Series: Accessory Dwelling Unit

This is series focusing on the requirements and planning for adding an Accessory Dwelling Unit to your home on Oahu.

Planned renovation of an ADU. Hands creating a border in the interior of a living room with french windows and garden outside
Jim Kane ADU

Six Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Build an ADU in Hawaii

This entry is part 11 of 13 in the series Accessory Dwelling Unit

It has been awhile since we discussed the benefits of having an accessory dwelling unit (or ADU) – including their potential for bringing more affordable housing options into the Hawaiian housing market and how ADUs can provide a new source of income. If you need to refresh your memory or read it for the first time, you can […]

Colourful hats on sandy beach by the sea, Guest house or ADU, short for Accessory Dwelling Unit.
Jim Kane Accessory Dwelling Unit, ADU

The 9 Basic Requirements for Building an ADU in Hawaii

This entry is part 12 of 13 in the series Accessory Dwelling Unit

Since the dawn of property ownership, people have been building smaller dwellings near their pre-existing homes. In Australia, they call them Granny Flats, in certain parts of the continental US, they’re called Mother-in-Law houses and here in Hawaii, the official term is ADU, short for Accessory Dwelling Unit. Like the acronym says, these are little homes that […]

senior asian couple looking at plans for an ADU on a tablet computer at home
Jim Kane Accessory Dwelling Unit, ADU

Retirement Downsizing in Place with an Accessible ADU

This entry is part 13 of 13 in the series Accessory Dwelling Unit

Many seniors are seriously conflicted about the choice to downsize into a smaller, more manageable and affordable house or stay with the family home to pass it on to the children who grew up there. There is an inherent conflict between practicality and sentimentality, especially as you start to slow down and getting around the […]