03
Jan

Building a Multigenerational Home: What You Need To Know

More than 51 million families in America live in multigenerational homes, which has more people considering adding on to their homes to make room for parents moving in.

This is a trend that is definitely becoming more and more common as less people choose to move into a nursing home. In 1970 26% of people aged 85 and up lived in nursing homes. Now that number is half as more people are choosing to stay at home or to move in with family members.

So planning the perfect “in-law” suite has become a popular and necessary trend as well. But as you are preparing for this expansion or modification to your existing space, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

Determine what space you will need and how it will be used.

The first thing to do is a real assessment of your house to identify what usable areas you have and what you will need to add or reconfigure. Take into consideration the people who live there as well as the people who visit — you really want to make sure you have a comfortable and safe guest space as well as a place that gives them a little privacy.

Look carefully at your resources and your budget.

You should figure out how much you would like to spend, both your ideal and the max you’re willing to spend. A professional designer can really help you understand your options.

Determine what space you have available

Do you have space on your property to expand? What are the requirements in your neighborhood? If you can’t build, what’s involved with getting a variance — a permit to build what you want even though you don’t comply? What’s required if you can’t do what you want to do?

Keep resale value in mind.

The additions should be made for your family to enjoy — but you should always keep in mind the resale value of your home and how others are going to perceive these modifications when planning your new space.

Don’t do a rush job.

Careful planning is important when it comes to making modifications to your home. Think about not only your needs for today, but down the road as well.