Billy and Kelley

My 84-year-old mother was living in Dallas, Texas, and I needed her closer to me. The goal was simple: give her a private space of her own while keeping her close enough for me to help with her care.

The goal was simple: Give her a private space of her own while keeping her close enough for me to help with her care.

At first, we thought about renovating our existing home. After some research, we met with Backyard Estates. What stood out immediately was that they listened. Even though renovation wasn’t their focus, Tom offered a creative idea we hadn’t considered. That mattered to me — he wasn’t just trying to sell us an ADU.

They listened. They crossed off concern after concern.

My biggest concerns were cost and timeline. Would it balloon into something far more expensive? Would it drag on forever? During our meetings, they crossed off concern after concern. And when it came to timing, they didn’t overpromise. In fact, we were surprised at how much faster things moved than expected.

We were surprised at how much faster things moved than expected.

Attending multiple open houses helped shape our final design. Every time we walked through one, I found something new I loved. And during construction, whenever I second-guessed a design detail — whether it was refrigerator depth or layout — Dusty and the team never said no. They always had solutions and options. It was clear they truly wanted us to be happy.

Dusty and the team never said no. They always had solutions and options.

What started as a simple care plan evolved into something bigger — a pool house, a sauna, and a completely new vision for how we use our space. But the most meaningful part? For the first time in 30 years, our entire immediate family spent Christmas together here in California. Our children experienced the holidays with their grandparents.

For the first time in 30 years, our entire immediate family spent Christmas together here in California.

They gave us a memory we wouldn’t have been able to experience.

Now we not only have a beautiful place for my mom, but also flexibility and opportunities for our family’s future that we hadn’t even imagined.

We would absolutely recommend working with Backyard Estates.