Tips for Building a Multigenerational Home

emmamiahMarch 3, 2023

0 3 minutes read

Are you looking to build a multigenerational home?

Multigenerational homes are on the rise. There are many reasons for this. The increase in the aging population is an important factor.

In addition, as Service Star Property Management points out, the last decade has shown that more children live at home with their parents for a longer time.

This is where designing great multigenerational homes comes to play. The unique challenge is how to house large family groups over a long period.

You want to take into account all the circumstances in these situations for comfortable living.

In this article, we’ll list the top tips for building a perfect multigenerational home. You’ll learn about what steps you can take to make the project a big success.

#1: Focus on Accessibility

Different stages in life require various design choices. You want everyone in the multigenerational home to be safe and feel comfortable. However, what might be safe and comfortable today may not be the same in five years. Think about the long-term purpose of your home.

Make sure that the important components of your home are easily accessible to someone with a walker or wheelchair. For instance, light switches, door handles, and outlets shouldn’t be hard to reach.

At least one of the bathrooms in that home has to be wheelchair-accessible. Wide doorways are the best solution for smooth movements inside the house. And single-level homes are definitely preferred over multi-level ones.

Multigenerational homes account for the needs of young children and babies as well. They benefit from the same safety measures that reduce the risk of accidents. Install child-proofed windows, secure pool gates, and raised outlets for enhanced safety.

#2: Cherish Individual Choices

Multigenerational homes aren’t necessarily carbon copies of a particular type of home. It’s important to inject some individual preferences into the project. Ensure that your household members can personalize a part of the home.

This is an important part of making multigenerational living work. You need to get an overview of each family member’s wishes. Then work out a plan that touches all of the individual’s wants and needs.

Taking everyone’s vision into account provides a solid foundation for the future. Nobody will feel that they have been left out of the project.

While it’s crucial to cover the accessibility and safety basics, you should focus on meeting individual needs, too.

#3: Allow for Enough Privacy

Privacy is a pillar of multigenerational living. Everyone needs some time alone. Some people need it more, others a bit less. But each of the individual privacy needs has to be adequately covered.

Strategic layout choices allow you to build a multigenerational home that respects the privacy of family members. For instance, you could build a separate suite for anyone in the extended family.

It’s also possible to have private rooms at opposite ends of the shared spaces. When you have a kitchen and living room in the middle, you could put an office room and a bedroom opposite from each other with shared spaces between them.

#4: Stay Adaptable

Multiple generations living under the same roof means that the circumstances are likely to change as time passes. That’s why you should design by keeping future changes in mind.

The family structure and size are likely to develop over the years. Everything starts with the design of a proper floor plan.

Create something that allows for flexibility. A free-flowing design that sustains movement between the living, dining, and kitchen areas is a great start.

Take into account the current and potential future lifestyles of the home’s multigenerational family members. The creation of multipurpose areas is a must in addition to specific spaces like storage, bedrooms, and bathrooms.

#5: Find a Proper Home Type

Consider the pros and cons of various types of homes that could be ripe for multigenerational living. There are many avenues to take here. For instance, you could build a larger home that has separate living quarters or separate homes on the same block. Here are some examples:

Split level homes: This type of home is a cost-effective solution for multigenerational living. As the bedrooms are built on different levels, people are going to have enough privacy.

Duplexes: When some of your family members need more attention, yet aren’t ready for assisted living facilities, then a duplex may be your answer. You can visit them regularly, but there is still the necessary element of separation and privacy.