I’ve lived in the South Bay since 1984 and raised my children here. After my divorce I decided to downsize but I hadn’t considered an ADU until I saw the posting for this place. I moved in on May 1, 2013, the day this neighborhood was incorporated into the City of Campbell and now I’m a City Councilmember!
The ADU is the perfect size for me. I have room for everything I need and want and even have a private garden. I work from home as a landscape architect and can sit at my desk and look out at my garden all day. The ADU is perfect for my hobbies; right now I’m developing a puzzle board game.
My landlords Jack and Darren live in the front house with their two daughters. We all do holiday dinners together and hang out on their deck. I feel safer with them in the main house, I know that if something happened, I have people here looking out for me.
My advice for living in a small space is to be creative and plan ahead. I changed the layout of my furniture three times before I was satisfied, but now everything is accessible and works for me. It helps to measure your furniture and think about what you really need. I love my plants and my art, but I realized that I don’t need a full set of China dishes anymore.
Sometimes when I tell people that I live in an ADU they’re a bit shocked. I love showing people what it’s like to live in an ADU. It’s a chance to connect the dots about how local policies can impact people’s lives. I love to brag about it especially because it shows a real life example of why we need these housing options in our communities. We’re trying to make Campbell and the South Bay a welcoming place where we can build homes that work for everyone.
