Homes with Casita or Guesthouse

Homes with a guesthouse or casita can be found in communities across Phoenix and the rest of Arizona, but there are advantages and disadvantages to this.

Homes with a guesthouse or casita are often available, sometimes as an option on a new-build home, across Phoenix. In the Southwest, particularly in Arizona and New Mexico, the word casita, which is Spanish for ‘little house’, is given to what’s known in the rest of the USA as a guesthouse or sometimes an in-law suite.

 

What Is a Casita?
In most cases a casita is a detached building that is separate from the main house and has one bedroom, a bathroom, and sometimes a small kitchen or cooking area. It’s usually located at the front of a single-family home, between the main house and the street. It’s important to check the precise details if a casita is referred to, as in some communities it can mean a separate guest suite but one that is still part of the main floorplan, or it could be attached to the main house but with a separate entrance. Some casitas also have their own private deck or patio but others don’t.

Homes with a Casita
It’s important to remember that one person’s advantage is sometimes another person’s disadvantage. As with homes that have a swimming pool, some people might regard the pool as a desirable bonus but others may not want the upkeep if their community has its own pool. 

The initial consideration is that a casita adds to the cost of the home, of course, but as property prices rise and more people are working remotely, it adds proportionately more to the value of a home. It also adds to the property tax, as it increases the liveable square footage. Having a casita might also limit the number of potential buyers when it comes time to sell, but will increase the home’s desirability to someone who wants or needs a casita.

The cost of adding a casita is considerably more than simply the cost of adding an extra room, because it is a detached building in its own right, and also needs all the utilities connected.

Advantages of Homes with a Casita
The immediate advantage is that you can use your casita to accommodate guests while maintaining some privacy for both parties. Casitas have their own private entrance, so guests can come and go as they please without having to worry about being back by a certain time if they want a night out on their own.

The occasional moments of private down-time can make the stay more comfortable on both sides, especially if you don’t yet know the guests too well, or you’re feeling obliged to host a family member passing through. If it’s a special friend or relative, you can also set up the casita with some personal welcoming touches.

To offset the initial extra outlay, it might be possible to make the casita pay for itself by using it as an Airbnb when you’re not using it yourself. This will depend on the rules of your Home Owners’ Association (HOA), though, if you have one. Some don’t allow short-term rentals, and may have a minimum rental period of a month.

When the casita is not in use to accommodate visitors, it can be used by the home owner in a variety of ways. Casitas make ideal home offices, an option which is increasingly desirable these days. Set it up with a coffee-maker and a microwave, and you have a better chance of actually having a productive 9-5 working day, without distractions. If you have a big project, you can work in the evenings or early in the mornings with minimal disruption to your partner.

If you enjoy arts and crafts, you can have your project set up and leave it up, without it intruding on domestic life. If you play music, a casita makes a perfect music room, where you needn’t be self-conscious about disturbing the rest of the household. Casitas can also be set up as home gyms, keeping the equipment out of the main house, or as a home theater: their potential is only limited by your imagination. You can still have visitors stay in the main house, if you’re happy with that, and then the casita is permanently available if you have a specific use for it yourself.

A casita can also be used as a quiet space for activities like meditation, yoga, or simply reading. It can also be used as a place for quarantine, if one family member is ill. This needn’t be anything serious, but for something like flu, a casita makes a safe haven for a few days so you minimize the risk of passing something on to your partner. If someone in the house needs long-term care down the line, a casita can provide independent accommodation
for a caregiver. And if nothing else, a casita provides extra storage space so there’s less clutter in the main house.

Disadvantages of Homes with a Casita
An obvious downside of having a casita is the extra cost of upkeep. You’ll need a separate air-conditioning and heating unit if you plan to use it in the searing heat of a typical Phoenix summer or during the winter. Even in Phoenix, winter temperatures can drop below freezing. You might also need to run a phone line out there, if you use it for work and like having a landline. 

There are also the additional landscaping and repair costs, as well as decorating the interior and exterior periodically.

Most casitas in planned communities are located in front of the main house, and this can reduce the curb appeal of the property when it comes time to sell. And as stated above, some potential buyers may see a casita as a burden rather than as a bonus.

Finally, if you’re thinking of buying a home with a casita, it’s important to check the HOA’s CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions) carefully. As a casita is normally a detached building, there may be restrictions specific to a casita that don’t necessarily apply to the main house.

All in all, though, weighing up all the pros and cons, having a home with a casita probably has far more advantages than disadvantages.