It is easy to feel overwhelmed and overcrowded if you invite an elderly parent to come and live with you, especially if they have mobility issues or specific needs. However, by rethinking or expanding your London property you can make the experience a positive one for the whole family.
The more people you squeeze into a property, the more difficult it can be to find some space for yourself. One of the key considerations when bringing an elderly relative to live with you is how everyone can have a private space for themselves where they can retreat from the stresses of the home. Here are six ways to rethink or expand your property if you are thinking of inviting an elderly parent to live with you:
Granny annex
Granny annexes are an increasingly popular way to invite an older family member to live with you, but at the same time giving them the autonomy of their own self-contained property. They can be created from repurposed basement floors, garages, outbuildings, or built as new independent structures. The critical part is that a granny annex (also known as a granny flat) has its own front door and is fully self-contained, so has a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom area.
Granny annex offers families the best of both worlds – the ability to see their loved ones every day with minimal fuss, but also with everyone keeping their own personal space and nobody treading on anyone else’s toes. If you are looking to convert an existing outhouse, garage, or basement into a granny annex or are considering building a dedicated new “mini home” for your aging parent, then Good London Builders can help with the design, planning, and completion of the work.
Attic conversion
Most London properties do not have outbuildings or garages that can be repurposed into a granny annex and so for the majority of Londoners looking to invite an elderly parent to live with them will be looking to convert the space within their property or expand their property to make room.
Attic conversions are one of the most cost-effective ways to add additional living space to your home. As long as there is already sufficient headroom in the loft, there is little structural work that needs to take place to convert the space into another bedroom or home office. It is still a major undertaking as there will need to be new floors, insulation, wiring, and a new staircase constructed, but compared to extensions or basement conversions this will be a quicker and lower cost option to create the much-needed extra space.
The attic conversion itself may not be a good option as a bedroom for an elderly relative as it will include at least two flights of stairs. However, if you are happy to reconfigure your home and move either the home office or family room to the loft space and change that downstairs room into your relative’s bedroom then an attic could be your most cost-effective option.
Basement conversion
Similar to attic conversions, basement conversions are making use of space that already exists in your property to create an extra room. If your property already has a cellar or basement that is suitable, then converting this into liveable space can be more cost effective than building an external extension. If you do not have a basement that is already suitable it is possible to excavate a basement, but this can significantly increase costs.
As with an attic conversion, to make best use of a basement conversion in this situation it may be that you want to move your family room or home office into the bedroom so that your elderly relative can have their bedroom on the ground floor and not have to navigate any stairs. If you are considering converting or expanding your basement, then contact Good London Builders today to help you assess your options.
Garden room
Garden rooms are a great way to add some extra floorspace to your home for an office, studio, or another purpose. Garden rooms are not classed as habitable space, so we are not suggesting you utilize the garden room as a living space. However, if you currently have a home office on the ground floor of your property, you could build a garden room and move your office outside, leaving a room free on the ground floor for your aging parent to have as their bedroom.
Side-return extension
Side-returns are one of the most popular home extensions for London properties. The premise is that they make use of the under-utilised space at the side of a property, often to create an open-plan living space and expand the kitchen. However, they can also be a great way to create additional space to accommodate another person in your home, as they offer the opportunity to create an entire extra room on the ground floor without eating into your garden. This room could be perfect as a bedroom for your new guest.
If you think you will soon be inviting an elderly parent to move into your home and are looking for the best way to find that extra space then call Good London Builders on 0207 978 5097 or contact us online today to discuss your options
