In times gone by, the children within a family would grow up and move out of the
family home, whether for the purposes of attending college, getting married or
simply pursuing their own independence.
But in this day and age, once university has finished, the likes of inflated rental
prices or the need to save for a house deposit of their own mean that it’s not
uncommon for grown up children to suddenly land back on your doorstep requiring
board and lodging.
If your grown-up children boomerang back to the family home, a loft conversion is
an excellent sanity saving solution. Here’s how to get your home – and your
mind set - ready for returning children:
Prepare your Storage
When grown up children move back home, they’re often accompanied by a whole heap of
baggage. If they’ve lived independently for some time, they may have their own
kitchen utensils, decorative items and even furniture which you’ll need to find
a home for.
If you’re housing them in a loft conversion, make sure that you’ve got plenty of
storage. This could be bespoke fitted cupboards designed for loft conversions, or alternatively, if you’re creating
a loft conversion as part of a deliberate move towards multi-generational
living, you might want to think about adding extra storage solutions throughout
your home as you renovate.
Any extension to kitchens – such as a kitchen diner creation – should incorporate
plenty of storage to house everyone’s bits and pieces, and similarly clever
solutions can include the likes of under-stair storage.
Bathrooms, Bathrooms, and more Bathrooms!
When there are more than a couple of grown adults living under the same roof, you can
never have enough bathrooms. If you’re converting your loft to allow returning
grown up children to live there, make sure you include a bathroom of their own.
It doesn’t have to be anything too fancy; a toilet and shower cubicle will be
enough to allow you all to get ready in your own space. This will save all of
those chaotic mornings as you all scrabble to make it out the door on time for
work!
Give Each Other Space
The key to remaining harmonious when a large family of adults is living under one
roof is to give each other space.
While it’s tempting to expect grown up children to spend their evenings in the living
room with their parents, watching the same programmes and eating dinner
together, sometimes it’s better to allow everyone to go about their business
with just a few sensible ground rules in place.
This is where a loft conversion really comes into its own, as you can convert it to
be exactly what you need it to be. Try to think of it as a mini studio
apartment. You don’t necessarily need a kitchenette, but it is a good idea to
include comfortable seating and perhaps a small dining or refreshment area as
well as the bed.
However you decide your set-up works best for you, the more space within your home the
better. If a loft conversion will give you the extra room that you require for
your boomerang family, then speak to Bespoke Lofts. We’ll talk you through what
will work best for you and your grown up children.