Multigenerational Floor Plans Cater to Modern Families

January 8, 2016

HeritageIdeal Homes, the central Oklahoma home builder known for its trendsetting building standards, has two home designs created with today's multigenerational families in mind. The two initial floorplans include the The Oakland-Heritage and the Pendleton-Heritage. The Oakland-Heritage features both a master suite and a "Heritage Suite" with a private living-and-sleeping area and a spacious, private bath with walk-in closet. The Pendleton-Heritage also has a "Heritage Suite" in addition to a private entrance and ensuite kitchen. Heritage plans are located in the Valencia neighborhood, northeast of N.W. 178th and May Ave. in northwest Oklahoma City. "For the last several years, the percentage of families with more than one generation living under the same roof has been on the rise," said Vernon McKown, co-owner of Ideal Homes. "We've watched as builders have developed million-dollar options in other markets. Our homeowners have asked us for similar products. These new floorplans address their concerns with quality, more reasonably priced products in top school districts. "We've built our business by listening to our customers concerns and developing products that address them," he said. "From energy efficiency to green building, we've been at the forefront of developing livable homes, and now we're looking at practical ways to allow parents, children and grandparents to live together comfortably. These new plans are a great start, and we're looking forward to introducing more options in the coming months." These modern multi-generational home solutions are about more than just finding an extra bedroom for mom. 

The state of the economy for the last several years means there may be all kinds of family configurations looking for home products of this type, with the greatest increases in the numbers of adult children living with parents. According to PewResearch, in the post-recession era, young adults drive the continuing rise in multi-generational living. After three decades of steady but measured growth, the arrangement of having multiple generations together under one roof spiked during the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and has kept on growing in the post-recession period. In 2012, a record 57 million Americans, or 18.1 percent of the population, lived in multi-generational family households, double the 1980 number. Young adults ages 25 to 34 have been a major component of this growth trend since 1980, and especially since 2010. By 2012, roughly one-in-four of these young adults, 23.6 percent, lived in multi-generational households, up from 18.7 percent in 2007 and 11 percent in 1980, even surpassing the percentage of adults 85 and older. In addition to their separate suites, Ideal's Heritage homes feature multi-use common spaces full of the most-asked-for features. Floor plans have 10-foot ceilings in most areas, designer kitchens - some with generous islands, master retreats with beautiful spacious baths, and covered front porches and patios. Like everything Ideal builds, these new Heritage homes will meet the highest standards for energy efficiency and quality performance. They will look beautiful, provide the ultimate in comfortable living and save their owners hundreds of dollars a year on heating and cooling usage.