Budget Breakdown: An $80K ADU Gives a Growing Austin Family Space for Work—and Working Out

After almost a year of renting a nearly 100-year-old bungalow in East Austin, Stevie and Julia Chavez needed more space. The couple work from home as UX designers, but with their first child on the way, they were soon going to outgrow the two-bed home. They started looking at places to buy, but in 2021, that was no easy feat. "It seemed like any offer we put in, we were outbid by $100,000," Stevie remembers. The pair resolved to extend their lease, at least until their son was at an age where he needed his own room. Then they found out the owners of their rental were looking to sell, which ended their search.