When the family nest is best: Demand rises for multi-generation homes that reinvent the granny flat

It’s official: more young people than ever before are living at home with mum and dad.

Data from the 2016 census released by the ABS last month shows nearly 12 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds, or close to 400,000 young adults, are still ensconced in the family nest.

Little wonder then that properties featuring separate accommodation are increasingly in demand.

Going by a host of names from teenage retreat or in-law accommodation to a studio or self-contained apartment, the granny flat in its myriad forms is a keeper.

And yes, grandparents are also contenders for that extra bedroom.

“A lot of our market buying these kind of properties are either looking for a teenager retreat, accommodation for young adults in the family to have their own space or they want to provide for ageing parents,” says Ray White Manly agent Stephen Bock.

“We’re finding with the growth we’ve seen in the market, young adults are staying at home longer and having that separate living space is really important but often hard to find.”

• Related: This type of family home is in hot demand
• Related: What granny flats can do for hopeful buyers in Queensland
• Related: Behind the transition of the humble granny flat

33 Wyndora Avenue, Freshwater NSW, was designed for family living.
Photo: Supplied

One of Bock’s listings, 33 Wyndora Avenue, is a prime example. Designed to accommodate extended family, the two-storey retreat built over the double garage at the back of this contemporary beach house comes complete with an internal lift to access a first-floor bedroom and bathroom and top-floor living spaces.

“This would be one of the most versatile floorplans I’ve seen to accommodate separate living for teenagers or elderly parents,” Stephen Bock says of the Freshwater property, priced over $4 million. “The finishes are exquisite.”

Of course, the same top-end finishes can also be found in the main house where the glass-encased living spaces gaze over a manicured garden and in-ground spa, and a parents’ retreat captures ocean views.

See more photos on Domain here. 

20 Avenue Street, Millswood SA, is set over a 1500-square-metre block.
Photo: Supplied

Harcourts Brock Williams Luxury agent Stephanie Williams says having a separate, multi-functional space is a great drawcard for buyers. “It allows flexibility, whether as guest accommodation, an artist’s studio or a pool-side cabana.”

Williams is currently selling 20 Avenue Street in Millswood, South Australia, with a guide of over $3 million. On a 1500-square-metre block, the picturesque Victorian home has a clever, single-level floorplan catering for every member of the family.

There’s a “children’s wing” with three bedrooms, a bathroom and a study, formal living rooms opposite a home office and master retreat and bright casual living areas extending to a verandah overlooking the pool and the studio adjoining the double garage.

The residence was built in 1928.
Photo: Supplied

The Robert Williams additions blend seamlessly with the original 1928 build.

See more photos on Domain here. 

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