Multi generational living

Multi Generational Living – Will It Work For Us?

Years ago, multi generational living was the norm. Many generations of families lived under the same roof and it worked for them. But things changed, and most times since then, a family member marries or moves out and has an apartment or home of his own and continues in a new household.  But didn’t we all watch The Waltons those many years ago and saw how living together was so much fun?  It worked on Downton Abbey? Those sisters really got along….Oh wait!

Well, we are going to try it out. Yes, we are the New Waltons.

My daughter and her husband are selling their home. They have been there since my grandson was born in 2005, so it will be hard to leave. She has already gone all “misty eyed” several times as we talk about her home and fixing it up for a new couple to move in.

Can It Still Work? Multi Generational Living

Moving In With Us

It will be easier for them to move here, set up their empty house all staged and ready to view, and they don’t have to live there and get frantic every time there is a showing, right? Cleaned-up once and done! Great plan, says the women. “I have to live with my M-I-L?” says Joe.

It just seems that they need more room, even though it is just the three of them. With an Almost Teenager, some extra space for privacy for everyone would be so nice. Joe wants a Pit or Man Cave like my husband has.  My husband has his computer and games and big TV down there, and whenever we have any noise/conflict, he’s all ” I am going to my Pit.”

Well Joe wants a Pit at his new house!  And of course, if Papaw has a Pit and Dad has a Pit, Jacob wants a Pit too!  My daughter wants a basement. ( She has always had a fear of tornadoes, so wants a basement as a safe zone.)  So any new home must have a basement.

Moving Back into Her Old Room

So last weekend, they moved over to our house. We have enough room here, it seems. She and Joe took her old room, and Jacob took the room where he always spent the night. Having five bedrooms works great. Though I have learned that we cannot call that room in the basement a bedroom, since there is no “egress.”  Yeah, I learned that wasn’t a Mama Eagle but an exit.

Does multi generational living still work_

So at this point, we are all one big happy family! (Shut up, Joe!) I need to chronicle how this is going so that I can look back and say “We should have done this…..or we should have done that.”  I am sure there are struggles to overcome, but I am enjoying it for now.

I can have dinner ready for her when she gets home from work. I will always be here for Jacob after school and if he should be sick and need to stay home from school. I know that can relieve some of my daughter’s stress.  Joe ( my son-in-law) will love getting to spend so much time with his Mother-in-Law……(eye roll)

But we will make this work. Their home is now officially up for sale. More about that process later.

Multi generational living - 2 families, 1 house

And I get to have my hypertufa buddy living with me. We can put all our hypertufa planters together and make new planters together even more than we did before….This place will look like a garden center for a while.

Well, onward into the multi-generational living thing! Any advice will be appreciated.

More to Come!

  •    Selling their house
  •    Best practices to sell?
  •    Agent or FSBO?
  •    Living Together in Harmony (insane laughter included)

UPDATE: The house has been sold and the closing was on Feb 1, 2018. It works! And we did save quite a bit of money. Yay for us!

6 Comments

  1. I think you will enjoy your time together!
    I’ve always thought it’s a shame that in America
    The multi-generational homes are not the norm. As realtor I still see it in several cultures. I visit retirement homes as part of my business and there are so many elderly folks that are so lonely and would like nothing more than to have family around. My girls and I used to joke about building a ‘compound’ where each family has their own living space but a big common area to share.
    I still think it’s a great idea!

    1. I really agree. I think it could relieve so much stress from my daughter to not worry about her son’s care. Late from work? No problem, since I will be there. Couldn’t work in all situations, but works for us. ( My son is single and he would NEVER move in with me..LOL) I can really understand where he’s coming from though.

  2. Hope it works out okay! Thank goodness you have your garden to retreat to (well, when it’s not too cold outsdie).

  3. Vicki Zwiebel says:

    OH Kim, we did that with Chris and Shannon a few years ago for a month while they remodeled their kitchen. We were all sort of apprehensive, but as for me, I loved it. I still worked then, so we would take turns fixing supper and it was so nice coming home to a meal. I was getting ready for an election, so there were many late nights.

    We had enough room for us all, which certainly helped. There is 2 bedrooms and a bath upstairs, so everyone had their own space. It was between Thanksgiving and Christmas so it was the perfect time to get to spend with Konnor.
    Is TJ still there?

    Good luck, family of 5 or 6!

    1. That’s such good news. I hope this all works out with us, however it goes. TJ isn’t here since he bought his own home in 2012. He doesn’t live far away, though.

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