Backyard Development: Tour Two Charlotte ADUs

Charlotte is looking for new ways to create housing without relying entirely on massive apartment developments—and the answer may be hiding in thousands of existing backyards.

Join us Thursday, September 3, for a trip to two Charlotte accessory dwelling units with builder and real estate investor Brandon McSwain of Pharos Construction.

Brandon has more than a decade of construction experience. He is also a real estate investor and previously owned a short-term-rental property management company in Nashville. Today, he has found his passion building ADUs in Charlotte.

We’ll tour two different structures and discuss:

• How to determine whether an existing property can accommodate an ADU
• Zoning, setbacks, utilities and permitting
• Construction costs and timelines
• Design decisions that affect cost and rentability
• Long-term rentals, family housing and other possible uses
• How an ADU can turn one residential property into a small income-producing development
• What Brandon has learned from building these structures
• Charlotte’s affordable-housing strategy and the Queen City ADU Program