01
Jul
Multigenerational Homes
A few weeks ago I read about a man who was evicted from his parents’ home in New York, his parents actually took him to court, which made me think about multigenerational homes. More and more in Melbourne and surrounding suburbs people from different generations are living together, parents, grandparents, adult children, grandchildren. So here are my top tips on how to survive a multigenerational home;
- Review the floor plan, for example if more people are living in your home than anticipated you might need a new bathroom, a granny flat or extension.
- Everyone needs privacy, ensure that there is ample space for people to have privacy of their own or experience some privacy for a time like a study.
- Noise might become an issue especially in open plan areas around meal times, you might for example want to switch of the TV while you’re eating or have a separate dining room.
- Patience and respect, in a multigenerational home the different occupants will have unique needs for example a teenager might need to spend more time in the bathroom or a grandparent might need to nap, I think the home owner needs to set the tone for patience and respect for a harmonious environment.
- Seek out the help of designer to assist with issues relating to changed functionality, additional furniture etc, a designer will have some great advice that may not require an expensive renovation.
Our spaces should not be stagnant, they need to change and evolve with the occupants and there are so many solutions to accommodate for multigenerational homes beyond creating ‘more space’ sometimes volume is not the solution, if you need help in your multigenerational home please contact us for a free no obligation meeting.