The basement, which was entirely for storage, makes the perfect place to add an accessory dwelling unit. With a living/dining area, kitchen, bathroom, and patio, this will be a great home for a single person, a couple, or a pair of roommates. Plus, the homeowners don’t have to give up all of their storage. A storage room accessible from the main home is included in the plan.

Johanna, a homeowner in Berkeley, contacted New Avenue to create a basement apartment for her mother-in-law. The family needed a space that would make it easy for Johanna’s mother-in-law to get around using her walker.

The family also wanted to reserve part of the basement for storage and laundry. When their New Avenue design professional created the design, he found a way to relocate the washer and dryer to maintain a shared storage and laundry space.

Here are the plans and the costs at the time of the project.