When Amanda and Souheil began looking for a house hack, they weren’t entirely sure what they were looking for.
First they focused on duplexes to live in one unit and collect rental income from the other. But zoning in the San Fernando Valley is such that most duplexes are on major roads, which Amanda and Souheil did not like.
Then they focused on homes with ADUs, but the sizes never worked. ADUs tended to be too small, but larger homes with ADUs tended to be too expensive.
Finally, we found what seemed like a perfect fit for this young couple looking forward to starting a family: a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home with both an ADU and a great garage for expansion on a quiet, residential street.
The home was move-in ready, but not without a few small projects that excited Amanda and Souheil. The ADU, with a private back yard and soaring ceilings, made for an awesome rental. And the garage — with all utilities already installed, a footing wall around the perimeter, and a sewer line just outside — seemed ideal for an eventual expansion of the main house. As the family grew, the house could grow with it, from two bedrooms and one bathroom and three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and laundry room.
Please watch the video above for a tour of Amanda and Souheil’s house hack, after which we dig into the numbers to understand exactly how this house hack works.
