Living with Family and Adapting Your Home Accordingly

Times have certainly changed. Millions of US homes now have two or three generations of family living together. While three generations under one roof is a convenient way to celebrate mother’s day, it is certainly not the norm in the Back Bay, Beacon Hill or the South End. Recently though, I have seen more empty nesters coming to live in the city, and they’re looking for larger, multi-level homes for sale in Boston. This would have never been the case a few years ago.

More and more children are graduating from college and moving back in with their parents – typical of many homes in Boston. I’ve also seen families who need an in-law suite/apartment to care for ailing or aging parents. Rather than looking at homes for sale in Boston at different stages of their life, some couples are now trying to adapt their living space to accommodate their needs. For example, those with larger homes in Boston often convert extra bedrooms into a gym or office when their children go to college. Or the grandparents might move in.

[caption id="attachment_623" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Convenient Gym Room at 16 Exeter Street"][/caption]

People really get creative with their living spaces and seem to be more reluctant to move out. Boston has an unmatched energy and excitement, not to mention the conveniences of city living - being able to walk everywhere, eat at great restaurants, and visit the museums, symphony and theaters. There is a reason homes in Boston are prime real estate.

I would have been surprised a few years ago to see couples with grown children moving to the Back Bay/Beacon Hill and looking at larger homes for sale in Boston with multi unit residences. At first, I was puzzled as to why, at their sage of their life, they needed to complicate their lives. But they had a good reason. They wanted room for their returning family members. And now, looking back, it makes perfect sense.