These days, bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to houses. Last month the Seattle City Council unanimously approved to expand the backyard cottage ordinance, allowing construction of “detached accessory dwelling units” (DADU) throughout the city. Until then, DADUs had only been allowed in Southeast Seattle since 2006.
Last September, Fremont resident and architect Bruce Parker and his wife opened Microhouse to help those seeking to make the most of what they have. The company specializes in houses of 120 square feet to 1,200 square feet. The picture above shows a cottage they built above a garage for an aging mother. “As designers we’re always looking for opportunities to integrate building and landscape and provide smaller more efficient designs. Until recently, this has been counter to local and national trends. However, increased environmental awareness and economic reality again favor smaller houses.” He adds, “Many people may be interested in the backyard cottages as means of making space for a expanding family, as my wife and I are. Others may look at them as an opportunity to make some additional rental income in these tough economic times.”
Of course, there are eligibility requirements involved before you can build a backyard cottage. Bruce will be at the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Home Design & Remodel Fair on January 31 if you want to see if one of these micro houses will work on your lot. You can also email him at bruce@microhousenw.com for more information.
At the same time, the City of Seattle wants to remind homeowners to legalize any existing backyard cottages. An approved grace period is allowing owners to legalize their unauthorized units without penalty. You have until June 30 to apply for a building permit. December 31 is the deadline to obtain final inspection. Any owners found to be in violation could be subject to penalties that exceed $5,000. For information on permit requirements, go to the City’s web site here.