Adding a Small Apartment - Not just for Mom
We’ve talked about adding a room in the attic, basement, or garage, but what about a small apartment? With a good contractor, it can be done fairly easily, and most of what we’ve already written applies. What’s different? Mostly it’s a matter of space. But let’s start by asking . . .
Who is the Apartment for?
A small apartment within a home is often called a “mother-in-law” apartment, and that’s certainly a common use. But, in New Hampshire and Vermont, there are no laws that say they can’t be lived in by someone else. For example:
- A child of the household who has just graduated from college or gotten married
- An au pair or nanny
- A grad student at a local college
- A caretaker for senior homeowners or a disabled family member
- The owners of the dwelling, who are renting out the main house to make ends meet
- Air B&B guests (if your zoning allows it!)
Vermont actually has a state law that requires towns to allow these apartments – called “accessory dwelling units” – in residential neighborhoods. At this time, New Hampshire doesn’t have such a law, but a bill to do so has been submitted in the NH senate last year. Whether it passes or not, the state’s master plan and zoning laws in general support the creation of small apartments because they fill a big demand for small, affordable housing.
All that said, you should always check with your town’s zoning office to see what the rules are. There may be maximum and minimum limits on floor area or number of occupants, along with septic, frontage, setback, and electrical code requirements.
How Many Rooms Should it Have?
Studio apartments are quite common for single people and even for couples. Essentially, you have a large room that serves as kitchen, dining, living, and bedroom combined, plus a small bathroom with a shower. Kitchenette units provide cooking space in a small package, while pullout or even Pullman-style beds turn sitting space into sleeping space. Built-in closets, cupboards, shelves, and drawers allow for efficient storage. There are even small, stacked washer/dryer units designed just for small apartments.
If you have the space, you can squeeze in a separate bedroom, or even two, though then you might run up against zoning law limits. It’s important to keep in mind the purpose of the apartment and not go overboard.
On the other hand, if you know you’ll be housing a couple, you may want to do all you can to squeeze in two rooms plus bathroom. Make the “bedroom” big enough to also hold a desk or sewing table and a comfortable chair, so the two apartment-dwellers can get away from each other for a while. You’ll find a “getaway space” to be even more important if you’re planning to supplement your income by moving out of the main living space to occupy the apartment yourself.
You can also charge more on Air B&B for a “suite”.
The point is, a small “accessory dwelling unit” can start out as the perfect room for Mom, then change its purpose as needed, particularly if you design it to be flexible.
