With the cost of real estate in Greater Victoria – Sooke included – more families are getting creative about their living spaces, finding solutions that accommodate multiple generations, while retaining privacy for different family members.
Ken Lydiatt, a Project Leader with MAC Reno-Design-Build, which has been creating beautiful spaces in the region for more than 40 years, recalls one client who'd lived in her home for 30 years. With her son and daughter-in-law living and working in Vancouver, unable to save enough to buy a home or start a family, their solution was building a lovely, bright garden suite for mom while the younger generation moved into the main home that was now too big for her.
Even better, when grandchildren came, grandma was close by.
For another client, caring for her mother with developing mobility issues, a no-step suite with a patio was the perfect solution that kept everyone close, while still retaining their privacy with separate spaces. Others look to develop a suite for adult children as they attend university or embark on their careers.
While regulations generally have opened up in the Capital Region, determining the best approach – garden suite, basement suite, addition or carriage house – will vary according to municipal regulations, lot size and configuration, plus the home and needs of all family members, Lydiatt notes.
A basement suite can be a good option for homes with an undeveloped basement, for example, providing the design, construction and material selections ensure the resulting home is bright, warm and functional. Even a carriage house – where the suite is built above the garage – can be designed for older adults, incorporating an elevator or staircase chair lift into the renovation. "It all comes down to planning it right," Lydiatt says.
And good news for those considering attached suites, including additions, basement suites or carriage houses: today's building codes and materials have also come a long way in terms of sound dampening, so you needn't feel like you're living directly on top of, beneath or beside someone else.
"It all comes down to choosing a company that's going to create a space that works for everyone who will be living in it," Lydiatt says. "At MAC, that's at the heart of our approach – we're here to solve problems for homeowners, whether that's improving the layout, updating a kitchen or bathroom, or adding more space for family."
To learn how MAC Reno-Design-Build can help create more space for your family, visit macreno.com or call 250-384-6091.