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The pressure on housing availability in Sydney is rarely out of the news.
Even the most optimistic estimates of new home and apartment building suggest that this situation won’t change soon.
More and more Sydney families are looking at alternatives that involve making the best use of their existing family home.
Grandparents and adult kids are moving in, but this can make use of the shared spaces at times crowded and stressful.
Home Alternatives
It’s not surprising this is making homeowners look at more permanent solutions, creating a separate suite that gives independence and privacy for the family’s members moving in.
This makes particular sense for ageing parents. There is a higher likelihood that the kids will eventually leave, whereas the older generation is more likely to stay for longer, especially as Home Care packages enable more elderly Australians to avoid living in residential care.
So, we wanted to share our experience on how to expand your home so you can build the perfect apartment within the family home.
Consult and Plan Ahead
It’s important that your new ‘tenants’ feel that their new home is built with their needs and wants carefully considered and incorporated into the plans, to make sure they don’t feel like ‘guests’.
Having honest discussions about their capabilities in the future – not just at this point in time – will allow you to build in features that prevent more costly revisions at a later date.
You want this home to adapt as your elderly relatives become less mobile. Every aspect of the design – from how to avoid stairs to including handrails to bench heights – should be thought of.
Ask tough questions like: how would the design cope if one of the occupants requires a wheelchair in the future? You might need wider doorways and the ability to add ramps if stairs are unavoidable, amongst other things.
Important Inclusions
To make sure that this new part of your home is fully independent, you should include a bathroom with toilet as ‘mandatory’ and look into the possibility of a kitchenette – subject to council requirements – not just a bedroom and living area.
A separate entrance may be desirable – again, subject to council requirements – and we’d encourage an interconnecting door between the main house and the new apartment to allow easy access, especially in case of emergency.
Depending on where the new section is adjacent to, you might also want to include sound dampening to ensure that late-night TV watchers don’t keep elderly parents awake.
If it’s possible for the new space to connect straight to the garden, try to incorporate an accessible backdoor or patio door.
Peace of Mind and Safety
As well as the previously mentioned ideas, include strong lighting inside and from the street to the front door, slip-proof tiles in bathrooms and non-slip pavers on garden paths.
As well as smoke detectors, include carbon monoxide detectors, and look at including panic buttons that can alert people in the main house or emergency contacts. Even though these are now usually wearable devices, some might not remember to wear them.
In the bathroom, build a walk-in / hobless shower, and if you can include a bath, make sure it has a low entry to make it easier to get in and out – ‘walk-in’ baths are also now a possibility..
To Go Up or Out
Depending on your existing home’s layout and available land, an extension (going out) will be generally preferable to an addition (going up) as this is more likely to avoid stairs for the new occupants.
However, if your land doesn’t allow for this, an addition might be the only solution.
In that case, any ground floor bedrooms of the main occupants can be switched to the new second storey along with extra bathrooms (perhaps an ensuite) and even another living space, allowing the new apartment to be built downstairs.
If going up is the only option for an aged tenant, make sure your plans can incorporate stairlift whether that’s installed now or in the future.
Next Steps?
Whether you go up or go out, getting the design right is critical as some Councils may consider your plans as dual occupancy, requiring specific criteria to be met.
This is why working with an experienced designer and builder is so important. Make sure you choose one that is qualified, reputable, and experienced in these sorts of renovations: their expertise may be crucial to ensure your project runs smoothly through the Development Application process.
Addbuild is one of Sydney’s leading extensions and additions ‘concept-to-completion’ companies, helping growing families for the past 40 years. We have experienced designers and can manage the Development Application process on your behalf.
We have built around 2,000 projects, including a host of separate multi-generational spaces.
If you are looking to welcome another adult generation into your home, please get in contact. Call us today on (02) 8765 1555 or contact us using our online form.
