Is a Multigenerational Home the Right Fit for You?

By Tenley Zeisel Thinking about bringing the whole family together under one roof? An increasingly popular trend among home buyers is the desire to build multigenerational homes. And, it just might be the next step for your family. But to make sure it’s the right choice for you, we’ve gathered everything you should know before taking that step.

What’s a multigenerational home?

So, what exactly defines a multigenerational home? Essentially, it’s a home that houses more than two generations under the same roof. Households living with more than two generations in a home is not a new trend by any means, but in recent years it’s become more popular for many reasons. For example, with the market crash from 2006 to 2011, many people were forced out of their homes and into a family member’s home because of foreclosure and short sales, according to The Balance. Other reasons for the increase in multigenerational homes include millennials staying at home longer as well as aging family members needing more care, according to The Balance. So, how popular are these types of homes? Although about 25% of Americans lived with three or more generations in 1940, that number dropped to 12% by 1980, according to Forbes. Yet, recent reports show that one in five Americans currently lives in a multigenerational household, according to Generations United. This is a 30% increase since 2007.

Types of Multigenerational Homes

If you’re looking to build a multigenerational home, which type will best match your family’s lifestyle? The most popular types of multigenerational homes are in-law suites or accessory dwelling units. In-law suites are typically built within the main home to resemble a smaller apartment-like living space that includes its own kitchen, bathroom and windows, according to Brick Underground. Accessory dwelling units are typically smaller, independent homes located on the same property as the main home. These homes can be built as an apartment over the garage, a tiny home in the backyard or a basement apartment. They also usually have a separate entrance. When it comes to these homes, there are a few factors to consider when designing an in-law space. “Who will be the decision maker in the process of creating this space? Which areas of the home will be shared spaces? Is a kitchen required -- or not allowed?,” according to Houzz. It’s important that throughout the home building process, everyone living in the home has a voice in these matters.

Multigenerational Homes at Dream Finders

At Dream Finders Homes, we offer multiple floor plans to choose from to best fit your multigenerational household. The floor plans that most easily lend themselves to multigenerational needs include the Las Palmas, Cypress, Enclave, Stadium with a garage addition, Vizcaya II, Boca II, Fleming II and Wellington. Floor plans that can easily be personalized for multigenerational homes are typically two-story homes that include a bedroom on the first floor that isn’t an owner’s suite. Whether you’d prefer a garage addition in floor plans like the Stadium or a second-floor apartment above the garage, we can build your home to fit your family’s needs.

Example of Casita Suites

In our Las Palmas floor plan, you have the ability to personalize your home to fit your multigenerational family’s needs with what we call a “casita,” or an accessory dwelling unit attached to the courtyard of the home. The casita can include its own bath, loft-style living space and a separate entry. The Las Palmas is typically a one-story home with three bedrooms and three bathrooms without the casita. If you do include this addition, your multigenerational home will have four bedrooms and four bathrooms. And, if you’d like to make the Las Palmas larger with a bonus room, our Las Palmas II could be a perfect fit.

Example of Loft Bonus Suites

Our Boca II floor plan could also easily lend itself to fit a multigenerational family. This two-story home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Since the entire second floor is dedicated to a bedroom, bathroom and closet, this could be the perfect space for an in-law suite. Our Avalon II floor plan could also be a great match for a family member wanting their own private space on the second floor. In this two-story plan, you would typically have four bedrooms and three bathrooms on the first floor while the second floor hosts a bonus room and fourth bathroom. This means you could convert the second floor to be perfect for a Millenial moving back home.

Examples of Garage Suites

Several of our communities like Wildlight, Laureate Park and TrailMark offer floor plans that lends themselves perfectly to building an accessory dwelling unit. Several of these floor plans offer a two or three-car detached garage that can create the perfect apartment above them. These apartments include their own separate entryway, bedroom, living space, bathroom and kitchen. For example, our Matanzas floor plan in Wildlight, Stadium Home in TrailMark and our Mableton in Laureate Park could be great choices in creating a multigenerational home for your family. These plans can host that above-garage apartment to give freedom and privacy to the family member living there. As this trend becomes more popular, we want to make sure you have a dream home that fits the needs of everyone who lives with you. If it’s time for different generations in your family to start living together under one roof, we’d love to build a home that fits your family’s lifestyle. Dream Finders Homes builds dream homes in Jacksonville, Orlando, Savannah, Austin, Denver, Bluffton, Northern Virginia and Maryland. When you’re ready to start building, contact us. We can’t wait to help you build your dream home!

Categories: Blog, Home Design