Income
Long-term rental cottage
A detached one- or two-bedroom unit rented month-to-month. Typical Northern Virginia rents run $1,500–$2,500+/mo depending on size and finish. Underwritten as durable income by most lenders.
ADU Uses & Ideas
One small building. A dozen good reasons to build it.
An ADU is a legal, self-contained home on the same lot as your primary residence. What Virginia homeowners actually do with them varies more than you'd think.
Family
In-law or aging-parent suite
Independence next door, not a nursing home. Zero-step entry, wide doorways, curbless shower, blocking for future grab bars — designed once for decades of use.
Work
Studio, office, or creative space
A quiet, purpose-built room away from the main house. Real walls, real light, real HVAC — a legitimate small building, not a shed.
Family
A first home for a returning graduate
Give an adult child a private front door and real Virginia housing costs while they save for their own place. When they leave, the unit becomes rentable income.