Little houses aren’t just for children anymore! Often luxury home builders, such as Austin custom home builder Sterling Custom Homes are being asked to build homes with casitas, or little houses. These amenity-filled guest suites are attached to the house and have their own exterior entrance.
Sterling Custom Homes executives first brought the concept of a casita to Austin during the 2004 Flintrock Falls Showcase of Homes. The term literally means “little house” in Spanish. It’s generally defined as a small house or apartment that is attached to a larger home, but is complete on its own.
Since they built their first casita, Sterling Custom Homes has continually received requests for the concept in new home designs. For Sterling’s custom home buyers, the casitas are usually a guest suite rather than a complete apartment. They may be finished with additional features, such as sitting areas, coffee bars and luxury bath and shower spaces, to complement the large sleeping area.
Some custom home buyers request a secondary interior access point into a hallway of the main home. Others find that in-laws, guests or college student children prefer the privacy of the single exterior accessibility. Even empty nesters are finding uses for the casitas as a resort-style retreat for out of town guests or a home for live-in caregivers.
