**AB 1033 condos are coming to California. This is what they'll look like.**

A new law in California, AB 1033, will allow homeowners to sell their ADUs separately from the main home on the property. We expect to see hundreds of thousands of these in California and millions across the country in the coming decades!

The remodeled condo in these photos is not an AB 1033 ADU; that law only recently passed. This backyard condo was built decades ago and was recently renovated. The fact is, these have always been here and are hidden in plain sight!

This is exactly what the projects created under the new law can be! And it's amazing for owners, new buyers, and neighbors.

The condo featured here is a two-bedroom separate home in the backyard of a 100-year-old home, and it is an example what you can build under the ADU laws.

These future ADU condos will be beautiful homes that create affordable homeownership opportunities across the state. Current homeowners can build ADUs and sell them separately, benefitting financially from property they already own while retaining their own homes. Future homeowners can buy one of these new condos at an affordable price and move into a comfortable home in a great community.

The home featured here is all about health and sustainability in an incredible neighborhood. We're looking forward to seeing many more like it under AB 1033.

This family did it right! High-end renovations made this backyard condo a sustainable custom and — dare we say it? — luxury home.

A family of three purchased a two-bedroom backyard condo in West Berkeley and hired New Avenue to build a total remodel of the home.

To protect the owner's privacy, we won't share too much about the costs of this specific project, but the cost of major renovations like this can vary. In general, a fixer-upper in the Bay Area is going to cost $1,000 per square foot minimum, and the cost of renovations is $500 per square foot or more! It may look crazy at first glance, but it's ultimately worth it!

This client went high-end yet got a deal, thanks to their diligent research and shopping (and our amazing team, of course).

We love their sustainable, healthy finishes and how they use the space in this 774-square-foot home. It's nice to have a fully engaged team of owner, designer, and builder who all create something this wonderful!

Clean indoor air and natural materials mean a comfortable, beautiful home and peace of mind.

At the top of this client’s list of must-haves: sustainability and outstanding indoor air quality. We helped them create a space with extremely low VOCs that is energy efficient and built with high-quality, environmentally friendly materials.

Here's what they chose:

Tile: The tile in this home was all made in the United States by Fireclay Tile, which is known for sustainable manufacturing and social responsibility. (By the way, Fireclay Tile is a B Corp like New Avenue!)

Paint: The homeowners chose Benjamin Moore Aura paint for its low VOCs, longevity, reputation, and color compatibility. They also selected an EMF-blocking paint to use on a wall in their child’s room.

Floors: The wood flooring throughout is red oak from Hickman Mills. The homeowners loved the appearance and the company’s sustainability practices. They chose to finish their floors with Bona Traffic HD, a low-VOC, low-odor waterborne finish.

Cabinets: The homeowners took a mixed approach to installing new cabinets. Some of their cabinets were custom-built by a local company, and others are upgraded Ikea cabinets with solid, hard-maple fronts by Scherr’s Cabinets and Doors.

Wood Finishes: The homeowners finished the cabinet fronts themselves with Rubio Monocoat finish, which boasts 0% VOCs. The windowsills are rift white oak, also with a Rubio finish. The floating living-room seat is Douglas fir and finished in Odie's Oil, a food-safe, non-toxic oil. The cedar siding is sealed with a water-based poly by General Finishes.

Exposed Wood Beams: Those gorgeous beams aren't just for show. That's a whole-house structural overhaul woven into an old building to get it up to today's seismic code. This is what makes California renovations expensive! (Alright, our penchant for nice tile and appliances contributes, too). Those are engineered laminated veneer lumber (LVLs) and were installed to replace old 2x6 and 2x4 rafters. LVLs are about 4X stronger than traditional lumber. These new ones are twice as big too. That adds up to 10X stronger roof framing.

Appliances: Miele kitchen appliances are a bit pricier, but ask any repair professional and they will tell you that these appliances pay for themselves by lasting a lifetime! The refrigerator is a Fisher & Paykel.

Insulation: Researching the use of GPS foam on top of the roof as an alternative to spray foam, the homeowners found that this kind of installation isn't usually done in the US. They went with Rockwool mineral wool, which is made from all-natural materials and is naturally fire resistant, sound dampening, and moisture resistant. They also added Rockwool Safe‘n’Sound to the interior walls for additional sound absorption.

Giant Oak Tree: OK, this beautiful tree doesn't really belong in a list of owner-purchased, contractor-installed (OPCI) items. You can't buy a 100+ year old oak that shades the entire backyard. But it is one of the things that the owners just love, and it's worth mentioning! It's the largest object in the neighborhood that can be seen on Google Earth, and it shades the entire outdoor dining area, which is something we can all appreciate—especially a couple that has lived in NYC and San Francisco apartments!

This family will enjoy a sustainable, space-efficient home in a lively, walkable neighborhood.

In addition to the sustainable, healthy features, this home makes great use of the space available. Having lived in New York City and San Francisco for years, these homeowners have a lot of experience getting the most out of small spaces. They know how to make a table for 8 work in a small space, how to use a window bench for maximum enjoyment, and lots of other efficiency tricks.

We think this happy couple and their child will enjoy living in this hip community, which is, by the way, a walker’s and bicyclist’s paradise. In this neighborhood, you can go days without using a car.

New Avenue priced and built this project from a non-New Avenue designer. If you have a design but need project administration and construction, ask us for a price check any time!

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