Unique Homes Blog

The taboo about living with your folks is gone. As a result, Realtors and designers are accommodating multi-generational housing needs at an increasing rate.

By Camilla McLaughlin

When Halli Eckhoff, former Previews Director at Coldwell Banker Hearthside in Bucks County, Pa., was charged with marketing a small development of seven homes, each a minimum of 6,000 square feet, she immediately identified the target market — potential buyers seeking space for extended family — and she was right. Five sold to empty nesters planning for returning children and grandchildren. “These were $1 million-plus homes and some owners went way over in size to give family members a sense of space and privacy,” she says.

In Florida, when Winter Park architect and builder Phil Kean recently tabulated the number of current projects that involved spaces for extended family, he was surprised to discover it came to almost a third of 30 new homes or renovations in the process of being designed or built.

Easily, the growth in the number of multi-generational homes is one of the most under-reported trends in real estate today. A record 49 million people (one in six Americans) live in a household comprised of two or more generations, according to the Pew Research Center. Boomerang kids, adult children returning to the family nest, are only part of the story. “Now, a boomeranging person is just as likely to be a 50-year-old parent or a 75-year-old grandparent, a midlife adult with a family in tow, or a 28-year-old trying to figure out what she wants to do next,” says Susan Newman, Ph.D., a leading authority on family relationships and author of “Under One Roof Again.” Siblings boomerang to bunk with another sibling who is willing to bail them out of a personal predicament. Boomerang relatives of all ages number in the millions.”

Making room for mom or dad or junior or all three is a concern finding its way into conversations with Realtors, architects, designers and builders. “It seems like more and more it has gotten much more prevalent. I would say changing family arrangements probably are one of the single highest driving forces in the market, whether it is a parent moving in or a young family needing the support of a parent,” says Eckhoff. “We also see a lot of returning children coming back to the nest.”

“No one starts out designing for their mother-in law,” says Arnold Karp, owner of an eponymous design/build firm in New Canaan, Conn. During the design process, as clients begin to explore “what ifs,” they realize they could end up with a family member or a post-college child at home and they ask, “If this was to happen, what would you suggest?” At the same time, he says, “We also see clients who are thinking about the future, which means they are designing with, ‘Gee, I could end up with a family member or a child post-college at home and what sort of design will work to make this addition or new home work differently than the old version’.”

“Maybe it’s always been part of the conversation, but because of the economy, people are thinking about what if this happens or that happens,” says Kean.

And there is a growing body of research to back up Kean’s observation. After decades of decline, the number of multi-generational households has very slowly been rising and Pew concludes the recession has accelerated this trend. Between 2000 and 2009, the number of U.S. households comprised of three generations of family members increased by 30 percent, according to Census Bureau data. Current estimates place the number of multi-generational households as high as 20 percent.

Among Coldwell Banker real estate professionals surveyed this year, 37 percent noted an increase in the number of buyers looking to purchase homes to accommodate more than one generation of their family and 70 percent of agents feel economic conditions may cause greater demand for multiple-generation homes in their market in the near future.

Another top priority is accessibility, as more consumers plan for an elderly relative or to stay in their homes as they age, according to the American Institute of Architects. “Seven years ago there was no consideration of this. The attitude was, ‘We’ll sell the house and move when that day comes.’ Now consumers are seeing the difficulty with realty transactions so they are thinking about staying in their homes longer,” Karp adds.

Changing Values Put Family First

More than economics contribute to this growth. Newman says parenting styles in the U.S. have undergone a reversal since the 1960s and 1970s, when the goal was to have independent children who often lived hundreds, even thousands, of miles away. Until quite recently, offspring were viewed as failures and their parents seen as enablers if they moved back home. Independence was considered a virtue. A similar attitude also prevailed regarding parents moving in with children.

“Today, families are united under one roof in record numbers,” Newman says. “Independence is no longer the gold standard, and the stigma of adult children of any age returning home or living with parents in their home has vanished.”

Another Coldwell Banker Real Estate consumer survey of single homeowners found that 40 percent live less than 30 minutes or in the same neighborhood as parents or family. An additional 12 percent live with one family member.

In this decade, American visions of home center on family, and there is nothing second-rate about how they choose to house family members. No longer is Mom or Uncle Henry stashed in an extra bedroom. Quite often, it’s an arrangement that allows everyone some degree of privacy and independence. Not only are the finishes on par with the overall home, but the spaces are executed with the same level of excellence as the main house.

“People are going to great lengths to accommodate that family link,” says Eckhoff. “If they can’t find a house, they will build that cottage or add on that wing, if the property can take it.” Options range from an oversized bedroom with a connecting bath to suites with multiple rooms to a complete apartment or even an entire house.

Consider the Spanish Mediterranean compound nominated for the Southeast Building Conference’s Aurora award. Designed by Kean for a couple in their retirement years, the property includes a guesthouse with an elevator for their elderly parents. Both houses share a rear entertaining area including a pool, palm court, cabana, fire pit area and summer kitchen.

Other visions for compounds might include several homes for family members, says Karen Bosch, an executive sales associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Scottsdale, Ariz. One of Bosch’s listings, a $5 million home on 154 acres, has generated interest among several parties looking for a site for family compounds.

There is a lot of insecurity of about what’s ahead for families, she says, and being able to include them in a property is seen “as a mechanism to protect family members. That’s been the conversation among some people here.” Guesthouses and casitas are quite common in parts of the West. In the Phoenix area, they have become almost a must-have in upper price brackets. Often, they include a kitchen, two en suite bedrooms and patios. Some have their own garage and pool.

Owners often design spaces for future use by a family member even though they are not quite sure who that member will be, Kean says. He has even designed casitas with a nursery. Another Kean project involves a house located on a lot adjacent to a family member’s home. Another is a remodel of a family home in which an adult child is moving in to care for an aging parent.

Even if they are not a complete apartment, suites are usually spacious, incorporating a sitting area, a coffee bar or mini kitchen, and often an outside porch.

No matter what the option, making the home and the space accessible is essential. More and more consumers are adding elevators, or at the very least planning for one by stacking closets. Larger showers without a threshold, wider halls and doorways, and levered handles all facilitate independence. Karp calls the trend “design for better living,” because people are thinking about how they will live ahead of time.

Anyone considering buying a home with plans for multiple generations should look for a Realtor with a great deal of experience and who is knowledgeable about the needs of the elderly, suggests Eckhoff. “A lot of times, clients don’t know what they are dealing with. They are focused on the immediate and don’t have a sense of what their needs might be in five years. In this instance, an experienced Realtor’s advice is essential.” Knowledge of local zoning laws are also important, she points out.

In her book, Newman outlines a number of issues that can occur when families of all generations come together and offers ways to get through the rough spots and how to establish boundaries. One of her top suggestions is to let family members contribute financially and in other ways, if they can. It gives them ownership and participation, so they feel they are helping out rather than being a drain.

Convenience, saving housing dollars and the security of knowing a family member is safe are benefits of multi-generational homes. But the real payoff, according to Eckhoff, is the huge emotional return that comes from families living together.

• Dynamic Duo — There is nothing second best about guesthouses today, especially when they are designed with family in mind. The exterior and game room shots above are of a home designed by Winter Park, Fla., architect Phil Kean for the owner’s elderly parents. From the street, the homes appear as two different properties; from the rear they share the outdoor entertaining area and impeccable landscape.
• Pool Side — The landscape in the pool shot above is designed to integrate two homes. Located steps from the main house, the guesthouse has easy access to the pool, which wraps around the main house as well as to the cabana, pictured in the background. A palm court leads to the cabana, fire pit area and summer kitchen. The pool has three sections: swimming, beach, and spa.
  
• Room to Play — The second floor of the guesthouse above, easily accessed via stairs or the home’s elevator, is devoted to fun and games. Pocketing glass walls and retractable screens open the space to the outdoors. The screens do triple duty by keeping insects out, protecting from solar glare and, on hot days, keeping 90 percent of the air conditioning from escaping.

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