Recently AlamedaMagazine.com published a great story about how Accessory Dwelling Units are allowing families to accommodate extended, intergenerational, living. This is a fancy way of saying, you can live with your adult children, or your parents, but with each of you having a private living space.
Which is pretty cool, actually. My clients in Dublin did just this. They built the additional dwelling for themselves, as a downsized retirement house, leaving the bigger house for their kids and grand kids. That means both families get to have their own living spaces and social lives, but everybody is close enough to enjoy the benefits of local grandparents/grand kids.
Another client in Oakland converted their detached 2-car garage into a little cottage so that their parents could visit more often and be close to them, but not underfoot. Eventually, their parents will probably move permanently into the cottage and they will be able to care for them as they age. But right now it’s a great “granny flat”-cum-guest house. I hope to have pictures of this project soon.
If you like the idea of having your elder parents near by as they age, or if you are looking for an opportunity to spend more time with your kids and grand kids, building an Accessory Dwelling Unit might be an option for you.
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