What makes a house a multigenerational home?
The property’s design that meets the multigenerational family needs will create the living environment to make the house a home. The number of bathrooms and bedrooms are the basic elements. How the public and private space is designed will add to the functionality of the home. The outdoor space that can make all the generations feel at home is a requisite.
What the individual multigenerational family’s needs are the context for the style, number and type of rooms and general layout of the house. No one property design fits all multigenerational property wants or needs.
Communicating to find out what the wants and needs of the multigenerational family are in regards to housing is paramount.
One of the keys to successful multigenerational living is communication. Getting a feel of what features are available, then discussing them is an example of open, up front communication that can save a lot of time when looking for a new home.
An example is maybe Mom and Dad did not share how important it is to have a private bathroom for them and their parents. The search began with the standard one master with ensuite (a bathroom that is directly connected to a bedroom) homes. Then after some time and Mom and Dad kept saying “no” to the home, it is discovered they want a private bathroom for them and their parents. The time lost not looking for a two master bedroom with a private bath is lost. In addition, how would that information impact the price? Also, how would that impact the square footage of the property? And it goes on and on.
Prioritizing the home’s features with a checklist
Prioritizing the home’s features can be very helpful. Our checklist has these options: Must Have, Would Like, Willing to Compromise, Must NOT have, Not Important. The idea to embrace is at any given time in the real estate market, the perfect home with all the wants and needs in the picture-perfect location and at the right price may not be a reality. Therefore, compromises must be made. The checklist helps with that process.
The multigenerational property has a unique mix of rooms, spaces and access. None of the design elements are unique. But the mix of building features creates a one of a kind design suited for the multigenerational family. In other words, a master suite is not unique, but having two or three master suites in a home is unique.
“Privacy is empowering to young people and its importance should not be minimized.”
Dan Parisi real estate professional in Sacramento
Private and public spaces are a key concern for multi-generational living
The private and public spaces of the home are a key concern for multi-generational living. Successful multi-generational living requires a fine balance between private and communal spaces. Private space can mean a two building layout like a guest house with a separate, self-sufficient unit away from the main house. Or privacy can be as simple as a personal bedroom with a door that can lock. Explore what every family member wants and needs for privacy when creating the list of features.
Public areas focus around eating, social interaction, playing, entertainment, relaxing, parties and social gatherings. The rooms that fulfill these requirements can have more than one function. A child’s play room in the day can have a second TV for alternate entertainment than the family room. The size of the public room can be very important to some families. Working out what is needed and wanted before the house searching begins will help in looking for the right property with an approximate price range.
The Multigenerational Home Checklist
The Multigenerational Home Checklist has several blank spaces to create the individual family’s features. Every multigenerational family is unique. The features needed in a house to meet all the individual needs of the family can be many. The features on the list of the home could have a music room, office, more storage, craft room, school room, bonus room, formal dining room, outdoor kitchen, separate private entrance, extra-large laundry room, fenced backyard, dog run, first floor bedrooms, and many other spaces. Any one room can be a key need when looking for a house to make a multigenerational home.
Work with a real estate agent that is comfortable with all these issues
One last point; work with a real estate agent that is comfortable with all these issues. Many people choose a real estate agent by who they know, but in this case a specialist could be the best choice to finding your new multigenerational home. Coffee Real Estate has a Sacramento Multigenerational home experienced agents. If you are looking to by buy a house to fit your family’s needs or sell a multigenerational home with a agent who know how to promote its value reach out to us for a free no obligation consult.
