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ADU Pre-feasibility Report for

54 Amherst Rd
Newton, MA

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

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You are eligible for a backyard cottage!

We estimate this property meets the requirements for a detached ADU of up to 900 square feet. With a special permit you may qualify to build up to 1500 square feet.

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You are eligible for a backyard cottage!

We estimate this property meets the requirements for a detached ADU of up to 900 square feet. With a special permit you may qualify to build up to 1500 square feet.

 This property may be subject to a restriction requiring an additional review.
 

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You are ineligible for a backyard cottage.

This property does not meet the requirements for a Detached ADU

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You are eligible for an in-home apartment!

This property meets the requirements for an In-home apartment.

  • Convert an Existing Space: Within the existing building we estimate you can convert up to 639 square feet into a separate apartment by right

  • Build an Addition: We estimate this lot is eligible to build an addition of up to 1,255 square feet, and you’d qualify to convert 1,000 square feet into a separate apartment.

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You are ineligible for in-home apartment.

Unfortunately, your property does not meet the requirements for an in-home apartment. 

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You are eligible for an in-home apartment!

Your property qualifies for a 639 sq ft in-home apartment. Further review may be required due to specific property restrictions.

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You are eligible for an in-home apartment!

This property meets the requirements for an In-home apartment.

Convert an Existing Space: Within the existing building we estimate you can convert up to 639 square feet into a separate apartment by right

Want to learn more?

EXPLORE YOUR REPORT

Explore your report either by clicking the links below to navigate to specific sections or scrolling down.

We created your report based on public records and third-party data. While we try hard to give reasonable estimates, it’s not possible to give definitive answers without taking real-world measurements and conducting a full feasibility study.

Property Summary

PROPERTY SUMMARY

Suburb Houses

Gross Building Area

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Lot Size

3,822 sq ft

7,000 sq ft

Living Area

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Basement

1,666 sq ft

1,092 sq ft

Zone

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Allowed FAR

SR2

0.43

Gross Floor Area

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1,755 to 2,301 sq ft

Year Built

1925

Current FAR

0.25

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Backyard Cottage
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BACKYARD COTTAGE

This section outlines which city criteria your property meets or does not meet to determine your eligibility to build a backyard cottage (detached ADU).

We estimate you can build a backyard cottage of up to 900 square feet by right. With a special permit you may be able to build up to 1500 square feet. These are the criteria we checked:

This property does not meet the requirements.

Property Type:

Detached Single Family Residence

ADUs are allowed in Newton for detached (i.e. free standing) single family homes.

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Lot Restrictions:

No Lot Specific Restrictions Identified

We did not identify historical or conservation restrictions on this property.

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Building Capacity:

Building capacity of 900 sq ft, or up to 1,500 sq ft with a special permit

Newton sets FAR (Floor Area Ratio) limits for residential lots which dictate your lot’s capacity, or how much may be built. It’s not possible to definitively calculate your FAR without taking real-world measurements, so this is an estimate. We estimated your lot’s capacity based on available public records and used that to calculate how big of a backyard cottage you can build. The City Council may grant a special permit for up to 1,500 square feet. We estimated your habitable space; contact us if you’d like to learn more.

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Read a full summary of the criteria here and how we estimate lot capacity.

Do you have an historic carriage house on your property? If so, you are eligible to convert that to an ADU. Contact us to find out more.

See Where a Cottage Might Fit

Select a footprint size and drag it around the map! 

 

Here are a few common sizes to get you started. This is just the footprint—you can have a loft or half story for more space. One of our vetted partners can help design the perfect space for you!

Please note, the backyard cottage needs to be in the back or side yard, at least 7.5’ from the lot line, and at least 5’ from the main house.

Explore Cottage Floor Plans

These are for inspiration. One of our vetted partners can help design the perfect space for you!

In-Home Apartment

IN-HOME APARTMENT

This section outlines which city criteria your property meets or does not meet to determine your eligibility to build an in-home apartment (Attached ADU).

This property meets the requirements! We estimate that you can build an in-home apartment of up to 639 square feet by rightThese are the criteria we checked:

This property does not seem to meet the requirements. These are the criteria we checked:

This property meets the requirements! We estimate that you can build an in-home apartment of up to 639 square feet by rightThese are the criteria we checked:

Property Type:

Detached Single Family Residence

ADUs are allowed in Newton for detached (i.e. free standing) single family homes.

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Lot Restrictions:

No Lot Specific Restrictions Identified

We did not identify historical or conservation restrictions on this property.

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Building Capacity:

639 sq ft in-home apartment allowance by right, or up to 1,200 sq ft with special permit

Newton allows by-right internal ADUs of minimum 250 square feet, and maximum 1,000 sq ft or 33% of the total habitable space of the main house, whichever is less. We estimated your habitable space; contact us if you’d like to learn more.

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Expansion Capacity:

Expansion of up to 1,255 allowed

We estimate your lot has capacity for a 1,255 sq ft addition, increasing your home to 3,010 sq ft, enabling an internal ADU of 1,000 sq ft. It’s not possible to definitively calculate capacity without taking real-world measurements, so this is an estimate.

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Read a full summary of the criteria here and how we estimate lot capacity.

In-Home Apartment Gallery

These are for inspiration. One of our vetted partners can help design the perfect space for you!

NEXT STEPS

We combed through public records and cross-referenced all the regulations to provide you with this pre-feasibility report for your property. If you’d like more information or guidance on building an ADU, let’s dig in deeper!

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We're here to guide you with:

  • Estimating Cost to Build

  • Financing Options

  • Projecting Rent

  • Validating Eligibility

  • Designing a Space

  • Hiring the Right Professionals

  • Considering Pre-Fab (modular) Construction

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