub is free to explore and will feature booths staffed by various ADU providers and professionals from around the Bay Area. 

One stop on the tour is an 800-square-foot detached cottage in Woodside built for the owner’s aging mom. 

Rather than pay a $300,000 buy-in fee and $9,000 in monthly fees for senior living accommodations in the area,  the mom paid for two- thirds of the cost of the ADU and now lives in it for free, the homeowner said.  

The ADU is age-in-place friendly. It was designed with a curbless shower and step-free access to the entry and a sprawling outdoor deck. 

In Palo Alto, there’s a 675-square-foot backyard home that the owners built so they can eventually age in place. The home, they said, will give them the flexibility to have their adult children live with them or to generate rental income to help them cover living costs after they retire. 

The custom home has heated floors in the bathroom, a tankless water  heater, skylights, a loft and a walk-in closet that can be converted into an office, if needed.  

Another Palo Alto stop on the tour is a converted garage that now serves as extra space for a multigenerational household. According to the homeowners, the  375-square-foot home provides the perfect place to “cook in peace,” practice yoga, host overnight guests or for their teen children to hang out with friends. 

The self-guided tour is the first Inspire tour on the Peninsula and follows on the heels of the inaugural Inspire East Bay Tour held last October by ADU design firm Inspired ADUs. 

The tour costs $45 for general admission and provides ticket holders access to homes from Daly City to Cupertino between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Info Hub is open from 2:30- 5 p.m. and is free. For tickets, go to Peninsula ADU Tour + Free Info Hub.

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