Reason 1 – Family

There’s a reason casitas were originally often referred to as “granny flats”.  They were a place for us to help house our aging elders while still giving them some independence. In today’s housing climate, though, given the high cost of real estate, elevated rents, and low availability of affordable housing, it’s not just our aging relatives who need a place to live. People across the United States are looking for ways to consolidate and reduce their living expenses and costs.  Those who already own a home with enough property to build a casita are now able to be housing heroes to everyone from their teenage and college-age kids to brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and even in-laws.

In the old days, partially due to severe regulations against building casitas, you might find families all jamming into the main home, sharing bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces.  Of course, while we love our families, that type of crowding can lead to tension after a while. Casitas provide an independent living space, complete with a kitchen, bathroom, living areas, and storage so that families can spread out a bit and retain some privacy and independence, all of which leads to being a happier family long term.

Reason 2 – Income/Investment

Whether you build for family or general rental, casitas are great for generating income and value.  Historically, one of the main objections to the city approving casitas has been that they didn’t want to turn residential neighborhoods into rental complexes.  

Over the past few years that ArDan Construction has been building casitas and ADUs in Scottsdale, we’ve also found that most casitas are worth more than they cost to build immediately upon final inspection. Factor in the potential rental income in such a high-rent area as Scottsdale. Even if you’ve refinanced your home or taken out an equity line of credit to build the casita, the income usually far exceeds the monthly payment on the loan.  The long-term value of the casita will also continue to increase in keeping with real estate the real estate value of the main dwelling. 

Reason 3 – Space

Anyone who’s lived in a metropolitan area for any length of time knows that extra space is more of a convenience than an expectation.  While it may be a little less costly to add some outdoor living area or room addition to your home, those projects can take longer to permit because of the push to develop additional housing.

As a result, many of our clients are electing to build a casita instead of considering the alternatives.  We’ve designed and built casitas that our clients currently use as gyms, offices, craft rooms, play areas, pool houses, and game rooms.  Along with the significant additional value that an ADU or casita brings to the property, a well-designed multi-use casita has the added bonus that they are built to be a completely independent, income-generating living space should that need ever arise.

ArDan Construction is your go-to home improvement contractor for the Scottsdale area. We provide turn-key remodeling, new construction, commercial, and repair solutions. If you are interested in building a casita on your property, ArDan Construction is the contractor to call.