Q&A with ATL ADU Client Mike Mommsen
Updated: 6 days ago
Tell us a little about your family and how the idea for an ADU came about.
We’ve lived in East Atlanta for a while, but we bought this house a little over two years ago. We have two kids and full-time jobs, so there’s a lot going on in our lives.
When we bought the house, we knew it had an extra lot, and we immediately saw the potential to build an ADU. That was the vision, and after a couple of years of saving, we were ready to do it.
How much did the potential for an ADU influence your decision to buy this house?
It wasn’t our original goal when we started looking, but it became a big factor. Our second-choice house was in the same neighborhood and had about the same space and number of bedrooms, but a much smaller lot.
The larger lot pushed this property to the top of our list. When we saw it, we immediately saw the value in being able to build a separate, secluded house.
This wasn’t your first ADU. What was your experience with the first one?
We built an ADU at our previous house, less than a mile from here, and acted as the general contractor ourselves.
That house was a fixer-upper, and as we worked on it, we met a lot of contractors we liked. We figured that if we could find someone to handle the framing and concrete, we could bring in our own subcontractors and manage the rest.
We learned a lot, and it was cool to do it ourselves—but it was a lot of work. We needed an architect for the plans and an expediter for permitting. Outside our day jobs, we spent almost all our time managing that project for five months. And that was before we had kids.
How did that experience shape your approach this time?
We knew we couldn’t take that same hands-on approach again. With two young kids we just didn’t have the time to manage another build ourselves.
We wanted to build another ADU, but we needed someone who could manage the process. Having confidence that it would get done, without us having to coordinate all the permitting, inspections, and subcontractors, was our number one priority.
What did you try next, and why did you ultimately want someone to handle the whole process?
We started by meeting with an architect and developing plans for a 750-square-foot ADU. Based on our first build, our thinking was, “Let’s maximize the space, because the cost per square foot should be lower.”
Then we met with a general contractor, and the estimate came back at $350,000 - way more than we were prepared to spend. We went back and forth about whether we could get it below $300,000, but that meant removing windows, doors, or features we had intentionally included.
At some point, we thought, “Why are we cutting things out of this big project when we’re still not confident about how the whole process is going to go?”
We had already spent a reasonable amount of money on plans, and we were asking ourselves whether this was even a good idea. So we stepped back and said, “Maybe we’re approaching this the wrong way. Why don’t we work with someone who has experience building ADUs?”
That led us in the opposite direction: a predesigned studio that we could feel confident would get built in a reasonable amount of time, with much less involvement from us.
What made you choose ATL ADU CO?
We researched several companies and got bids. We’d seen your signs around the neighborhood, so we looked into ATL ADU CO as well.
It wasn’t really about price—the prices weren’t that different. It came down to who we felt confident could do the work, who we liked working with, and which plans we liked best. The number of ADUs you’d built and the quality of the work gave us confidence, but we also liked being able to customize one of your designs within the options you offered.
For example, this was the first time you’d done a shed roof on this design. That and other features, like the outdoor shower, were easy to incorporate, and your team was excited to work with us to create something a little different.
We didn’t want to keep wondering, “Is this actually going to get done?” We wanted to work with people who had done this many times before and could handle the process.
How do you plan to use the ADU?
The first priority is having a place for friends and family when they visit. My mom is coming next month for a couple of weeks, so it will be convenient for her to have her own space.
Eventually, we want to rent it, but we haven’t listed it yet. We’re considering short-term or midterm rentals through Airbnb or Furnished Finder.
From our previous experience, we know managing a rental takes work, so we’re not in a rush. For now, we’re treating it as a guest house.
What appealed to you about a detached ADU rather than an addition?
I much prefer having a separate house on the property. We love being able to host people while giving them their own space.
We also have an old, historic house, like many in the neighborhood, and we love its character. Renovating or adding onto it would mean changing something we already loved and taking on more unknowns. The ADU let us create something new and add value by filling an empty space rather than altering the existing house.
EAV is a neighborhood where people care about preserving its character, but they’re also excited about new development and adding density. Our neighbors have been really supportive. We could preserve the original house and build separately, which felt less intrusive—and there’s the added benefit that their relatives could stay here when they visit.
Who do you imagine staying here once it's as a rental?
I imagine a lot of guests will be relatives of East Atlanta Village neighbors coming to spend time with family.
This is a very family-friendly neighborhood, we have a great school, and there aren’t many hotels close by. I think it could be a good fit for people visiting family or coming for events in the village.
If we can help you build an ADU like this for your family, we would love to connect!
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