At the height of COVID-19, you’d find a lot more households becoming multigenerational. They were able to sell their homes quickly because the market was incredibly hot, and buyers were snatching up houses as soon as they came on the market! Despite the 15% increase of interest in multigenerational homes, people are finding it difficult to find properties that meets their needs.
If you’re considering finding a Realtor® to put your home on the market and want to appeal to a larger pool of buyers (multigenerational families), here are a few multigenerational home design trends that will get your home noticed.
1. Improving accessibility for everyone
Most houses aren’t designed for people who have mobility issues, meaning the doors are average size, the hallways and stairways aren’t as well lit, and the steps are at a steeper incline. You can address these concerns by adding more lighting (or upgrading to LED bulbs, which are brighter and more energy efficient!) and replacing doors with 32-inch wide doors or wider.
2. Adding master bedrooms for the elderly
Older family members might not have an issue with staying in a guest bedroom and sharing the bathroom with the rest of the house if they’re just visiting. But, if they’re going to be living with you full time, give them space just for themselves. You can turn that guest bedroom into another master suite by adding a private bathroom.
HomeGuide estimates that adding a bathroom can cost anywhere between $2,500 (if remodeling an existing space) and go up to $47,000 (if building a new addition).
3. Building a mother-In-law suite
Much like adding a master bedroom, building a complete in-law suite is going to be costly because you’re basically creating an apartment for your loved ones. HomeAdvisor estimates that this feature can range between $40,000 to $125,000! But, once it’s complete, it can make a world of difference in terms of household dynamics. The nuclear family can go about their daily lives, and the other generation (be they young or old) can do the same in their own space.
4. Carving out a space for privacy
If you’re unable to invest tens of thousands of dollars on a completely new addition (or a bathroom), you can still give people some privacy by creating small spaces for privacy. This can be dressing up the patio to make it more usable when the weather is bad. You can turn a large closet into a reading nook (if you have enough storage space, to begin with). Heck, you can turn dead space (like the space under the stairs) into extra storage if you like the reading nook idea!
5. Decorating common areas neutral
There are a lot of reasons why households would combine under one roof. So, when you’re decorating, you’ll want to keep the common areas as neutral as possible and let your personality shine in the private spaces (bedrooms and bathrooms).
Of course, if you’re selling, real estate agents will tell you to make every room neutral to appeal to buyers, regardless of who you’re trying to appeal to. Multigenerational families are becoming the norm, and these tips are just the starting point of how to get your home ready to sell. Your real estate agent will certainly have more ideas if you need them.