A Modern New Home in a Berkeley Backyard

Turnkey Project Cost Today = $975,000
Size = 1,519 sf

This new home in Berkeley is in the backyard of an existing home, but it’s not an ADU. This is a second single-family home. The project transformed the property, adding a 1,519-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath second home behind the existing 1,044-square-foot, three-bedroom home.

The new residence was inspired by Blu Homes and modular designs. As with almost all lots, modular wouldn’t fit, but the style was possible. 

The beautiful modern design includes a shed roof, an open floor plan, two bedrooms, a great room with 30-foot ceilings, a large kitchen with floor-to-ceiling storage, a garage/workshop, and telescoping doors that open to a private patio.

The home was placed slightly forward on the lot to provide privacy in the backyard.

The property feels like two distinct single-family homes, and adding the second home cost about half the price of buying anything else nearby. Plus, it’s one of the few brand-new modern homes in the city! 

As a CPA with her own accounting practice, Johanna has done the math, and she says this investment will pay for itself.  More specifically, the main home’s rent will pay for more than the cost of the existing mortgage and the new loan to build the ADU.

Johanna and Dan can rent the original home out and bring in enough money to cover both mortgages and live in Berkeley for free.

If their plans change, they can do almost anything with the property. Either or both homes can be a rental or space for family. If they ever need homes for both themselves and their loved ones, they have two spacious houses right next to each other.

Johanna’s one condition for renting the front house is that you have kids and dogs! This sense of community building is the number-one thing that motivates us here at New Avenue!