Due to soaring unemployment and record numbers of foreclosures going on all over the US at present, many families are finding that moving back in with parents or parents moving in with their grown children is a welcome option to having the whole family struggle along by themselves. But by living together in one home, living costs are drastically reduced and sometimes the adults in the arrangement can even save some money each month.
Multigenerational households are far from a new concept; in fact it is only really in North America that people do not commonly live in multigenerational households of some sort. In many cultures around the world it is common for multiple generations of a family to live together and share expenses and daily responsibilities; while here in North America, it is common for young people to leave home by 20 and raise their children mostly without the help of grandparents.
Some keys for making this kind of living arrangement work are agreeing on the rules before any extra family moves into the home. Knowing upfront what the household rules are will make things easier on everyone involved.
Everyone who is going to share the home should have a private area of their own. It is best if there is more than one common area so that children and adults have spaces to relax in without everyone having to spend all their free time in the same room together. Teenagers like to have their own spaces and small children need an area for toys where they won't be a hazard for elderly grandparents.
All of the adults who are living in the home should contribute financially to the daily expenses however much they can. Even if elderly grandparents are on a fixed income, they can modestly contribute to living expenses and still put a little bit aside for emergency. Adult children, likewise, can help with the household finances; if they are unemployed they can take a part-time job to help with bills while still looking for a job so that the household does not struggle so much with money. Conversely, anyone who cannot contribute financially might offer to take on a bigger share of the cooking or cleaning so that they are earning their keep that way instead.
With the high rate of unemployment currently across most of the country at present, and so many home owners struggling to keep current with their mortgage payments, it is no wonder that so many home owners are choosing to live in a multigenerational household. If all the family members strive to work together and compromise, then this can be a really great option to anyone struggling in this current economic climate.
Top REALTOR ®, Carolyn Capalbo, specializes in Northern Virginia real estate, and is a Certified Distressed Property Expert. You can search for homes in Prince William County and surrounding areas, by visiting her site at Just4Real.com.
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