3 pros!
More homeowners are deciding to build in-law suites for aging family members instead of turning to a nursing home.
It’s question millions of Americans face: how to keep their elderly parents close enough that – should health or other issues arise – they could be helped safely, but not so close that everyone sacrifices personal space or privacy.
For Debbie and Kevin Harris of Plainfield, Ind. the answer was an in-law suite.
“She’s not really in good health, so she didn’t want to live by herself,” Debbie Harris says of her widowed mother-in-law. “So, we added (an in-law suite) onto our kitchen. She has access to our kitchen, but has her own bathroom, living room and bedroom. I would tell people looking at this (as an option) that it’s definitely a good idea. You’ve got them right there with you and if they need anything, you’re right there.”
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In-law quarters have been around in one form or another for centuries, but they’re making a resurgence in the U.S. with the baby boomer population approaching retirement and families looking for economical and convenient alternatives to expensive assisted living, nursing home or retirement communities.
More than 3.6 million parents lived with their adult children in 2007, 67 percent more than in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
These separate living quarters generally are 500 to 700 square-feet additions to the main home and include a bedroom, bathroom and living area, says Lee Constantine, of Constantine Design Group Architects in Indianapolis, who has drawn up plans for separate living quarters for multiple homes in the area.
Costs for an in-law suite can range from $5,000 to $100,000 depending on the extent of the remodeling work done.
“The living space could be something as simple as a sitting area adjacent to the bedroom area or it might be a TV room or family room,” Constantine says. “Occasionally, we’ll provide a kitchenette within that living zone. If they’re a little more mobile and still want to provide some sort of independence, that’s when a kitchenette would apply, so that parent can feel like they’re in their own apartment and have they separation from the rest of the family, so it’s not so much of an assisted care kind of thing.”
While the impetus for the project is to keep loved ones close, homeowners should also consider future use of the space and the effect on your home’s value. Separate living quarters can be rented out as studio apartments.
And they don’t just have to be for in-laws. They can work for “boomerang” kids – recent college grads or adult child returning home, disabled adult family members, or a friend or relative in the middle of a life transition.
“I always try to recommend to people that we do it in such a way that it accommodates their need right now, the assisted living need, but then after that’s done, we want to be sure we’ve created an amenity to the house and not something that’s going to be a negative on the resale side,” Constantine says.
For the elderly, it’s important the remodeler thinks about universal design concepts, like wider doorways and grab bars in the bathroom. In this case, look for a contractor that is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist.
“A lot of times, accessibility is paramount; whether the person is in a wheelchair, a walker or just an elderly person who might need a little more room to maneuver,” Constantine says. “We want to make sure we get door sizes correct and that we have enough flow and aisle space to accommodate whatever need that is.”
It’s also key to the homeowner that the contractor follow zoning ordinances, which can restrict the size and location of the addition. Failure to do so could lead to significant and expensive alterations after the project has already been completed.
“That zoning criteria is pretty easy to find and follow,” Constantine says.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in December of 2012.