The Backyard ADU Trap

Why spending $200,000 on a 'granny pod' creates a psychological prison of infinite proximity.

The architectural renderings always show a sunlit, Scandinavian-minimalist cottage where your 78-year-old mother happily sips tea while you garden 30 feet away. What the renderings omit is the 3:00 AM panic when you see her bathroom light flick on, or the quiet resentment of realizing your backyard—your one sanctuary—is now a fishbowl of mutual surveillance. We need to talk about the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) because it is currently being sold as a warm, fuzzy alternative to a care facility. It isn't.

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