A tour group buzzed with excitement as they hopped out of their vans and trekked to the back of what appeared to be a conventional single-family home not far from Peterborough’s downtown. Hidden in the backyard, though, was a smaller structure attached to the main house.
The in-law apartment, added onto Nancy and Michael Weil’s house in 2021, serves as a home for Nancy’s mom, Elaine Rando. The 660-square-foot living space, classified as an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, is a one-bedroom apartment.
A partially finished puzzle sat on the table, and pictures of Rando and her grandkids crowded the bookshelves and fridge. The setup allows Rando and her family to have their own private spaces while easily sharing meals and spending time together.
“It’s a good experience,” Rando told the tour group. “I mean, it’s better than assisted living.”
The Weil-Rando home was just one stop on a tour of a dozen ADUs around Peterborough, led by the town’s Affordable Housing Committee. The van carted people to all different types of structures, ranging from fully detached buildings next to main homes to seamless garage and basement add-ons.
In-law units are on the rise as part of the solution to New Hampshire’s housing crisis. As limited supply and high prices continue to plague the state’s housing market — and many communities oppose large housing developments as a threat to their small-town way of life — the tour in Peterborough on Saturday sought to highlight ADUs as a “gentle infill” to rural neighborhoods.
“Being in rural New Hampshire, having these ADUs aids in increased density as opposed to sprawl in our rural lands that are very sought after, and why people move to this area of New Hampshire a lot of the time,” said Trisha Cheever, the town’s energy and community planner, while driving one of the tour vans.
With Peterborough’s older population, Cheever said, in-law apartments are also a popular way to help people like Rando age in place. Most of the town’s 22 ADUs (that they know of) are used to create generational housing.
The structures don’t have to be intrusive or even noticeable, members of the Affordable Housing Committee said. One site challenged tourgoers to a game of “I Spy” to find ADUs that, on first glance, blended into their surroundings.
The session was of interest to people like Keith and Andrea Badger, who are considering building an in-law apartment at their son’s house. They recently downsized from their home in Lyndeborough to a rental in Peterborough, and they’re planning for their future.
“We’re trying to get an idea of the size and what people have done,” Andrea said.
