Pouring the Concrete

Today might be our son Landon’s favorite day so far… concrete pouring day! A huge truck pulled in front of our house this morning which was the highlight of his week. The concrete is being poured for the foundation of the accessory dwelling unit.

Before photos, for reference. The contractors laid down the rebar before the concrete was poured.

The concrete was also poured for the bathroom foundation and the landing right outside the side sliding door

We had to do what is called “floating” the garage floor, which means putting the layer of the foundation by bringing it up to the 6” curb inside the former garage. From my understanding, this provides for a more stable structure. This is a necessary step for the ADU to be up to code. Again, please check with your local city, as all cities have different codes and regulations.

Having a little bit of having fun by putting Landon’s handprint in the wet concrete

…but of course we forgot to put his name and year next to his handprint! At least we’ll have this blog to look back at and recall. Landon 2019 :)

Gutted

Here are some photos of the accessory dwelling unit after demolition day. It is a blank canvas ready to be rebuilt!

Sourcing Appliances and Other Materials

Now that construction is well underway, the next step for us is to source appliances and materials for the project. When we met with the contractor, we negotiated up front as to what materials they will provide and what we will purchase. We agreed that Ian and I would purchase the appliances such as the stove, washer, dryer, cabinets, sink basins and faucets. Ian and I will also provide the tiling for the bathroom and paint for the interior and exterior as well. The contractors will be providing the basic stuff for construction, like nuts, bolts, insulation, shingles for roof, etc.

Although we are still a ways away from getting the appliances installed, we wanted to start window-shopping early and make sure we can find and purchase the items from the stores with the best deals. We are mostly shopping at big-box retailers like Lowes and Home Depot.

This is also another crucial step because we are forced to think about the aesthetic that we would like to go with for the ADU. We are planning on purchasing stainless steel appliances. We are also considering what color scheme to choose for the floors throughout the ADU and also cabinet colors for the kitchen. One thing we want to keep in mind is that we would like for the bathroom to be cohesive with the kitchen, so we definitely have to be mindful of that when sourcing for appliances and materials as well. This is a small project and we plan to keep things pretty basic but would still like to have everything matching and cohesive as much as possible!

We are noticing the pricing for items are very similar. Our home is located closest to a Lowes, so we will mostly be purchasing from this store out of convenience. Of course, the frustrating thing with shopping at big box retailers is getting assistance from associates, but when you do get a hold of a knowledgable associate, it makes all the difference!

Finding and Deciding on a Contractor

Choosing a contractor is one of the most crucial parts of the entire process of building an ADU. We have spoke to a few people who have also gone through the processing of building an ADU or just renovating their home in general and have heard horror stories about contractors not doing their job, going MIA entirely or just working at a slow pace while they are working on their other projects simultaneously. We knew it was a big component of this entire project to choose the right contractor, so we agreed to gather bids and interview a few contractors before making the decision.

Not having any personal connections or leads to contractors, we decided to ask on a few different sources and platforms. We first asked the professionals we were already working with- the expeditor, drafter and engineer- if they knew of any reliable contractors that they have personally worked with who we can speak to. They all gave us contractor leads, but unfortunately the contractors were already slammed with other projects and didn’t have time to dedicate to our ADU.

Next, we decided to post our inquiry on Angie’s List. This was an interesting site because you post your inquiry and the potential vendors contact you directly. So we received a few phone calls and lined up three different contractors to come by our home and meet them in person so they can also check out the garage that would become the ADU.

Unfortunately, all three contractors that we met through Angie’s List seemed a little green. One potential contractor showed us photos of projects he had completed and I swore one of them was a picture taken from Pinterest that I had come across before. That was a little disappointing. All of the contractors we interviewed mentioned that they have worked for other companies and decided to branch out on their own. While this may have been OK, we personally felt more comfortable choosing a contractor who has plenty experience under their belt. Even though this is a smaller job compared to other renovations and construction work, to us this is a big deal and we wanted to make sure that the contractor we chose had completed similar projects.

Then we decided to post on the Next Door app to see if we can get any recommendations there. We received two solid leads! Both contractors were local and have had experience working on and building ADUs. The first contractor we met with was completing an ADU that was less than a 10 minute drive from our house. We were able to drive up to the project he was working on at the time and saw his banner posted on the project, so we knew this was his work. It seemed like things were rocking and rolling and the person who gave us his contact information highly recommended him! Unfortunately, when it came time to get his bid, it was very thorough and detailed but also very expensive. The bid was almost double our budget and what we projected to spend. There was no way we could afford him.

Finally, we met with another contract whose information I also received from the Next Door app post. The person who commented on my post mentioned that her husband is a contractor and lived in the area. We met with him and instantly felt like we were on the same page. I think that is another important point when choosing a contractor. Not only do you want to make sure they are experienced, detailed and licensed but you also have to make sure you connect with them personally. Afterall, you will be working with them over a period of months and have to feel comfortable enough to be able to ask questions and work with this person and their team. Their bid was on par with what we expected and budgeted for. We also met with his team who has had years of experience. We felt the most comfortable with them and decided it was time to lock it in and move forward! So far they have been here on site every day, all day and have been kicking butt. We are so happy with our choice and look forward to finishing up the project with this contractor.

SOLD!

SOLD! We helped our buyers find and purchase this adorable and recently renovated Craftsman home in Jefferson Park. Are you looking to buy or sell your home? @thelashleygroup can help! DM Jamie R Lashley / email: jamie@thelashleygroup.com or Ian Lashley / email ian@thelashleygroup.com for any inquiries or real estate questions!
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The Permit Process and Demo Day(s)

Demo days are under way! Walls have been torn down and construction is officially underway. I must say, this is very exciting and nerve-wrecking all at the same time! I’m also super bummed to report that after much consideration, we had to chop down an orange tree. Unfortunately it was right up against the bathroom that had to be demolished. We tried our best to save it but ultimately there was no way to keep it. We are planning to plant another fruit tree after construction is done in its honor.

The orange tree that sadly had to be sacrificed for the ADU

The lead up to this day was no easy feat. Not sure where to begin, we reached out to a few of our colleagues to see if they had any contacts on who can help point is in the right direction and start building the ADU. Luckily, we were referred to a great contact who previously worked at the city planning department and now offers services specifically for helping assist permit paperwork get through the city as smoothly as possible. His previous experience with the whole process as well as his contacts have been shown to be very helpful! We’ll call his role the “Permit Expeditor”. Not only was the Permit Expeditor able to help navigate paperwork with the city, he was able to introduce us to the Drafter and also the Engineer who worked with the drafter. Together, the Drafter and Engineer were able to team up and create plans to submit to the city.

The day our plans got approved by the city and the permit was officially obtained!

Between the Permit Expeditor and the Drafter, they were able to work directly with the city, going back and forth for months with corrections until our plans finally got approved! About 3 different visits to city hall that required corrections every time and over a span of approx. 6 months, our plans finally got approved! Once we got the permit we were ready to finally choose a contractor.

We’ll dive into how we chose a contractor in the next post. Stay tuned!

Staged Dining Rooms That Wow

https://magazine.realtor/slideshow?AdobeAnalytics=ed_rid%3D6494065%26om_mid%3D1300%7CMembersEdgeNews_2019_08_029_Agents%26om_ntype%3DMEMBER%27S%20EDGE%20%28news%29#!%23slideshowCNid:144179

credit: Realtor Magazine

The Lashleys are Building an ADU!

As I am writing this blog, I’m listening to the sound of hammers pounding, music blairing and four guys moving and tearing stuff down. How did we get to this point? A lot of hard work, countless meetings with architects, drawers, engineers, contractors etc., visits to city hall to get permits, patience and persistence!

It has been almost a year since Ian and I started this journey to get the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) construction to even begin. From what we have heard from other friends who have gone through something similar, construction is probably the most grueling part of the whole project, but this is also one of the final steps before everything is complete. We wanted to take you on this journey with us, whether it be because we would love to share this journey with our family and friends or if you are looking to start building your own ADU! We have also had clients and people ask us about the ADU process , so we thought this blog was a great medium to use.

Ian and I have always intended to build an ADU on our property. The home that we lived in (and still own) in Los Angeles is a duplex so we are no strangers to being landlords. It ain’t easy at times but to us, it is definitely worth it. When we purchased this home in February 2018, one of the reasons we chose this home is because it had a 2-car garage that we felt could easily be converted into an ADU. Why would someone build or seek out a property with an ADU? You can rent it out to a full time tenant, rent out the ADU as a short term unit (if your city allows for this, please check local laws and regulations before deciding to rent out the unit short term!) or use the ADU as a granny flat, having your in-laws or relatives live close by, but still have your own privacy.

I should also mention that, of course, every city has different rules and regulations for building an ADU so please do check for local laws, rules and restrictions. This blog is merely just a little glimpse into what it took for us to get this ADU started and I hope it helps and maybe even inspires you, too!

Can’t wait for you to join us on this journey!

x Jamie