1. Becoming infirm – It is wrong to assume that once your health begins to deteriorate, the only option available is to move into a nursing facility or assisted housing where help is available 24/7. Why not build an ADU for a live-in carer? It could be a totally independent unit or it could be attached to your home with an interconnecting door. Not only will you add value to your home, but you will also save a fortune in nursing facility/care home fees. 2. Bringing your family closer to you – Of course, you could achieve two goals with one project. If you are struggling to look after yourself and your home, perhaps because it is now too big for you to maintain, why not build an independent ADU? Then, if your son or daughter has a family, they could move into the main house and look after you while you keep your independence in your own, smaller property. A good attorney or accountant can advise you, but where estate planning is concerned you may choose to sell the main house to your son or daughter at a reduced price (to cover the cost of your ADU) or gift the property to them as part of your legacy. 3. Boosting your pension fund – It could be that most of your wealth is tied up in your home, quite a common situation. You could consider building an affordable home on the plot and then renting out the main house to generate a monthly income. Alternatively, if you have modest savings, an affordable steel-framed home built within the boundary of your property could be rented out to generate additional income. The property would be even more affordable to build as you will only have to pay for the structure—you already own the land it will be built on! 4. Helping out your family financially – In many countries, the value of property has risen so much in the past twenty years that getting on the property ladder can be difficult if not impossible. Because members of the younger generation have so many options available
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