During the pandemic, we have seen more families move into one house than ever before. The families who were worried about their older relatives and the young adults trapped in small condos came together or came back together. Many learned that the key to making this living arrangement work was to add safety features, create privacy for everyone and mesh décor.
 
If your family is looking for ways to make their multigenerational home functional or your family has considered this, here are five helpful tips to creating the perfect home. 
 
#1. Think About Your Layout
When it comes to designating rooms and spaces for your new house, it will depend on who is moving in and how your home is situated. For example, if your in-laws, parents, or adult children are moving in, it would be best to convert your basement into a suite with a bathroom and kitchenette. 
 
If your adult children AND your in-laws or parents are moving in, you will need to decide who is joining you on the top or main floor. The decision should come down to which group entertains more and how much privacy they need/want.
 
#2 Update Your Bathrooms
 
If a senior person is moving into your home or a person with restricted mobility, creating safer bathrooms should be your priority. Adding grab-bars to bathroom walls near the shower tub and toilet and non-slip bath mats is a great place to start. Replacing a traditional tub with a walk-in shower and adding a handheld showerhead is the next best thing. To make it even more comfortable, add a portable shower seat and if bathers find bathrooms cold in the winter, get a heated lamp.
 
#3 Upgrade Your Kitchen or Add A Kitchenette
 
With multiple people living in a house, you need a well-designed kitchen or an extra place to prepare food. Adding a kitchenette in the basement with a fridge, stove, and sink might be the easiest. Whoever is living in the basement will have a private place to cook and prepare food. If a basement kitchenette is not an option, focus on making your kitchen more friendly to multiple people using it at once. Whether that means extending it, adding a second fridge or lowering some counters or shelves, think carefully about the needs of the other generations.
 
#4 A Second Entrance
 
If you have converted the basement into a suite, a second entrance is a must. Giving freedom for those living in the basement to come and go as they please. It also means that if the basement residents entertain, their guests do not need to use the front door.
 
#5 Create A Personal Space For Every Group
 
Living with multiple generations can be a lot of fun, but it can also limit your downtime. People will want to watch different things on TV, read in a quiet place or stay up until the early hours of the morning playing video games. If possible, the kids, parents, and grandparents all need a private space to themselves to not bother or be bothered by anyone else. Another option is to designate a room for a specific purpose, such as a reading room, a TV dedicated to watching sports or a shared workspace for everyone.
 
When living with multi-generations, do not worry about the decorations or furniture, but instead the flow of the house. Make sure there is enough light for the older family members and soundproof doors for the younger ones. If you need any more tips on creating a multigenerational home, please get in touch with us.

At Knowledge Broker, our goal is to create an open-source of information for all our clients. At the end of the day, they get exactly what they want and what they need. If you know someone who could use our help or services, please give them our details using the contact information below.
  

JOSHUA CAMPBELL (@knowledgebrkr)
Real Estate Broker
Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Centre, Brokerage
joshua@knowledgebroker.ca
249 Avenue Road • Newmarket, ON L3Y 1N8
289.210.6007