7 ADUs You Can Buy Right Now for Less Than $100,000
Across the country, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are on the rise. And that’s not just because of the global pandemic, which has many of us yearning for extra space as we work from home and navigate shelter-in-place orders. Changing legislation and more progressive policies across the U.S. have made them easier to build as a way to address the affordable housing crisis.
While many ADUs are converted garages or backyard structures that have been adapted to include a kitchenette and bathroom, it’s also possible to purchase a prefabricated ADU and install it on your property—just make sure to check your local jurisdiction for regulations on size, location, and materials. With an eye on affordability and exciting design, we’ve gathered seven ADUs that come in under $100,000 before costs of permitting, shipping, and utility hookups.
AbleNook Modular Dwellings
AbleNook is a Florida-based prefabricated, flat-pack home kit made from aircraft-grade aluminum framing and structural insulated panels (SIPs). Although it started out as an architecture school project, it was later patented through the University of South Florida and makes for an affordable ADU starting at $75,000. Use it as a main residence, eco-friendly second home, or Airbnb. They’re also designed to be potential disaster relief, as they’re ready for just about any terrain or weather conditions, including Florida’s hurricane winds. It’s also expandable to accommodate a range of sizes.
Texas-based Kanga Room Systems offers a range of sheds and ADUs that can arrive as kits or as prefabricated units. Their Studio Luxe line, when designed to include a bathroom and delivered turnkey, starts at $56,700 for a 196-square-foot ADU, but increases in size and scale with their 640-square-foot model starting at $107,900.
Starting at just over $26,000 for a 14-by-18-foot unit, Studio Shed’s Summit Series is a turnkey ADU that has a range of customization options in terms of kitchen and bathroom sizing, finishes, high-efficiency windows, and more. Choose from dimensions as large as 20-by-50 feet.
Based in central Texas, Kountry Containers offers the Showcase, a one-bedroom, one-bathroom ADU that starts at $59,530. As the company’s name implies, it is constructed out of shipping containers, but its interiors are totally transformed with insulated windows, a kitchenette, and bathroom. Interiors can be outfitted with red cedar, as can the exterior, and other customizing options are available.
Founded in Malibu, California, by Nate Garnero & Douglas W. Burdge, AIA, Buhaus offers a 160-square foot ADU with an all-inclusive price of $96,000 (though this doesn’t factor in shipping costs). The unit is made from a shipping container and is designed to be used as a guest house, backyard office, or studio. It features space-saving measures, like a Murphy bed and an efficient kitchenette and bathroom. With an anticipated completion timeline of three to four months after purchase, it can also be outfitted for off-grid living.
Established in 2005, Kithaus has a range of ADUs and sheds in a range of sizes and price points with nearly a dozen options in terms of materials, cladding, and inclusion of kitchenettes and bathrooms. Their k6 model, which comes in at 280 square feet, is priced starting at $80,500 for one outfitted with a kitchenette and bathroom; the extended k6 model, at 330 square feet, starts at $89,700. Additional features that can be added on include canopies, decks, louvres, and bronze anodizing for the exterior.
Established in 2009, Meka Modular ships its light-steel-frame modular units all across North America. Their Alp 320 unit starts at $72,000, which includes shipping and all interior finishes; $85,500 is an estimate that includes the foundation, roof, and assembly. The one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit covers 320 square feet, and exterior cladding options include corrugated metal panels and western red cedar.
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