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Planning to build a house as close to the city’s heart as possible? But the cost is a little too much for you to bear? Why not consider building a multi-family house instead? You will be able to segregate the costs and enjoy the privileges of living in a premium location as well.
Housing costs are rapidly rising almost in every corner of the globe. Building a home for oneself and one’s family is fast becoming a distant dream for many. But the situation need not be so dismal if we learn to build and then effectively manage a multi family home.
Increasing housing costs are certainly not the only cause of building a multi family house. We may need to construct this for our parents or other elderly members of the family. We may also need a multi family home to create separate domains for our siblings within the same building premises which is quite common in Asian homes.
Nowadays, you will find pre-approved designs for your multi family home. Opting for any one of these would a pocket friendly option. However, except for minor changes, you will not be able to easily modify these according to your needs. The location and plot size of your proposed project may also prevent you from going for a pre-planned home.
When building from a scratch, treat your home like a modern condominium. You will have to arrange for certain facilities like water and electricity supply that will be common to all. But you will have to arrange separate water and electricity meters for every family enjoying these facilities.
Access to the garden, swimming pool, terrace and recreation room if any should be open to all. It would be better to have a small space as an auditorium or community hall. Common points of interaction will promote a healthier relationship between the families, especially if more than two families are planning to live in a premise like this.
There are quite a few options of a 2 family home design that you can consider exploring. You can build two separate dwellings completely independent of each other. Except for the common facilities, each of these structures will act as a self-sufficient unit. This way, both the families will be in a position to savour the enjoyments of having a semi-detached house capable of answering all their needs.
This may not work too well for two close knit families or between close relations. Under such circumstances, you can build two separate structures joined by an atrium, garden path or conservatory. Building a duplex house is another option exercised by many. Though built as a single structure, duplex houses boast of two separate units and entrances.
Intergenerational homes can afford to have a single large kitchen and dining area, but separate living arrangements for the members of the family.
This is another worthy way of designing a multifamily home. Depending on the availability of the space, you can build a family apartment or more than one apartment on each floor level of a building.
However, every family is free to enjoy the common facilities. They are also supposed to shoulder the maintenance costs of each. Make sure these arrangements are agreed upon at the very beginning of the occupancy period.
