Multi generational Homes

Multi-Generational Homes are currently the newest trend in Perth Housing. They offer the opportunity for family or relatives to share a separate area of the house that is customised to their requirements.

Unlike our other designs that offer two completely independent living areas, a Multi-Gen home is designed around multiple uses for the family featuring a door sectioned between so both parties can always stay in contact. In a nutshell, it is a family driven secondary living area with full amenities often termed "Multi Gen". 

Designs

Situated under the main roof of the home, a Multi Gen design is far more economical and cheaper on the wallet in comparison to a freestanding granny flat. It offers a second family area, a second Kitchen, plus their own Bathroom and Laundry. Anyone using this space can remain independent or semi-independent from the main home. 

To really understand multi generation homes, you need to understand the demand in Australia. At present one in 5 Australians live with two or more generations in the one house hold. That means there is approximately 4 million people living in a home with their parents or relatives…

A real-life example we have seen, is a family that has two working adults with two young girls aged between 3 and 5.

Option 1 is to send the girls off to day care and pay over $250 per week per child totalling $500 per week.

Option 2 - is to set up a multi-generational design allowing a second living area of the home where the adults retired mother (Grandma to the kids) can live and care for the children during the day. At night and weekends, Grandma has the flexibility of her own private living quarters. She can have friends visit with her own dedicated space.

Multi generational Cycle explained!

Infant and Toddler area

What would be better than a dedicated area for a new born to take care of the day to day, hour to hour care for a new born. When a newborn comes along, everything and everyone is centred around the utmost care for the new addition. To keep the household ruining, a Multi-gen home can utilise the spare area as a dedicated infant area. If Mum is feeding late into the night or bub’s is restless, she can sleep in the same room allowing Dad to get to work in the morning with a full nights sleep.

Toy Room

From ages 3 to 9 toys are abundant and can make a real mess. Keeping things in one area maintains a level of organization for the house hold.

Kids TV, Study & Electronics area

Kids love TV and Electronics. As they grow older, a mulit-gen room can be transformed in to a room where kids can have their space without taking over the main family area. While a quite area to study offers the best solution for concentration. 

Teenage Retreat

Teenagers need their space to study, bring friends over. A Multi Living style design can suite multiple or single Teenagers. We can design our plans with one or two bedrooms off the second living area. 

Young Adult Accommodation

As teenagers mature, they may need to stay at home longer to save more money or they may be doing higher education. Going from a kid’s bedroom to moving out into your own home is a large step for anyone. A multi-Gen plan gives parents the confidence of a solid stepping stone for their kids to move to a semi-independent area.

Separation

This is a sad but damming fact that currently 42% of marriages end in divorce. While the dust is settling, there is often a period where the Son or Daughter needs a temporary room or free accommodation (particularly where the husband has been the main bread winner and the Wife was looking after the kids). A multi-use room offers independence if needed or helps bring the family values together.

Two Families

A real trend we are seeing is where two families are living together. As an example, a divorced Farther who has two teenagers and a Divorced Mother who has a 7 and 10-year-old. Teenagers don't really want to have to have much to do with a 7-year-old and often want their private space. A multi-gen living area can be designed to have 2 bedrooms, with a large 2nd family area/kitchen/Bathroom. This keeps everyone happy under the one roof.   

Separate Beds

One in four married couples now sleep in separate beds. With quality sleep reducing each year, it is now becoming common place for Married couples to sleep in separate living quarters to maintain proper healthy sleep (or their relationship). In the event a spare room is required, a Multi-generational design is a saviour. 

Senior Accommodation

We will all reach a point in our life where we need or would prefer to be closer to our family. A granny flat under the main roof (as to a granny flat in the back yard) offers a semi-independent living area. With 1/3 of our population now over 55 years of age, retirement village style accommodation can be very expensive. Multi generation style designs offer semi-independent living without the need for the excessive costs. This one extra area, properly set up by our Design and Building experts can literally save up to $50,000 per year.

the advantage of Multi Gen Homes

Multi-generational homes started over 2000 years ago in China. It was common practice for the grandmother and grandfather to look after the children. Working was manual farming and a lot more physical work was required, so the younger mother and father would go out to the fields and work. Hence the grandmother and grandfather would look after the growing children. Because housing was not manufactured, but rather hand built from the ground up (everything by hand in that era), it was easier to build a home with separate quarters for the senior persons. This multi-use style of home was developed as it was easier to build one slightly larger home than two separate homes. It became part of the traditional family culture to build a home this way as it made perfect sense for a successful family and working lifestyle.

From 1950 to the late 1990's the traditional Australian family has had a stay at home mother while the husband went to work. Australia has now entered a global economy, and businesses are fighting for efficiency. Incomes have come down and many full time jobs are now part time! Day care centres have boomed over the last 15 years due to both parents working full time. A lot of Australian households simply can't afford a $200 to $700 a week expense to look after children! You only have to go for a walk through a shopping centre in the middle of a weekday and you will see dozens of senior citizens looking after their grandchildren because the parents are both working! Times have simply changed and once again just like other countries history, Australians are now entering a new type of family culture.

When the grandparents of today bought their first home in the 1960's or early 70's, the median house price for a home in Perth was around $17,000. With well-paid incomes, cheaper housing, and a stay at home mother, there wasn't any need for a reliance on your mum and dad to look after your kids! As we head towards 2020, the parents of today are both working, the median house price is over $500,000 and everything costs more! The government has changed the retirement age from 65 to 70 years of age. There is further talk of the retirement age being lifted to 75, plus there is a push for greater responsibility of people to manage their superannuation as there simply isn't enough money to be handed out to support a future aging population. The current grandparents of today are the wealthiest generation to have ever lived and typically retired at 65 or earlier. For a struggling family that needs to work or doesn't have the money, a brand new multi generation home allows the grandparents to scale down from their typically larger home, and contribute towards an easy living, low maintenance style accommodation. Because the grand parents are retired, they do have more time and are able to help out during the weekdays for the children's parents. The other option is the grand parents
could move to semi-retired accommodation, or an apartment, but these are often not in local areas where their own children currently live. A multi-gen home allows them to contribute towards the construction getting everything they need in their part of the home. They avoid buying a leased retirement situation or an apartment that is miles away. The design possibilities are endless.

Studies now show that regular grandparent and child connection and communication is of a significant benefit to the children's mental health. Children become more confident and learn better when they are in a homely environment. The parents are less stressed as this also removes a huge amount of expenses and stress of driving children every morning and afternoon to a day care centre.

Multi-generation homes will become a leading consideration for new home buyers as -

• Reduces the stress of not driving children to day care

• Saves money by not having to use a day care centre

• Offers the grandparent(s) a place to stay permanently or temporarily

• The building expenses can be shared by the married couple and the grandparents

• It allows both parents to work knowing their children are at home with family

• There are mental health benefits for the children

Multi Gen Home Design versus A Granny Flat Design

(Understanding Construction Costs and Square Meter Rates)

To the uninitiated, a multi-generational home can look like a wacky alternative to a standard residential style design.  But when one can understand the value and advantages, they end up becoming one of the best real estate investments you can ever make!

Perth building rules dictate that the second “studio style living area” can not exceed 70 square metres ( Note some council do allow up to 100 square metres).  If we were to build a 70 square metre free standing home design, most builders would be quoting around $100,000 (approximately $1200m2 to $1450m2). A building rule that is often not talked about in the building industry is Square Meter Rates. There is no "one-rate" that can be applied to all housing costs. A larger home has a small square meter rate while a small home has a higher square meter rate. $100,000 is a lot of money, but any free standing house must have its own sewer, gas, electricity and water run-ins (pretty much a freestanding granny flat in the backyard). Tradespeople do not discount their prices just because the home is smaller.  An electrician does the exact amount of work regardless of house size. Sure there may be less electricity cable but the hourly rates will be about the same. The home still has a kitchen, laundry, bathroom etc etc.

Where a Multi Generational Home really shines is the combination of two living areas. If we were to  connect that exact same 70 square metres of living area to an existing house plan, we eliminate or partly remove a huge amount of costs. The same 70 square metres  now becomes highly efficient. What this means to the paying customer, is we can produce a secondary living area somewhere between $25,000 to $60,000. When comparing a multi generational home to building a granny flat in the backyard, there are real savings to be had.  Even the cheapest building methods, such as lightweight construction, a granny flat would be coming in around the $50,000 to the $100,000 price point.

If a young family has a need for their own home but also see the advantages of having  Grandma close by, the two parties can combine their expenses and take advantage of building efficiency.

Dual Income Plus Suite 4, 136 Stirling Highway North Fremantle (Perth) Western Australia