All Forum Posts by: Sarah Purdum

Hi guys! I am looking for some recommendations of contractors that have done a basement foundation in Southern CA. We live in Reseda in LA County and are finalizing architecture plans tomorrow. 

We want an unfinished basement foundation, either 7 or 8 feet tall made with concrete blocks. Does anyone know of a contractor who has done a project like this who I can contact? Itll be about 600 square feet with a shorter crawl space. It'll be for a two story ADU.

Thank you for both of your answers! Yeah it seems permits and architecture will run just around 12k from what I've heard. Thank you for your input, that's more what I was thinking around 160-200 pdf. The people we have been talking to have been quoting closer to 375 a square foot though i did get a quote for 250 per square foot. Seems I need to keep shopping around or hire sub contractors instead of a general contractor. 

Hi guys,

We are looking to build a detached 1200sqft 3 bed, 2 bath adu behind our house in Reseda, CA (the valley north of Los Angeles). We have a budget of about $250,000 and we would prefer that it be 2 stories to preserve some of our backyard. (800sqft first story, 400sqft second story. The bathrooms would be directly above each other) We have drawn up a basic floorplan ourselves but we would still have to hire an architect etc. What is a reasonable cost for the project/ cost per sqft to accomplish this?

Btw we are happy to pay for plans, I just need guidance on what exactly we have to do to get plans permitted so we can start building. 

Hi guys,

I currently live in Reseda, CA (in Los Angeles county) in my first home and I want to build a shipping container home ADU in my backyard as well as a side project of enclosing my garage which is currently a carport. My boyfriend and I have had this plan for years, first we bought a house with a big lot and now we want to permit the ADU before starting to build it next year when we have the funds.

My question is does anyone have a recommendation for an architect or structural engineer (I think that's another person who can help is get plans?) who can help us get permits for the construction? My bf is a bit of a genius and has some construction background and has a very detailed design in sketch up already and I dont want to have to pay an arm and a leg for plans. We had a friend contractor who was helping us every step of the way who has now stopped being responsive.

Real estate in LA is expensive and we are already renting our spare bedrooms on airbnb. Building this ADU is just helping us further our dreams of being creative real estate investors with the money we have to work with in this crazy city!

Can anyone help us out? 

Thank you all for your replies, you have given me a lot to think about. I'm very interested in building ADU's especially since I can then rent out the main house to cover most of the mortgage expense while living in the ADU which will also raise the value of the property. Perhaps building a property from the ground up will be further down the line, thanks for the input. I appreciate the feedback :)

@Joseph M. just to clarify-that’s 385-425 per square foot to buy a new home. Not build. And that’s why it looks like such a good margin to me. It seems too good.

@Joseph M. I'm seeing new constructions in West Hills from 385-425 per square foot. And I've read that LA is even giving money to people to build an ADU for the homeless.

@Scott Choppin thanks for the reply. Actually my next move is to move into a house in the area with an ADU already or to build one and rent out the main house as a house hack. My initial idea was to just build ADUs on properties while I live in them and to move from house to house. It seems like new construction is just more profitable. Thank you for the heads up about ZIMAS, I've been at a loss of where to find zoning laws for my area. I'll check it out. As for the lots, I've just found some by googling lots and land for sale. Obviously since I haven't gone and seen them they could just be misrepresented and actually much more expensive. I've just been looking on sites like Zillow or https://www.century21.com/real-estate/canoga-park-ca-91304/LZ91304/?pt=4. There they have a lot listed for 60k.

@Joseph M. You’re right there aren’t vacant lots for sale in Canoga Park however there are lots of homes that sit on lots that look like they can be split. Then if you look in areas near Canoga Park, there are a few lots for sale. Places like West Hills and Chatsworth. West hills looks very interesting as a lot costs around 100k but a newly constructed home sells from high 900k to 1.2mil. 

Do you or anyone you know build new construction on vacant lots? It seems to me it would cost the same everywhere but in LA that new home would fetch a much higher price than in other areas.

Hello BP,

I have been learning tons about buy and hold real estate and have been using most of my effort to find out of state properties that have a high rent ratio. However, lately I’ve been thinking about investing closer to my area in Los Angeles County.

I live in Canoga Park and have seen some homes that could be split into two lots and I’ve seen vacant lots. The price of homes in my area go for around 550,000-600,000. It seems to me that new construction couldn’t cost more than 300,000 or 350,000 which brings a single new construction sale to 250-300k in profit. I’m thinking this is the best way for me to invest in Los Angeles where rent doesn’t even cover the cost of the mortgage, taxes and insurance.

Am I missing something here? It sounds too good to be true.