Multi-generation home designs offer solutions

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1 1 of 5 9/21/ :01 AM Front Page News Sports Business Lifestyles Opinion A&E Home > Featured Articles SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Multi-generation home designs offer solutions September 10, 2012 Households with more than one generation are on the rise. As a result, builders and designers are creating new homes to accommodate two or more age groups. Floor plans include suites with separate baths, living areas, and kitchenettes. Some plans have living quarters with dedicated entrances. Other options create a family compound with a small dwelling for one or two family members detached from the main house. Toll Brothers New Homes View photo tours of new luxury homes & design your dream home! "Houses with these options can be great for an older parent who's moving in," says Maria Wilhelm, vice president of sales at Pulte Homes, Schaumburg. Of course, there's nothing really new about extended families living together. In fact, multi-generational family units have been the norm going back thousands of years. In 1980, the number of multi-generational households hit a low of 12 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. But that number has been climbing. About 19 percent of American households now

2 2 of 5 9/21/ :01 AM contain more than one adult generation. Several factors account for the uptick, according to Stephen Melman, director of economic services at the National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C. The biggest cause of the increase in multigenerational households is the economic downturn, says Melman. "It saves money to move in together." College kids who graduate without a job can't afford a place of their own and move back in with their parents. Elders who need help often move in with their adult children an option much less expensive than an apartment in an assisted living facility. The growth of multi-generational households is also being driven by cultural preferences. Some groups traditionally prefer to have their elders living with them. "These homebuyers are comfortable with more than one generation in the household," says Melman. New designs The big Miami-based homebuilder Lennar has introduced a new design called "Next Gen the home within a home." The house includes a private suite with a bedroom, bathroom, sitting room and kitchenette and a separate entry. On the West Coast, the New Home Company of Orange County, Calif., recently opened a community called Lambert Ranch in Irvine. Many of the homes there have sold to multi-generational families. Features include dual front-door entries; compound estates, guest houses and private quarters. Local builders are also experimenting with multi-generational home designs. Homebuilder Pulte offers a floor plan with an in-law suite at its Ashwood Creek project in Naperville. The first floor has a bedroom with its own attached bathroom. The other bedrooms, including the master bedroom, are located on the second floor. "The first floor bedroom is great for an elderly parent," says Wilhelm. In Burr Ridge, at its Savoy Club community, Pulte has a floor plan with the master bedroom on the first floor. Two other bedrooms, along with a bathroom, are located on the second floor. It's an ideal spot for older kids returning home after college, notes Wilhelm. Room Addition Contractor Need more space? add a room Now Free 3D Design call CaConstructionCenter.com New Homes Ontario, CA New Homes at Edenglen Low $300Ks See Incentives, Availability & More Edenglen.com Pulte has also rolled out what it calls "life-tested" floor plans. The plans are good for multi-generational families. For example, one plan has a zone off the back door that includes a bench, counter space, coat hooks, a closet and cubbies for back packs. There's a place for the kid's things and also a place for an older person to sit and take off shoes. Builders are offering homes with double master suites too.

3 3 of 5 9/21/ :01 AM Harris Design Build, of Barrington, offers customs homes with two master suites. Typically, the first-floor master suite takes the place that would have been occupied by the library. The main master suite is on the second floor. "We want to provide privacy and independence for the older parent who moves into the house," says Evan Harris, company president. Harris sometimes includes an elevator in his home designs. Since the homes typically have a walk-out basement, residents have three floors to navigate. The addition of the elevator makes the entire house accessible to everyone, Harris says. A residential elevator costs about $60,000 and can accommodate four to five people. "When you're planning ahead, an elevator can make sense," he adds. Simple solutions Though pricey custom homes are out of reach for most home buyers, architects are also devising ways to put multi-generational units in less expensive homes. BSB Design creates floor plans for builders. The architectural firm has introduced an in-law suite module that can be dropped into a traditional home layout. The module typically takes up the space that would have been earmarked for the formal living and dining rooms spaces often not used. The module includes a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette and living area. It also includes a walk-in closet and a place for a washer and dryer. "It's really a separate living unit," notes Joe Safin, senior partner at the firm's Arlington Heights office. "It's great for older parents who need care, but who want their independence too." The Wall Street Journal Official Site. Subscribe Today for Home Delivery & Get 4 Weeks Free! New Homes Mountain View and Throughout the Bay Area Shop by Location and Price Next Featured Articles Decoding the diabetic diet Steve Harvey keeping it real with new daytime TV talk show For heart health, fish oil pills not the answer: study

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