Exploring ADU Options for Ideal Home Purchase in Arlington VA

[Lexie De Stefano]

Hi BP friends!

I currently househack a townhouse in Arlington, VA, and am looking to purchase my second BRRRR property in the next year, but this time with the goal of creating an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to maintain my personal space. The house hacking strategy is amazing...but I'm ready for some privacy! I've been reading up on Arlington County ADU laws and regulation updates over the last few days and understand they're pretty decent for the area, but they are a bit intimidating for a newer real estate investor like myself to navigate. I'd welcome insight into other Arlington investor experiences with ADUs, whether it's creating one in the basement, an addition, or a completely separate dwelling, as I narrow down my search criteria for my eventual second house purchase.

Some questions I'd love to hear about:

1. Based on your experiences, would you pick one style ADU over the other?

2. What kind of ball park price are we talking so that I can attempt to factor those larger expenses into my future budget? Are we talking $50k vs. $100k/$200k?

3. How was your experience working with Arlington County to get your ADU permitted and approved? How long did it take, and what kind of obstacles did you run into?

4. Based on your experience, would you recommend holding out for a property that already has a built in mother-in-law suite that just needs some TLC instead of creating my own?

5. Any other lessons learned? 

Thank you all in advance for your help!