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Is your household growing, even though your home is at capacity? If you have additional loved ones coming to live with you, but not enough space, it may be time to consider a larger, multigenerational home.
No matter what your particular situation may be – whether it’s bringing in older grandparents to care for them, housing adult children as they just get started in their careers, or other unique scenario – a multigenerational housing arrangement may be just what you need.
A multigenerational home has two or more adult generations living together, including siblings, parents, grandparents, or adult children.
There are plenty of perks to multigenerational housing:
Long term care facilities for the elderly offer a place for seniors to live who need care. But some families may prefer to care for their loved ones themselves rather than have to rely on old age homes. In this case, living under the same roof can make things easier for both the elderly and their family members who choose to look after them.
The opposite is also true. Families with young children at home may find having grandparents living in the same house very convenient when it comes to child care. Rather than having children in daycare, the grandparents can take over once Mom and Dad head out to work.
This not only gives parents a sense of reassurance knowing their children are being cared for by loving grandparents in the comfort of their own home, but it can save a great deal of money in childcare expenses.
Perhaps one of the more predominant reasons for more than one family to buy a home together is because of skyrocketing home prices. It’s much easier to afford a home when there are multiple income earners combined.
The financial burden of buying a home is the biggest hurdle for most people looking to make a purchase. Buyers tend to have to look at a smaller pool of homes that meet their budget.
In the US, home prices have increased 20.6% over the past year and now sit at $337,560.
That price is a lot higher in many markets across the US. For instance, in Washington State, home prices increased 24.4% and now sit at $606,643. And markets within WA are much higher.
In Seattle, for instance, the average home price is $958,027. Prices like these can make it very difficult for Americans to get into the housing market. But by combining incomes from different families, buying a home is much more financially feasible.
This opens up many more opportunities when it comes to purchasing a single-family home. Thanks to a potentially much larger income, this offers buyers access to a bigger housing stock and helps buyers purchase homes that otherwise would be way out of their price range.
Further, combining the homebuying budget also provides some added security if one of the owners loses their job or becomes unable to work for whatever reason. Should this happen, the other owners’ incomes may still be able to continue carrying the mortgage.
Whether it’s the grandparents caring for young children or adult children caring for their elderly parents, everyone living at home together can help maintain and strengthen the family bond. As long as everyone respects each other’s privacy, living together under the same roof can help enhance family relationships.
Adult children may be eager to start a life independently from their parents and move out, but this can be financially difficult if they’re just starting a new job or are going through post-secondary education. In this case, it might make more sense for these adult children to remain in their family home while they obtain job training, go to college, or progress in their careers.
If the space permits, separate living quarters can be arranged so these adult kids can maintain some level of independence and privacy in the home without taking on the financial burden of paying rent somewhere else.
Before you start looking for a home to accommodate all your family members, consider the following factors:
No matter who is living with you, one of the most important things to think about when buying a multigenerational home is privacy. Family members may come together for several reasons, but they still want the home to feel as if it’s their own. Everyone should have an acceptable level of privacy when living together, which often means separate bathrooms and living quarters; maybe even a secondary kitchen.
Depending on the situation, you may want to have your own separate entrance to access your part of the home. While this may not be a big deal for some families, others may appreciate having a separate entry, which can help them feel as if they’re still someone independent despite living in the same home.
If there are elderly folks with mobility issues living in the home, consider how easily they’ll be able to get in and out and migrate around the home. This may require ramps outside the home, lifts on stairs, and so forth. Otherwise, a bungalow may be best so there’s no need for seniors in the home to climb stairs.
If your needs are changing because you have more people living with you, it may be time to upgrade to a larger home.
Let’s connect so we can find the right home with space for you and your loved ones.
Do you have questions about rates this week and home loans? Or are you ready to apply for a mortgage to buy a home? If so, Sammamish Mortgage can help. We are a local mortgage company from Bellevue, Washington, serving the entire state, as well as Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado. We offer many mortgage programs to buyers all over the Pacific Northwest and have been doing so since 1992. Contact us today with any questions you have about mortgages.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.