“It’s a nice thing to do on my property because now I have options; the space can be rented, or my mother can stay there when she comes to visit. And if I had to, I could move in and rent out the main house. It could be a financial lifeboat.”

Backyard cottages caught Mark Savio’s attention even before they were allowed in southeast Seattle. As a homeowner, he knew that having a backyard cottage would allow him a variety of options. He could rent out the unit for additional income, or he could use it for family members. After waiting several years for the backyard cottage “policy to kick in”, he built an 800 square foot backyard cottage from the ground up. The second floor has 400 square feet of living space that feels much larger inside than it actually is, thanks to a vaulted ceiling and large windows. The ground floor has 400 square feet of work space that Mark uses to build kayaks. He easily found a renter who was looking for an affordable, quiet home.

Specifications
Lot:                         5,156 sq. ft.
Backyard cottage:    800 sq. ft., 2 stories
                              1 bed, 1 bath
Cost to construct:    $55,332