The modern multi-generational household is making a resurgence across Australia. Driven by the increase in housing prices and a strive for better connections, multi-generational homes are gaining popularity, particularly for those in areas with a high cost of living, such as Sydney. Therefore, if like many others you are adult children returning home, or are welcoming in grandparents to help with childcare, transforming your home into a space that accommodates multiple generations requires thoughtful planning and communication. That’s why we have come up with a helpful guide to help create a successful multi-generational home that all the family will love.
Step 1: Open Communication and Setting Boundaries
Before you can even begin to consider moving your family into your home or vice-versa, it’s important to set up clear and open communication from early on. While for some this can feel awkward at first, being comfortable setting clear boundaries is important for well-balanced multi-generational living. Consider sitting down together one evening and setting up a list of do’s and don’ts for each household joining together. For example, if a couple is moving back to a family home with their children, to receive some additional help with childcare, a discussion on quiet times and bedtimes is a good place to start. From here you can branch into trickier areas such as how financial matters will be split like household bills and grocery shopping.
People often have the misconception that because they are moving in with family (particularly if they’ve already lived together) everything will just naturally fall into place as it once did. However, now that you have all had time to set your routines, it’s not quite that easy. Therefore, open discussions such as these will help to create a combined structure that works for everyone.
Step 2: Booking Removalists to Ease Stress
As most already know, moving can be a pretty stressful experience. This stress can have a great impact on family dynamics and how you begin your transition as a multi-generational home. Having a professional third party take control of the relocation process can massively help to reduce tensions amongst family members and create a more positive experience all-round. When considering what moving company to go for, look for those that take a full-service approach - this means that they offer services outside of your typical relocation from point A to point B. Removalists that offer services such as packing and unpacking or disassembly and reassembly of furniture can help to avoid those inevitable moments of frustration from trying to take care of the process alone. Additionally, reputable expert removalists will even be able to offer comprehensive insurance options, so that if anything does accidentally go wrong, you won’t all be left pointing the finger at each other to take care of sorting it. Plus, booking a friendly moving team to come and help the family pack up is probably the best welcome gift you can give.
Step 3: Make Space Before They Come
One of the biggest compromises you end up making when multi-generational living is sharing out space. What was once entirely yours now has to be split amongst extra people and that means you’ll probably need to do a declutter. This is where great full-service removalists come in handy again because they can also offer storage solutions for the whole family to place their excess items. Begin by creating three piles for your excess items - ‘Store, Donate, Sell’ and work through identifying items that haven't been used in the past year and can probably be kept out of the home. Encourage all family members to do the same with their belongings before the move-in date. You could even add this to another family discussion, to decipher what areas of the home are private and off-bounds and shared spaces for everyone. As well as bedrooms, it’s important to make room in other shared spaces such as the kitchen and bathroom cupboards before the move-in date, to avoid any kind of moving awkwardness.
Step 4: Create a Schedule That Works Together
Once everyone is moved in, it’s a good idea to start coordinating schedules so that everyone knows what’s going on. Begin by having everyone share their weekly commitments on some kind of shared calendar, which includes work hours, school schedules, appointments, and activities. Then add in the more personal schedules, such as meal times and bath times to see where routines may need to be tweaked. Through this schedule, you can also start to split out household tasks according to capability. Once you start to visually see where your routines work together and where they don’t, you can begin adjusting schedules to work all together. The key is to try and stay as flexible as possible so that each family member feels like they have their freedom whilst still being mindful of one another.
Step 5: Give Some Time and Space
Finally, while it's normal to try and force things to come together quickly, it can take time to adjust to a new way of multi-generational living. Try not to intervene too much to rush the process along and give family members the space they need to adapt to this new life. For instance, while healthy inclusion is nice and can build more bonds, don’t feel disheartened if certain members of the family want to do their own thing for a while. If they don’t want to watch a film all together or sit together for dinner one evening, be mindful that a busy home may not have been their norm for a while. Creating a natural rhythm together takes time and if you try to force the process along too fast and push relationships too quickly, even with your own family, it can end in a fairly tense situation.
Creating a successful multi-generational home isn't without challenges, but with thoughtful planning, a little help from moving professionals, and a lot of mutual respect, it can be an incredibly beneficial experience. By following these steps and remaining flexible as family needs evolve, you can create a harmonious living arrangement that works for everyone involved.
