For many people, adding some extra living space to their home could be a great idea. Whether it’s because you’re wanting to increase the value of your space, needing some extra room for your growing family, or wanting to accommodate your aging parents before they enter an assisted living facility, having a separate space that includes all the essentials can be very beneficial. But to make sure that this endeavor is done wisely, there are a few things you’ll want to consider before getting started.
To help you see what these things could be, here are three tips for adding an in-law suite to your house.
Try Using Space You Already Have First
When wanting to bring more living space into your home, you should first look at the space you currently have and see if there are any options for adjusting that space into what you need.
In many situations, a garage or even a carport can work great as an in-law suite. Or, if you have some space in your house that is underutilized, reconfiguring that space could be another option. But if you’re able to use space that you already have within, attached, or around your home, you’ll find that you’re able to save a lot of money when it comes to turning this space into your in-law suite.
Put The Suite On The Ground Level
As you’re trying to decide where and how to configure that space for your in-law suite, one thing to keep in mind is that having this space on the ground level of your home or property will be ideal. Since you can never really know what this space will ultimately be used for, or who will be using this space the most, putting this area on the ground floor will make it easily accessible to anyone who might be older, like your aging parents, or have mobility issues.
Make Everything Easily Accessible
Although in-law suites are generally smaller than the main areas of your own home, you’ll want to be sure that you don’t make this space so small that you can’t reasonably fit what you’ll need into these areas.
First of all, keep in mind that any furniture you’re thinking about bringing into the space will have to fit through the doors and around any corners that might be configured into the space. And then if you’re planning on potentially using this space for your actual in-laws, you’ll want to ensure that they will have the ability to move around if they wind up needing to use something like a walker or wheelchair for their own mobility.
If you’re thinking about adding an in-law suite to your home or property, consider using the tips mentioned above as you get started with this process.
