LA Ranch Home Guest House for Senior Living & Rental Income

A former nurse in LA’s San Fernando Valley saw potential in her back yard for an ADU, but as she shopped around, she couldn’t find anything that would work for her quaint house and lot. Cottage stepped in to bring her the customized ADU she was looking for.

The use for the ADU would be simple. The homeowner liked the idea of “aging in place” – that is, finding a way to live in her current location as she aged, and not have to move into a senior living facility or other, similar arrangement. While a true senior living option wasn’t needed immediately, she saw the benefits of building an ADU now that she could rent out until she was ready to move into it herself.

In particular, as a former nurse, the homeowner liked the prospect of renting out a unit to traveling nurses in need of reasonably priced housing. She wanted something that felt like “home away from home,” as she put it, for those that needed one.

However, as the homeowner shopped around for ADU options, she soon discovered that her existing property, a quaint San Fernando Valley ranch home on a corner lot, presented some hidden limitations for building an ADU. Many prefab, rectangle-shaped options simply couldn’t fit in the available buildable area dictated by local regulations. Other options could be placed according to local regulations, but the arrangement of the unit in her backyard would be awkward and undesirable.

Additionally, she saw that many architects or contractors didn’t have the personalization she was looking for. Where other contractors gave her stock, Cottage really listened through her initial consultation process and helped come up with a creative solution for an ADU to fit her needs.

“I chose Cottage for my ADU because of the team’s ability to meet my personal needs and fit the unit onto my lot,” the homeowner said. “I’m excited to watch my dream be constructed!”

Cottage’s homeowner consultant helped the homeowner select an option from Cottage’s floor plans library that could work – It was an L-shape that could be sited at the extreme edges of the buildable area of her backyard. When placed in such a way, the elongated nature of the two wings of the unit meant that some of her back yard was preserved and could still be used for outdoor relaxation and entertaining guests.

In the end, Cottage’s customized design approach has allowed her to create a welcoming place – a home away from home for traveling nurses now, and someday a home for her future, more senior self.

At Cottage, we believe in providing homeowners the best ADU experience possible from start to finish. From the initial feasibility and planning conversations to design to permitting to construction, we're here to guide your project from start to finish.

Interested in building a similar attached or detached ADU, or converting an existing garage space? Contact us today by clicking the link below for a free, no-obligation consultation & estimate for your ADU vision with one of our ADU experts!