ADU Before & After in Austin, TX
Photos tell the truth faster than any claim we could make. Before a single board comes up, an Austin backyard might hold a cracked slab, a garage full of holiday decorations, or a side yard that never gets used. A few months later, the same square footage is a rent-ready home, a mother-in-law suite, or a quiet office with its own door. What follows are the kinds of transformations we handle at Seedling ADU Austin. No stock photos here, just the real before-and-after moments we document on every project.
Recent Transformations
Garage Conversion: From Storage Unit to One-Bedroom Rental in Crestview
[Photo placeholder: Two-car garage before conversion, door open and packed with boxes.]
[Photo placeholder: Finished one-bedroom ADU with kitchenette, mini-split on wall, and private entrance.]
The problem was straightforward: a Crestview garage that had not held a car since the second Bush administration. The slab was in decent shape, but the roof line had settled nearly two inches on the alley side, and there was no insulation to speak of. We releveled the roof structure, replaced the overhead door with a glazed wall and entry, and ran new electrical service from the main panel. The result is a one-bedroom unit that rents at market rate for Crestview, with the original slab kept in place to avoid unnecessary concrete work.
Backyard ADU: From Unused Side Yard to Two-Bedroom Home in Allandale
[Photo placeholder: Narrow side yard between fence and house, grass patchy, a single dying live oak.]
[Photo placeholder: Compact two-bedroom ADU with Hardie plank siding, front porch, and xeriscaped entry path.]
Allandale lots run wide and shallow, which means a lot of side yard and not much use for it. This family wanted a place for aging parents that was close but not too close. We worked within the 25 ft rear setback and designed a narrow two-bedroom that fits the lot without violating the mature tree canopy on the neighbor’s side. The parents moved in eight months after the first walkthrough, and the porch gets used more than the main house’s front porch, which Ben Ortega, Owner at Seedling ADU Austin, still finds quietly amusing.
Home Addition: From Dark Kitchen to Sunlit Great Room in Travis Heights
[Photo placeholder: 1960s kitchen with low ceiling, fluorescent panel lighting, and a closed-off dining room.]
[Photo placeholder: Open great room with vaulted ceiling, three skylights, and a 12 ft sliding door to the backyard.]
The ceiling height in this Travis Heights original was the real problem. You cannot fix a low ceiling by painting it white. We removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room, extended the footprint 14 ft into the backyard, and vaulted the new section to 11 ft at the ridge. Two weeks of framing, one week of drywall, and one very long day of skylight installation later, the family could see their oak tree from the kitchen sink for the first time in three decades of living there.
Prefab ADU: From Empty Back Corner to Studio in Mueller
[Photo placeholder: Empty back corner of a Mueller lot, grass struggling in the shade of a two-story neighbor.]
[Photo placeholder: Finished 576 sq ft studio with Boxabl-style flat-pack aesthetic, corner windows, and a small deck.]
Mueller’s HOA rules are strict, and the setbacks leave a specific rectangular footprint on many lots. This homeowner had researched prefab options for six months and arrived at Seedling ADU Austin with a shortlist that included Boxabl and Cover. We helped them compare structural wall thickness, interior floor heights, and delivery logistics for their specific alley access. The unit went from delivery to certificate of occupancy in eleven weeks. The homeowner rents it to a traveling nurse, and the corner windows catch morning light the way the old grass never could.
Garage Conversion: From Unpermitted Workshop to Legal ADU in Hyde Park
[Photo placeholder: Detached garage in Hyde Park with a workbench, exposed wiring, and a bathroom roughed in without permits.]
[Photo placeholder: Finished legal ADU with smooth drywall, new subpanel, mini-split head, and a proper bathroom.]
We see this in Hyde Park more than any other neighborhood: a garage that got half-converted decades ago by someone who knew just enough wiring to be dangerous. The previous work had exposed Romex run through holes drilled in the slab, and the bathroom had no vent stack at all. We pulled the proper permits, brought the electrical up to current code, and installed a new subpanel with room for a future EV charger. The owner now has a legal rental with a certificate of occupancy, which matters when you are paying Hyde Park property taxes.
Home Addition: From Screened Porch to Primary Suite in Rosedale
[Photo placeholder: Screened porch with sagging roof, pet-stained concrete floor, and two jalousie windows.]
[Photo placeholder: Primary suite addition with a walk-in shower, tongue-and-groove ceiling, and a wide window overlooking the garden.]
Rosedale bungalows run long and narrow, which means the back porch often becomes the path of least resistance for a bedroom addition. This porch had termite damage in three of the six support posts, and the roof was holding water against the main house’s siding. We tore back to the foundation, replaced the posts with pressure-treated lumber, reframed the roof, and closed the space in with insulated walls. The owners got a primary suite with its own shower and a ceiling that does not sag, which they appreciate every time it rains.
Want Results Like These?
Every project above started with a walkthrough and a written price, so the family knew the number before anything was signed. Whether you are looking at a garage conversion, a backyard ADU, or an addition, the process starts the same way: you call us, we come out, and we tell you what is possible on your specific lot. Call (254) 615-3842 and ask for Ben Ortega, Owner at Seedling ADU Austin. The estimate is free, and the walkthrough takes about an hour.
Written by Ben Ortega, Owner at Seedling ADU Austin, serving Austin since day one of this little operation.
