Multigenerational households continue to increase in popularity. Research from the Pew Research Center indicates 64 million Americans now live in this kind of home, up from 32.2 million in 1950. Reasons for the shift could be due to the increasing cost of long-term senior care, the growing immigrant population, and rising home prices. But as homeowners begin searching for a home for their families and their extended loved ones, The New York Times' Claire Zulkey has some advice from homeowners who have already made the change.
While house hunting in the Boston area, Melisa Kenslea, her husband and her mother drew up what they called the “house prenup,” a document that addressed how the family would pay for the home and how they would cover expenses. It also included an “exit strategy,” should somebody decide to move out.
Some house hunters described the in-law suites in homes they saw as “an afterthought” and “mom lives like a troll in the basement,” which is why Jessica Peterson’s family would start with the in-law suite during showings. “We knew that if that didn’t fit with what my mom and dad were looking for, it didn’t matter if the rest of the house was beautiful,” she said.
Christa Battaglia said there is one place she might have invested more money during remodeling: additional soundproofing. “My dad is hard of hearing, and he likes to listen to the TV very loudly,” she said. “We installed extra sound batting between our floors to reduce that. We can still hear his TV despite that. But we try to be patient because he’s listening to our kids running around.”
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