How to turn your landed property into a 3-Gen home? If you are in the possession of a 3-Gen home, you are probably a bit worried about the maintenance and home décor.
You will be wondering about how you are going to please everyone. How should you make the right decisions in designing your home? Can you satisfy everyone who is living in it?
3-Gen home refers to multi-generational family households where two or more adult generations live together under the same roof; this generally includes grandparent, parent, and child.
Turn your landed property into a 3-Gen home using the following tips below!
Tips to Turn Landed Property Into a 3-Gen Home 1: Public Area
When a home’s design is required to fulfil the needs of different age group, interests, and lifestyles, it is important to incorporate flexibility into the living area.
- Creating a multi-purpose space is better than fixing everything in place. An example for this would be using foldable desks instead of built-in study desks. This allows you to turn a reading corner zone into a play zone within the same space. You may choose to use transparent panels to divide the area into a multi-purpose room.
- This also applies to sofa sets and dining tables. More family members mean larger and longer social interactions. Instead of getting plush sofa sets or dining tables that can fit everyone, opt for space-saving furniture like extendable tables, armchairs with discreet storage, and several other modular seats that can be moved around as needed.
- Built-in storage cupboards are a good solution to solve the problem of not having sufficient storage compartments for toys, books, and the like. They also keep the whole area neat and free of hazards like electrical cables and smaller knick-knacks that can cause trips and falls.
- Also, be wise in choosing suitable materials for flooring. Avoid using carpets as they increase the chance of trips and falls.
- If your budget allows, install motion-sensor lights along the path from a senior’s bedroom to the bathroom so as to facilitate night trips.
Tips to Turn Landed Property Into a 3-Gen Home 2: Kitchen
In a 3-gen home, the kitchen is an important, high-traffic area that is regularly used by more than one person.
- If your budget allows, you can add in a kitchen island, which can also be used as a breakfast counter. A kitchen island also separates the wet and dry areas to create a more dynamic kitchen. This enables two to three people to prepare meals together simultaneously, each keeping to his or her preferred way of doing things. Preparation for large gatherings can also be done efficiently.
- Store frequently used cookware in low drawers instead of overhead cabinets so that the more senior members of your family can retrieve and stow things away easily.
- Avoid open-plan kitchens and go for sliding doors to close the kitchen area off if you have small kids. This can also prevent cooking smells from lingering in the public area.
Tips to Turn Landed Property Into a 3-Gen Home 3: Bathrooms
A bathroom can be a high-risk zone, especially for senior citizens. So make your bathroom safe for a 3-gen home by applying the following.
- To minimise accidents in the bathroom, consider installing anti-slip floors to prevent slips and falls.
- For safety, add a ramp at the entrance (for wheelchair users) and grab bars at the side of the toilet so that it is easy for them to sit down or stand up.
- In addition, install a handheld showerhead that can be adjusted to different heights instead of a fixed showerhead. It is easier to use and elderly-friendly as senior members can easily reach for it.
Tips to Turn Landed Property Into a 3-Gen Home 4: Bedrooms
Individuals should be given as much freedom as possible to personalise their bedrooms, especially if you intend to turn your landed property into a 3-Gen home.
- Allow kids to decide their bed frames and wall colours. Give teenagers the freedom to be creative when deciding on the interior design for their personal spaces.
- Ensure the elderly have everything they need to live comfortably. Choose a higher bed frame for the elderly as it is easier for them to sit down and stand up independently.
- Install two-way light switches, both at the door and at the bedside. This benefits both the elderly and children as they don’t need to feel their way in the dark back to their beds after turning the lights off. They will also have less difficulty locating the light switch whenever they need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Conclusion
These are our suggestions in turning your landed property into a 3-Gen home. If you need help on converting your house into a 3-Gen home that fulfils everyone’s needs, don’t hesitate to contact us!
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