To address the housing shortage in the Tucson area, zoning laws have been tweaked to make adding an additional home on oneโs property easier.
But many homeowners donโt know where to begin.
A national franchise that develops tiny homes will open in the Tucson market this month with a one-stop solution.
Anchored Tiny Homes was founded in California five years ago to meet the growing demand for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as casitas, granny flats or guest houses.
The national company Anchored Tiny Homes is opening in Tucson this month with 15 models of accessory dwelling units that can be erected on an existing property for use as a guesthouse or investment rental.
โIt goes hand-in-hand with the affordable housing crisis and the trend of families living in multigenerational homes,โ said Brad Jones, the Tucson franchise owner. โA lot of states are changing laws to accommodate ADUs, such as for aging parents or as rentals to generate income.โ
A 1991 graduate of the University of Arizona, Jones had a 30-year career in technology and was looking both for a new field and an opportunity to return to Tucson.
Jones
An Anchored Tiny Homes franchise in the Tucson market checked all his boxes.
โWhen I first had the idea to do my own business and consider some franchise options, what matched my background was consulting here or there,โ he said. โWhen I saw the Anchored Tiny Homes presentation, I was sold.โ
The company has 15 models of ADUs, ranging in size from 240-square-foot studios to 1,003-square-foot, two-bedroom models.
Left: This 609-square-foot model features one bedroom and one bathroom, plus a kitchen, laundry room and living space.
Prices range from around $100,000 up to $250,000. Jones said the most popular model, a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom, costs about $150,000.
He said the addition has the potential to increase property value dollar-for-dollar and there is some financing available that includes the equity of the property after the ADU is added.
โItโs ideal for someone who canโt walk away from their 3% mortgage but needs more space,โ Jones said.
Anchored Tiny Homes offers a five-step process that begins with a property assessment to make sure homeowners can add an ADU and, if so, get an estimate.
Customers can pick from one of the 15 models or create a custom design.
Anchored Tiny Homes has a number of studio, one- and two-bedroom models to choose from. Pictured here is the 384-square-foot studio.
The company then handles the permitting process through the local municipality and builds the home in six to eight months.
Because the national franchise has relationships with national vendors, customers get a better price on things such as flooring, windows, faucets and lighting.
A look inside the 384-square-foot studio.
Locally, Jones has already joined the Tucson Association of Realtors and the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association. He has also connected with another local business that opened last year, Urban Infill Project, that provides pre-permitted ADU designs.
The city of Tucson first loosened the restrictions on building an ADU and Pima County followed suit.
Recently, Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation that supersedes local government rules on such construction.
Now, owners of single-family homes can build up to two backyard dwellingsย โ one attached to the main house and one standalone.
Homes on very large lots could put in three units and cities canโt mandate extra parking or require that the added unit look like the main house.
It does not apply to new single-family homes areas covered by homeownersโ associations.
In Tucson, Jones said the older neighborhoods around the University of Arizona are ideal for ADUs because of their large lots.
Anchored Tiny Homes Tucson will open for business June 18 and appointments can be scheduled by joining the waitlist at anchoredtinyhomes.com/tucson.
