Many years ago, it was common to live in a multi generation home. Parents, grandparents and children would commonly live together in one home. But, over the years, we’ve gotten away from that. The kids want to live on their own. The grandparents want to remain independent. However, are we starting to change our thinking about this?

The Statistics

According to the US Census Bureau, a multi generation family has more than two generations living under the same roof. More than 60 million Americans are living in multi generation homes. That’s more than 20%, and that number is rising. Why?

Many reasons exist. People may be marrying late. the high cost of housing, in-house caregivers. Or immigrants are coming to America (Wow – that sounds like a great movie title) from countries where this is the norm. Children help take care of their parents, while the grandparents help out with the children. Everyone can benefit from this.

But simply putting a lot of people in the same house may not work for all.

The Design

Just having three generations living in a home probably won’t work for most people. Everybody needs their own space, their own living areas and quite possibly, their own kitchens. However, properly designed, this can work for everybody. Having a separate apartment-like area for the grandparents should be strongly considered. Think the old concept of a mother / daughter style home.

Expenses

This is a good reason to consider such a living arrangement. Everyone chips in to make it more affordable for all. But consider this a side benefit, not the main one.

The Main Benefit

The best benefit, in my opinion, is the help provide care. At some point, the grandparents would benefit from having some help. As we age, there are some things we can no longer do. But the older generation may still be able to drive the grandchildren to all of the places they need to be. This would ease the load on the parents, and both the grandparents and the grandchildren would benefit from being able to spend time together.

Bottom Line

Homes like this do exist. Other homes can be reasonably modified to achieve the proper layout. If something like this is in your future, call us. Call Bunny and Art Reiman – Realtors. Let us help you find your new home.

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