What Is a Casita? Adding a Separate Dwelling to Your Custom Home Plan

As demand for multigenerational housing steadily builds, so has interest in Casitas. Like a mother-in-law suite , a casita lets homeowners welcome three generations into the same household, all in a way that honors everyone’s space and privacy.

What is a Casita?

Casita means cottage in Spanish. More formally, a Casita by definition is a small self-contained dwelling, typically unattached from a main home, but on the same property.

Casitas are common in the American Southwest, but their principles are familiar elsewhere. Think of small detached houses that have been converted to guest homes in other parts of the U.S.

Who is a Casita House For?

Casitas have a lot in common with mother-in-law suites. Usually, a Casita is built as a guest house, if not a permanent residence, for elderly parents so they can be close to their children and grandchildren.

Because Casitas are separate from the main home, but include the same amenities on a smaller scale, it gives older relatives their independence (especially when built with accessible home design.) That means the Casita and main home can run as independent households, respecting everyone’s privacy.

Some homeowners, though, use their Casita more flexibly. They may rotate different relatives for long-term visits throughout the year. Alternatively, they might also use it as a short- or long-term rental unit, a transitional space for older children, or a studio or home office.

The Layout of Casita Floor Plans

The interior of a Casita typically balances two rooms, a living area and a bedroom. The flow between these two rooms fits all the spaces needed to make the Casita a self-contained dwelling. That includes a kitchen or kitchenette, a full bathroom, and even laundry units.

In fact, many Casitas are mostly open concepts, using partial partitions to define each area. Since the entire dwelling is compact, it can be heated and cooled easily.

Take a virtual tour of our New Orleans-Baton Rouge, LouisianaHeritage model home that feature Casitas.

How to Plan a Casita as Part of Your Custom Home

Thinking about adding a Casita to your custom home plan? There is plenty to think through, including potential regulatory issues, so involve your Schumacher Homes New Home Consultant from the start. They can help you anticipate obstacles and navigate the process.  Because we’ve built many houses with a Casita, we can draw on a wealth of experience to guide you through the planning.

To start, where will you place the Casita? Where you envision the Casita may not align with what terrain allows. Likewise, there may be local regulations to consider. You might discover square footage limits based on local codes for additional or accessory dwelling units (ADUs). There might also be restrictions regarding how close the Casita can sit to your property lines.

Also consider how the Casita will connect to your main home. If they’re close, you might be able to connect them via a covered path or breezeway. This is our favorite design approach!  But if the Casita is further away, how will it flow with the main home? A courtyard with connecting paths could work here, creating a defined communal space where the entire family can gather outside.

If conditions aren’t favorable for building a Casita, don’t worry. Work with your New Home Consultant to come up with a creative solution. For instance, add a living space over the garage to recreate the feel of Casita. Connect it to the main home via a separate entrance, such as a walkway or hidden staircase. Touches like a rooftop deck or balcony, too, can give the space more definition as its own living quarters.