An old trend is making a comeback- Multigernation Living and it’s happening here in San Antonio, Texas. Multigenerational families were a common way of life during the Great Depression. The lifestyle was a key feature in a 1970s television series following the lives of the Walton family, which had three generations living together in the Virginia mountains during the Depression. Since the economy took a dive in 2008, families have been moving in with one another in an effort to share expenses and keep the cost of living down. Many of our clients have experienced the death of a parent and the decision has to be made about what to do with the remaining parent: send them to a retirement community or assisted living community. There is another alternative and that is adding a room addition to accommodate that family member.
Some of my clients have opted to build a room addition or mother/father in law suite for their parents instead of sending them to a retirement community. By adding on square footage to their home, they are able to provide a safe environment for their parents and are able to see them more often. Plus, it nice to have an extra adult around to help with babysitting the kids.”–Danny Garcia, Owner of Rhino Design Build, LLC in San Antonio, Texas.
Like most grandparents, they want to spend as much time with grandchildren as they can. Creating living space for them at your house is the easiest way to bring the families together, but still maintain privacy by keep their living quarters separately. Kitchen, utility room, sitting rooms, living room, etc are all part of the attached guest house. Many of our clients have separate entrances to the room addition so that everyone stays independent of each other. Having an extra set of hand around to watch the children and also help share expenses can a huge benefit.