Families Build Backyard Cottages to Avoid Putting Loved Ones in Actual Homes
KEY POINTS
- ā¢Lena Koropey in Mattituck, NY, plans a 750 sqft accessory dwelling unit (ADU) after her motherās Alzheimerās diagnosis ten years ago.
- ā¢Todd Kuchta and his family in Napa County built a 480 sqft ADU costing $248,000 to support their adult son Jacob with autism.
- ā¢Shalini Karnani Bonjour in California constructed a $475,000 ADU for her 78-year-old mother to age in place comfortably.
Lena Koropey, 48, of Mattituck, NY, stared down a 1,300 sqft house and a half-acre yard, spreadsheets in hand, to figure out how to keep her Alzheimer's-diagnosed mother close but not too close. Her solution? A 750 sqft ADUāor as she calls it, 'Excel meets emotional labor.' Meanwhile, in Napa County, the Kuchtas dropped $248,000 for a 480 sqft ADU featuring Oakland A's memorabilia for their autistic son Jacob, 28, financed partly by a $63,000 forgivable loan and a loan from Redwood Credit Union, because apparently autism housing costs can rack up faster than a baseball scorekeeping app. In sunny Coachella Valley, Shalini Karnani Bonjour, 50, bought a $475,000 ADU to keep her 78-year-old mom from wandering all the way to Michigan, proving that aging in place means turning backyards into mini mansions with walk-in tubs. Itās all about preserving dignity, love, and the stubborn refusal to let rising housing costs wināone tiny house, spreadsheet, and loan at a time.
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(1 of 3)When your housing market inflates faster than your relatives' care needs, just slap a cottage in the backyard and call it adaptive living. Dignity sold separately, financing mandatory.
Building mini homes in your yard to save on elder care costs is peak 2020s capitalism meeting 'Hey Mom, I got you a studio apartment'.
Nothing says 'I love you' like dragging a second mortgage into the backyard and calling it caregiving real estate.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 8/16/2026 | Author: Alcynna Lloyd
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