Should I build an ADU before selling or sell the house as it is?

Building an ADU before selling only pays off if the added rental income or living space, once permitted and built, exceeds the construction cost by more than what a comparable buyer would pay for the home as it is now. A rushed or unpermitted ADU can subtract value rather than add it. Brian Beatty compares both scenarios against real comparable sales before recommending whether to build first or sell as-is.