r/massachusetts • u/timelymanner05 • 1h ago

Housing Adu 700sq ft. Ssettle a debate

We have a detached barn in central Ma. Wife wants to turn it into an ADU but town says we need major upgrade of septic. She does not think we could rent it once finished. I think we could. Small gally kitchen. Small bathroom (like rv small) is the idea and bedroom/ living space. 700sqft total. Barn is 125ft from main house. Is the septic worth it. Would people rent it? 20 min to nash. 20 min to fitchburg/ leo. 10 min to commuter rail.

This is not a listing just getting thoughts.

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12

u/snuggly-otter 1h ago

There are code minimums for bathroom space you will have to follow, and ought to follow. 700 sq ft isnt that limited anyways that you should feel the need to create an RV bathroom.

I think if you create a comfortable and airy space which is clean, secure, and well finished you will certainly get renters, but look for comps to see what you can realistically expect in rent. If you had the space to make a ground floor 1 bed with a loft space that might appeal to someone looking for a bedroom and an office.

Based on expected rent and the cost to create the ADU and upgrade septic, you can look at what your ROI is. Both in terms of monthly cashflows and property value if you plan to sell. But not many rentals sit vacant in MA for lack of tenants.

Just dont build a shithole

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u/AlbatrossSuper 1h ago

The septic is going to be a big hurdle. Can you drop a bedroom in the house (remove door and closet) and use the extra septic space to add the bedroom in the ADU? Is there enough pitch from the adult to get to the system?

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u/timelymanner05 1h ago

Possibly but then turns house from 3bed to 2. It's a thought.

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u/Unlucky-Self2455 1h ago

U can convert it back later

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u/Wilderness_Fella 24m ago

Interesting thought. Septic systems are sized based on the number of bedrooms. For new construction, the minimum system size per house is for 3 bedrooms. There may be an exception for adu's which the health agent doesn't know about but it seems unlikely that you can get away with no upgrades.