Backyard
Your ADU is worthmore than a line item.
Most agents bundle your detached studio, garage conversion, or casita into the main home's comps. Backyard lists it as its own asset — and the difference shows up in the final number.
$94K
Average recovered above comp estimate
18
ADU-only sales closed in 24 months
100%
Separately listed, separately sold
The garage that
sold itself twice.
The Situation
Renata had received two offers that bundled the 620 sq ft converted garage into the main home's package deal. Both buyers wanted to rent it out — but neither offer valued it separately. Her first agent's comp sheet didn't include a single ADU-only comparable.
Backyard's Strategy
We pulled 14 ADU-specific comps within 1.8 miles. Listed the unit with its own MLS entry, a dedicated virtual tour, and a buyer pool of 340 ADU-seeking purchasers we'd built over two years. Staged it as a furnished pied-à-terre.
Marketing Approach
Separate listing. Separate open house. ADU-specific buyer outreach. Professional aerial photography of the lot to show the privacy separation from the main house.
Comp Estimate
$218,000
Final Sold Price
$312,500
"I had no idea the garage apartment had its own buyer pool. My last agent never even mentioned it."
Renata Solís
Sold ADU separately · Pasadena, CA · 2025
Before Backyard
Three sellers. Three bundled estimates.
Three missed opportunities.
Renata Solís
Garage conversion · Pasadena
$94,500
Bundled into main home sale
Thomas Whitfield
Detached studio · Silver Lake
$140,000
Agent used bedroom count comps only
Marguerite Osei
Casita · Eagle Rock
$62,000
Listed as "bonus room" on MLS
Find out what your ADU is actually worth.
Takes 3 minutes. No commitment required.
A studio with
its own zip code logic.
The Situation
Thomas owned a purpose-built 480 sq ft detached studio with a separate address, its own utility meters, and a private courtyard entrance. His first agent's CMA used 3-bed/2-bath comps for the main house — the studio appeared as a footnote worth '$40K in ADU value.'
Backyard's Strategy
We positioned the studio as a lock-off income property for investors and remote-work buyers. Ran a parallel listing strategy: main house on the open market, studio quietly marketed to our curated ADU buyer list before it hit MLS.
Marketing Approach
Dedicated listing with income projection model showing 6.2% cap rate. Separate virtual tour emphasizing the private entrance and courtyard. Featured in two ADU-focused buyer newsletters reaching 1,200+ subscribers.
Agent's Estimate
$185,000
Final Sold Price
$325,000
"The number I got with Backyard was $94,000 more than what the first agent told me to expect."
Thomas Whitfield
Detached Studio Sale · Silver Lake, CA · 2025
One lot. Two assets.
Maximum value extracted from both.
Main Home Sold
$1,240,000
Separate listing, 9 days on market
Casita Sold
$418,000
Standalone listing, ADU buyer pool
The Situation
Marguerite's casita had been permitted as a separate dwelling for three years. Every agent she spoke to wanted to sell the whole lot as a package — "easier to comp, easier to close." The package price would have left the casita valued at roughly $180K.
The Lot Split Strategy
We coordinated a lot split with a real estate attorney, creating two separate APN numbers. The main home and casita were listed independently, drawing from two entirely different buyer pools. The casita attracted four competing offers from ADU investors within 72 hours.
Package estimate
$1,420,000
Combined sold total
$1,658,000
+$238K
recovered
"They treated my casita like a trophy property. Because it was."
Marguerite Osei
Two-Unit Lot Split · Eagle Rock, CA · 2026
What is your ADU
actually worth?
Three questions. Three minutes. A real number — not a line item estimate based on someone else's comp sheet.
Tell us about your ADU.
What type of unit are you looking to sell?
ADUs between 400–1,200 sq ft typically qualify for standalone listings.