The family that stays together...

American households are becoming more multi-generational, according to a new report released recently by the U.S. Census. The number of heads of households who share their homes with their parents, brothers and sisters, and other relatives grew 42 percent from 2000 to 2007The census finds a 75 percent increase in parents under the age of 65 who are now living with their adult children. In all, 3.6 million American households have made room for older parents. By state, Alaska had the highest number of parents moving in with their adult children – an increase of 167 percent, according to the data. South Dakota had the lowest – up 7 percent.

Sharing a home represents an old-fashioned approach to economic challenge, experts point out. Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, an advocacy organization. "It is evolving in some ways back to how families used to live. That is, they're living in multi-generational households," Butts said. In many cultures it is fairly normal for the parents to move in with the children and for children to stay around well into their adult lives. We got away from that in America after WW II, as families dispersed geographically. Now, we may have come full circle.

I see some of that locally and it isn’t unusual to see homes advertised with in-laws quarters. Some of the houses that’s I’ve seen and even had listed were modified to accommodate the needs of elderly parents, including those confined to wheel chairs. Those modifications can impact the marketability of the house, since ramps to allow easy access and roll-in showers or wheelchair-friendly kitchens aren’t for everyone. Well designed in-laws quarters, especially those created in a walkout basement, can easily be re-purposed as family rooms with a wet bar or maybe the full kitchen, if it is left in place.

In-laws quarters or quarters for an adult child who has returned to home should both be designed with a separate, private entrance, if at all possible. Not only is it safer to have a direct way in and out, but it may help preserve the sanity of all of the parties involved if mom and dad or sonny Jim don’t have to troop through the living areas of the main house every time they want to go somewhere. Replacing the wall out slider door with French doors will provide a relatively inexpensive solution, so long as you also provide a walkway to get to the rear of the house.

It is also possible to have the major mechanicals and utilities for in-laws quarters set up separately and metered separately, but that required more planning and some expense. There is a pride rationale for that, as well as giving the residents more control over their own lifestyle, especially as it relates to heating and air conditioning and water usages.

So invite the kids back home or have mom and dad move in with you, but do some serious planning and remodeling first to help your home accommodate the new demands that will be put on it (and you). Where possible, try to think two steps ahead, not just about the new occupants moving in, but what to do with the space when it is no longer needed to accommodate them. Heck, maybe one of your kids will buy the place and you can down-size into the in-laws quarters yourself.