Making Room for Work, Family, and the Future

Keri Ouellette and her husband were looking to create a little more breathing room in their 1,250-square-foot home in South Portland. With Keri working from home several days a week and a young child in the house, the family needed space to grow.

Because of their lot’s unusual shape, building a conventional addition was too expensive.

They found it was cheaper to build a detached ADU—a choice that made more financial and practical sense.

“The ADU sounded like a better investment,” Keri said.

Their 550-square-foot ADU includes a full kitchen, a living room with a dedicated home office area, and one bedroom. Thanks to modular construction, the unit was move-in ready just six months after the project began.

Today, the ADU serves multiple purposes: it’s a quiet place for Keri to work, a guest house for visiting friends and family, and a flexible space for the future. If their financial situation ever changes, they can rent it out. Moreover, if Keri’s relatives need support down the line, the ADU offers an ideal place for them to live nearby.

“It’s nice to have space available if something were to happen and our situation changed,” she said.