The New Avenue blog
More than decade of content on the things we love: your home
Cost to add a 430-square-foot backyard cottage in Berkeley
The backyard’s slope provided a lovely view from the rear of the yard, and Betsy hoped to take advantage of that in adding an ADU for her family. A New Avenue design professional created an ADU that could serve as a comfortable home and gave it a large deck and stairs to accommodate the unique backyard. The plans include a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living area.
Building a backyard office and darkroom in Berkeley
When Valerie and Tim wanted to add a darkroom and home office to their property in Berkeley, they contacted New Avenue. The space in their backyard was perfect for a detached accessory structure, and New Avenue’s design professional created a place that would work as storage, a creative studio, and a workspace for the homeowners. The space includes ample storage, an important consideration for those who want more space for their work and hobbies.
We just saved a client $20,000. (Sometimes city officials don’t know state law.)
Often, the city can’t keep up with changing state laws (which is, frankly, almost impossible). We pointed out a new law. As a result, the city building department agreed not to create $20,000+ in work.
How much will my property tax increase when I build an ADU in Emeryville, CA?
A property in Emeryville assessed at $500,000 costs around $6100 per year in taxes. Building an ADU similar to the one we created for our client will result in a small tax increase. Here are the details.
A Berkeley homeowner traded an old garage for a beautiful ADU
Alex, a homeowner in Berkeley, CA, realized that he could do more with his property. He envisioned converting his old garage into an office or an accessory dwelling unit, so he explored the possibilities.
Big changes in policy benefit CA homeowners
If you own residential property in California, new legislation is opening doors for you. This year’s ADU legislation is truly revolutionary and may make 2020 the best year ever to build the perfect accessory dwelling (or two) on your property.
The ADU dream is growing, and zoning is adapting to keep up.
Cities like Minneapolis, Minnesota, Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles and San Francisco, California are addressing the housing crisis in creative ways. Often by removing restrictive zoning laws and allowing more ADUs…
Converting a garage to a music studio and adding an accessory dwelling in Berkeley
A Berkeley homeowner, asked New Avenue to remodel his existing garage into a music studio and storage area. He also wanted an ADU to use as a guest house, additional space when needed, or rental home. New Avenue’s designer created a design for both buildings and worked with the city to permit the entire project. Here’s the design.
Plans for a backyard accessory building with solar panels in San Carlos
New Avenue created a 384-square-foot accessory structure in San Carlos with an open work/entertaining area, bathroom and a utility sink. Large windows give the structure an open, fresh feel, and solar panels enhance its sustainability. Here are the plans.
Thinking about wastewater could save you thousands.
If you’re converting your garage or building an accessory dwelling on your property, you’ll need to consider sewer lines when planning your budget…
$50K to build, $150K to fix
Legalizing an un-permitted ADU isn’t easy, but can be done. We’ve helped a lot of people turn their un-permitted spaces into a legal and rentable unit…
Cost to convert a garage into an accessory dwelling unit in Berkeley, CA
A Berkeley homeowner came to New Avenue hoping to convert his garage into an ADU but wasn’t sure how much it would cost to do it right…
Permit costs to build a duplex, triplex, or ADU
Adding an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to your home? Here’s what the permits will cost (and how long they might take to receive)…
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