Many families are choosing to allow their aging parents to move in with them rather than a moving them to a nursing home. Building an in-law addition provides the necessary accommodations for older adults to live with ease and dignity. It also increases home value and provides an infrastructure for homeowners to “age in place”. There are several sensible reasons to build an in-law suite. Consider the following tips for building an in-law addition:
Choose a Good Location
There are several ways to go about choosing the right location to build an in-law suite. Your options include building a brand new addition or converting an existing room to an addition. You should keep in mind how the room will be used by aging parents when they move in. Choosing or building a room that is on the ground floor will be necessary for avoiding the strenuous activity of climbing up and down stairs. If you’re building an in-law suite in an existing room, try to choose one that is close to or connected with a bathroom, if possible. This minimizes the work and expense of adding brand new plumbing. If your parents are more independent, you can consider building or converting a freestanding unit into an in-law addition. However, if your parents require frequent care, you will have more peace-of-mind if they are living in the main home.
Separate Power
It may be a smart decision for you to keep the addition on its own separate power. This way, your parent can control the temperature to their liking. If you’re planning on utilizing the addition as an apartment later, giving the addition its own separate power can help you to know how much to charge a tenant for utilities. Additionally, if the unit is using its own separate power, you can conserve energy by shutting down the heating or air conditioning when the unit is not being used.
Keep Parents in Mind
It’s a good idea to keep in mind how your parents will utilize their new apartment. While you’re getting the in-law addition built, you may also want to consider converting the bath to an easy-to-use walk-in shower with a no-slip floor and grab rails. You may want to forego any kitchen appliances in the suite if you’d prefer having your parents join you for meals every day. Or, perhaps your parents would prefer to have their own refrigerator and sink for preparing small meals. Be sure to talk to your parents and gather their feedback before implementing our tips for building an in-law addition.