Want plenty of space for friends and family in your new luxury custom ICI Homes home? There are innumerable ways to do that, but one of the best options is a classic Florida feature known as a casita — a standalone structure built on the same property as your luxury custom home.
Also known as a guest house or accessory dwelling unit (ADU), a casita offers separate living space for family and friends, plus next-door access to the main residence. It’s a great arrangement for potential customers who want their new luxury custom homes to do double duty as family vacation destinations or extended gatherings with friends.
Casitas also are an excellent solution for multigenerational households, providing private-yet-close quarters for older family members or adult children — an increasingly popular choice.
Intrigued by the possibilities? Here’s more on pairing casitas and luxury custom homes.
Key takeaways
- Casitas, also known as guest houses or ADUs, are standalone living spaces built on the same property as your main home—ideal for hosting guests or accommodating multigenerational families.
- These separate dwellings offer privacy and flexibility, making them perfect for long-term visitors, aging parents, or adult children living at home.
- Building a casita requires additional planning, including space for construction, utility connections, and possible HOA or zoning approvals.
- ICI Homes also offers in-home options like mother-in-law suites or private studio apartments above garages, seen in plans like the Shenandoah.
- With multigenerational living on the rise, casitas provide a custom solution that blends convenience, comfort, and independence under one property.
Casita, defined
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a casita is, “a small house.”
They’re the same thing as guest houses or accessory dwelling units (ADUs) — separate living spaces sited near your dream home, but “casita” is a popular moniker for them, especially in Florida, and if you’re keen on installing one, they do require additional planning.
You’ll need a large enough lot or property acreage to accommodate your dream home and a casita. Also be prepared for extra utility site work (electrical, plumbing, etc.), additional permits and possible homeowners association approval if your new luxury custom home is in a community.
Local zoning codes vary, so check with your ICI Homes sales associate and builder about those variables in the jurisdiction where your home will be located.
Other options, defined
While casitas are an excellent solution, there are others for customers building with ICI Homes. Private living spaces within a single-family home are popularly known as mother-in-law suites — combined bedroom, living, bathroom and mini-kitchen spaces that can be tucked to one side of a floor plan, or as an mini-apartment over a garage.
One example? Our two-level Shenandoah floor plan — 3,885 square feet, five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms — which offers a studio apartment above a detached, three-vehicle garage.
Solutions for multigenerational living
As mentioned above, casitas are at the heart of multigenerational living, a trend that’s been gaining in popularity. Many customers building luxury custom homes also want to include spaces for other family members, typically older relatives or children who haven’t launched or have returned to the nest.
The National Association of REALTORS®’ 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that 17 percent of surveyed buyers bought a multigenerational home. That’s a 14 percent increase over the 2023 report and the highest percentage in the multigenerational category, which the NAR has tracked annually since 2012. The NAR has compiled its overall report since 1982.
The 2024 data came from NAR’s survey of buyers and sellers who completed a transaction between July 2023 and June 2024.
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