How to Create Multigenerational Living in Your Louisville Home

Like your favorite family photograph framed and placed on the mantle, or the jacket you've had for years but refuse to retire, when you love something, you keep it close. Keeping the things you love near brings you joy – and keeping the people you love near can do the same. 

In recent years, and especially since the pandemic, more and more Americans are doing just that. The number of adults living in multigenerational homes (homes with two or more adult generations) has nearly quadrupled over the past decade, according to a study from the nonprofit Generations United. Among the 66.7 million U.S. adults living in a multigenerational household, 57% say they began or continued their living arrangement due to the pandemic.

Multigenerational, also known as intergenerational, households are usually made up of a combination of young, middle-aged, and older adults. So, if your children moved home after college or your aging parents recently moved in, you’re part of a multigenerational household — and that can be a very good thing!

Multigenerational living can offer a lot of benefits for those in the household such as improving finances, reducing stress and loneliness, enhancing intellectual sharing, and creating social structure according to 2017 findings published in SSM-Population Health. Plus, being around young children and loved ones can be of great benefit to aging family members. Having several different generations of adults around can also help break up the household workload. Your retired parents may be available to keep an eye on children or pets and your home-for-the-holidays college kids might help out with chores. 

 Multigenerational living can also make buying a home easier since currently, single-family home prices are high in much of the country. By pooling their financial resources multigenerational families can gain access to the higher end of the housing market, where the larger homes are, which is generally a less competitive segment of the market.

As the holidays approach and you prepare to host family, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about what multigenerational features could benefit your home, family, and future. That’s why we’ve put together this guide with tips on living in a multigenerational home. You can also check out our blog for the benefits of aging-in-place and some features and products to help you do it!

Promote Accessibility 

Accessibility fulfills the primary purpose of a multigenerational home by making sure that everyone can go about their day-to-day in a safe, functional, and convenient manner. If you’re welcoming a family member that is elderly or disabled, you’ll likely need to make accessibility improvements of some scale in several important areas of the home.

Bathroom

• Add grab bars near the tub and toilet 
• Ditch a step-up tub shower for an easy-access walk-in shower 
• Make your bathroom large enough for someone to assist with bathing if necessary 
• Remove cabinets below the sink to make it easier for someone with a wheelchair to wash their hands 

Kitchen

• Enlarge your kitchen so the whole family can cook together 
• Consider installing countertops at different heights or motorized countertops so family members of any height can cook easily 
• Make sure cabinets are not too high, too low, or too deep to be reached by all household members
• If you’re living with a larger group, make sure to have plentiful cabinets, a pantry, or other means of storage

Bedroom

• Make sure you have some main floor bedrooms so they are easily accessible
• Add extra bedrooms in needed
• Ensure closets are wheelchair accessible 
• Opt for smooth flooring to make using a wheelchair easier

It’s also a good idea to consider making your hallways and doorways wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. It makes your home more accessible and gives your main walkways a feeling of grandeur! Another tip is to place lots of lamps and light fixtures around your home so that older adults can see with ease.

Before you decide what changes to make to your home, check out what your expected return on investment is. Our blog will provide you with some of the best home upgrades to make for your money in Louisville! You can also see the average return on investment for a basement remodel or other remodel by looking at Remodeling Magazine’s 2021 Cost vs Value report. 

Prioritize Togetherness & Privacy 

In a multigenerational home, everyone has a different age, personality, lifestyle, and needs. So, finding ways to create harmony is important. You can tackle this by making spaces that promote togetherness and spaces that create privacy. 

One way is to divide the house into different sections and give each section to a different generation. Generally, you want to have a living area, such as a playroom for kids or grandparents’ living room, for each generation. To minimize noise annoyances and lifestyle differences, put the kid or teenagers’ section on opposite sides of the house from any older adults. 

You can also consider building an Accessory Dwelling Unit or home addition for multigenerational living. An ADU is a separate one-floor building, usually located in the property’s backyard, with a living area, bedroom, kitchenette, bathroom, and sometimes a laundry room. ADU’s are a perfect way to keep your parents nearby as they age, while still affording them privacy and independence. Of course, you can also expand your home. You could simply add an extra bedroom and bathroom or you could add a multigenerational suite by creating separate entrances, a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom.

Also, look at how you can utilize your basement, attic, or garage in a way that aids your multigenerational home. For example, you could turn your basement into a mother-in-law suite or you could turn your garage into a hangout space for your kids to be with friends. 

Compromise & Communicate 

Even if you have a home that gives your multigenerational family all the space and functionality it needs, multigenerational living can still be a challenge. Your home is probably full of individuals with their own preferences and quirks, which can sometimes lead to conflict. Good thing there are a few things you can do!

First, compromise. It’s not always fun, but in the end, compromising will ensure that everyone in the house feels included and gets to have a say in how the household functions. One way to compromise is to have rooms that serve dual purposes. For example, if your retired mother wants a craft room and you need a home office, consider using one room to accommodate both.

You should also compromise when it comes to the style of your home. Your father’s collection of taxidermy game mounts or a poster collection from your young adult may not be your favorite décor, but it’s important to make sure each member of the family feels they are represented in the home environment. Keep in mind that your objective is to create a multigenerational home, not a Pinterest-perfect one! And when it comes to décor, consider incorporating your elderly family members’ photographs or treasured trinkets, particularly if they have Alzheimer’s or dementia.

In order to compromise you and your family will need to know how to communicate with one another. Create an environment where everyone in the household is treated respectfully and feels comfortable expressing themselves. If they communicate an issue, compromise until everyone feels like you’ve come to an adequate resolution. Also, if your family is always on the go, cultivating a communication center in the main area of your house, such as the kitchen, might be smart. You can add a smart fridge, whiteboard, or calendar, and having a place for your busy family to write notes or important dates will keep everyone on the same page. 

Get Help Creating Your Multigenerational Home! 

Whether you need a whole-home remodel or a few simple installations, Louisville Handyman & Remodeling has the qualified team to get the job done. Contact us and we’ll get your home in tip-top shape for hosting and housing family this holiday season!