Twenty percent of the United States’ population live in multi-generational homes, according to a new Pew Research analysis of U. S. Census data. (When we look at the residents of Newport Cove, we find that this percentage is reflected in our community.) And while part of this 20 percent is elderly adults (grandma or grandpa), the more common situation today is young adults living at home.
Ensuring that these adult residents have some privacy and autonomy is beneficial for all, and a great investment in home harmony.
The obvious place for an in-home apartment is the basement. But, there are other options, other ways to create an in-home “apartment”.
Consider the following when designing and building your new home:
1. A studio above the garage. This space is often simply trusses or an unfinished “bonus” room, but if you plan ahead, it can become an inexpensive studio space. Consider creating a “foyer” at the end of your garage; it would have a door opening to the main house and a stairway leading to a second story. Above the typical garage is ample room for a bedroom, bath and kitchenette. With its separate entryway, this makes a great spot for your bounce-back adult child or a home office. At Newport Cove we can design such a space above many of our homes, including our Highmeadow and Bluelake floor plans.
2. A separate in-house apartment. This works well in a ranch home. Take the secondary bedrooms and combine them into a studio apartment, then add a second exterior entrance. This is easily done in a redesign of our Moonriver floor plan.
3. A basement apartment. Add a stairway from your garage to the basement so your adult family member can access his or her space from the garage without going through the house.
While these spaces can offer privacy for a multi-generational adult (young or old), eventually they also can serve as a home office, hobby space or other flexible area. |