What Are Granny Pods and Why You Might Want One

These pint-sized retreats go by several names, but, whatever you do, don’t call them tiny homes.

November 09, 2021

By: Deanne Revel

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What Exactly Is a Granny Pod?

In the world of home improvement, we tend to focus on the here and the now. Styles. Trends. Must-haves. But there’s a less exciting design element many homeowners don't think about: aging. At some point, most of us will have the responsibility of caring for an older parent or loved one. And yet most families don’t have a plan for senior housing and elder care. And the cost alone for traditional senior housing can be a serious shock for those unprepared. So, people are getting creative and building accessible, affordable senior housing in their own backyard.

Meet the Granny Pod. These little buildings are keeping relatives close to home and close to care without breaking the bank. And as more cities nationwide relax building codes, you’ll be seeing a lot more of them. Whether you’re weighing options for elder care right now or thinking about investments for the future, here’s everything you need to know about the granny pod trend.

Accessory Dwellings 101

Dad pads. Granny pods. Backyard cottage. These homes go by many names, but according to Ian Butcher of Seattle architecture firm Best Practice, the technical name is detached accessory dwelling unit or DADU. “500 to 750 square feet is probably the sweet spot for one of these,” he says. “Because it’s big enough to have a proper bedroom.” But Butcher notes that different municipalities have different restrictions for size. “The smallest one we’ve done was about 350 square feet,” he says. “And we’re doing one now that’s 1,000 square feet, which is the maximum you’re allowed to do in the city of Seattle.”

Why DADUs Are Trending

Granny pods strike a balance, offering autonomy for aging parents and the safety of having aging parents nearby. And while younger people are thinking about multigenerational living, Butcher says these pods are becoming more popular as homeowners realize the income opportunities with Airbnb, VRBO and other home rental sites. “People are like ‘I can put that thing in my backyard and make a hundred dollars a night.’ There’s a real appeal to that and once jurisdictions have allowed for that to happen, people are taking real advantage of that.”

Just Don’t Call These Backyard Homes Tiny

Though it is smaller than your average home, a granny pod shouldn’t be confused with a tiny home. Nor is it an RV or a SheShed. And that’s because a granny pod is permanent. Compared to other more mobile tiny homes, these accessory dwellings have real electricity (no generator), real plumbing (no RV toilet paper) and a real foundation (no tractor-trailer lift). “Almost always it’s connected to the same sewer line as the main house,” says Butcher. “It runs its own electrical line from the main house, too. Some of them have gas. Some are all-electric. But it's every bit a small home, not a tiny home. They’ve got a full bath and a full kitchen. It’s a small version of a full home.”

Granny Pods Offer Big Design in a Small Space

So how do you design a “small version of a full home” without all the space? Butcher says the key is streamlining the layout. “You don’t want to be wasteful of spaces because you don’t have space for hallways,” he says. He also adds that Best Practice has a “strategic use of skylights” to bring in as much natural light as possible, even with structures that don’t have much wall space for windows. And when all else fails, go high. For the granny pod pictured, the actual footprint is only about 570 square feet. But the home feels so much larger because of the high vaulted ceiling.

Independent Living in Style

Granny pods give aging parents independence from family members, but Butcher says these homes also give aging parents pride of ownership and a space they can call their own. Best Practice has an inside-and-out approach with DADU designs to cater to the homeowner's lifestyle. This Seattle "dad pad" features a porch big enough for a tiny pergola and chair. These outside spaces make granny pods feel more like a home and less like a guest house.

Do Your Research to Find Out Pod Rules and Restrictions

Adding a granny pod to the backyard isn’t as simple as just plopping down a storage shed. For a single-family lot, different municipalities have different rules for DADUs. And the rules for DADUs are often more strict than ADUs, which are attached dwelling units such as a mother-in-law suite or an above-garage apartment. When researching a permit for a granny pod, it’s important to look at both your state and local zoning laws. Some cities will only allow pods if the homeowners actually live on the property. Others have strict limits to the size and the amount of space a pod can take up on a single-family lot. And because granny pods are permanent structures, most state and local governments require the same safety compliances (fire alarms etc.) for DADUS as they do for full-sized homes.

Consider Adding an Income-Generating Pod

If you live in an area where zoning laws allow renters, a granny pod can be a great source of additional income. And in cities such as Seattle, that supplemental income is a way for new homeowners to get into a market where it would otherwise be impossible to buy. But, just like building permits, local governments have different laws on whether or not DADUs can be rental properties. Some municipalities allow long-term renters. Others only allow short-term stays such as hosting guests via Airbnb. Whatever your plans are for renting, remember that once you commit to a granny pod you can’t sell it separately. Unlike a tiny house or a camper, a DADU is legally tied to the main home and property. This does mean, however, that it brings additional value to the overall main home and lot.

Keeping Care Close to Home

Seattle has some of the most pod-friendly rules on the books. But other cities are catching up. On the opposite end of the country, Home Care Suites is approaching granny pods with a fun, beachy Floridian style. Owner and president Henry Mosley has built dozens of granny pods in the Tampa Bay area in the last decade and says that construction is just like it would be for a full-sized home. "We’re putting mom or dad out there," he says. “That's how we look at it. Having your parents safe and close to you is what it’s all about." Mosley adds that just because these structures are small doesn't mean they're any less safe. With Florida's intense hurricane seasons always top of mind, these pods are built with the same regulations as full homes.

A Granny Pod May Be a Better Investment Than Assisted Living

Building a new home — no matter the size — is costly. But compared to the monthly cost of an assisted living community, Mosley says a granny pod is a steal. "Most younger people don’t realize the cost of caring for an elder parent, especially if they have memory care problems or any kind of health care problems that require daily help. That little bit of daily help could break the bank. Middle-aged Americans don’t realize it either. Not until you start having to pay for it.”

According to The National Center for Assisted Living, the average cost for assisted living services is $4,000 a month and $48,000 a year. A granny pod with Home Care Suites costs about $100,000. It's more cost up front, but over a couple of years, a granny pod can save a lot of money, particularly with various tax credits for caring for elderly parents at home. However, Florida's housing and construction market doesn't speak for the rest of the country and in many cities, the cost will be higher. It's a good idea to look at the monthly cost of assisted living communities in your area and compare that to the annual amount spent on a granny pod.

Thinking Outside the Box

Basic accessibility and wheelchair mobility are a given when designing a home for an aging parent. But Home Care Suites wanted to take the model of an average, accessible apartment at an assisted living center and make it better. "We drew the design for the cottages themselves around a 12 x 16 module," he says. "And that’s about what you get with a suite within an assisted living facility." But Mosley said a granny pod gives that standard size so much more light than an assisted living facility. "They’re typically built in a commercial high rise. And they all have a central hallway with these rectangular boxes with windows on the end that face out of the building. So, you get some windows in there but the interior spaces — the bathrooms and the kitchen — have no exterior light with windows. And the sidewalls are adjacent or abut someone else’s apartment so you don’t have windows there."

Beyond nice windows, a 12 x 16 space in your own yard can be many things. And, as sad as it is to talk about, a granny pod can evolve and become something new when you no longer need it for aging parents. It can be an office for a new business. Or a safety net for a college grad. The beauty of a granny pod is how it can grow with you and your family.

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Photo By: Ed Sozinho

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