Multigenerational living is extremely common in many cultures and is becoming a more popular choice in others. It can be a good way to save money, share responsibilities, and keep families together to ensure everyone receives the support they need. Multigenerational living can also be challenging though, and you need the right setup at home to make it work. If you’re getting ready to have several generations of your family in one home, or you want to improve your current multigenerational situation, carrying out some home improvements could help. Creating more space and ensuring everyone has the space they need will help make it work for everyone.

Extend Your Living Space

Extending your existing living space can be really helpful if you want to make multigenerational living work. You might just about have enough space for everyone to squeeze onto a couch or around the dining table, but creating more could make your home much more pleasant to share. There are various home extensions you could consider to make more space for everyone. You might think about extending a different room such as the kitchen or dining room so that it’s not so cramped. Or you could add an extra room, whether it’s a bedroom or an additional living space.

Build a Grandparent Suite

A grandparent suite is an additional self-contained living space where your parents or other relatives can live. It allows them to have their own home while also being close to you. It could be a converted part of your existing home or it might be an extension or additional building. It’s the perfect way to add space for more family members, but it’s important to be aware of any potential planning or building regulations that could affect you. There may be certain rules you need to follow if it counts as a separate dwelling.

Convert a Garage, Basement, or Attic

If you have a space that could be converted into a living space, it might be the ideal way to make your home suitable for multigenerational living. A garage, basement, or attic could be converted into a self-contained apartment or even just a bedroom. Alternatively, you could use these spaces to create more communal living spaces for the whole family. The more usable living space you have, the less everyone will get in each other’s way. If you’re planning on a conversion, you’ll need to determine just how much work needs to be carried out.

Mix Privacy and Communal Living

Getting the right balance between privacy and communal living is important if you’re living as a multigenerational family. You all need your own space, but there are benefits to spending time together too. So it’s important to think about how you’re going to ensure there’s enough space for everyone. Open-plan living spaces can be great, but don’t forget to think about where everyone can go if they need to be alone or spend time in smaller groups.

Multigenerational living could work for your family, but you have to think seriously about the setup of your home to get the benefits.