By Jesse Skulmoski · Operandi Design Build
Living closer to family can mean sharing meals, helping with children or having someone nearby when needed. It can also mean finding room for different schedules, visitors and ways of doing things.
A parent may want to be closer while keeping their own kitchen and daily routine. An adult child may need somewhere to get established without feeling like a guest. Some families want to share one home; others would prefer separate accommodation on the same property.
The right arrangement starts with understanding how everyone wants to live. From there, we can look at what the house and property can support.
Begin with the people who will live there
Before settling on a floor plan, bring everyone into the conversation. Talk about what you enjoy sharing and what you would like to keep independent.
Useful questions include:
Will you cook and eat together, separately, or a little of both?
How do work, school and sleep schedules overlap?
Will laundry, storage and outdoor areas be shared?
Where can each person spend time alone or welcome visitors?
What support would people like to offer—and what are they comfortable receiving?
These conversations help turn a general wish to “make room for family” into a practical plan.
Someone moving into the home should have a voice in shaping it. A parent may care more about a sunny place to read than an extra bedroom. An adult child may value their own entrance and somewhere to have friends over. Those priorities are easier to accommodate when they are understood early.
Choose the arrangement that suits your family
Multigenerational living can take several forms.
A shared home may work well when people want to cook and spend much of their time together. Reconfiguring rooms, adding a bathroom or creating a more private bedroom area may provide what is needed. An extension could make room for a larger kitchen, living area or primary bedroom and ensuite.
A self-contained suite within the house offers more independence, with its own cooking, bathing and sleeping facilities. A basement may be suitable, although access, daylight, headroom and the existing building need careful consideration. Our basement-suite budget guide explains the conditions that can affect that work.
A garden suite or another accessory dwelling option may offer greater physical separation while keeping family nearby. Whether that approach is possible depends on the property, services and local requirements.
An extension can also create new accommodation, but expanding the main household and creating another dwelling involve different considerations. Establish what you want the finished space to do before deciding how to build it.
The province’s secondary suite and accessory dwelling guidance provides a useful introduction to these housing options.
Give privacy a place in the design
Privacy includes more than a bedroom door. It means being able to make a phone call, invite a friend over or enjoy a quiet morning without feeling that you are interrupting someone else.
Look at how people will move through the home. Can someone reach their living space without passing through another person’s private rooms? Is there somewhere comfortable to sit alone? Can visitors arrive without disturbing a sleeping household?
Sound deserves the same attention. A bedroom below a busy kitchen, laundry beside a quiet sitting area or a television against a shared wall can affect daily comfort. Discuss the layout and the level of sound control you expect while the design is still flexible.
Storage matters too. Coats, shoes, cleaning supplies, hobbies and seasonal belongings all need somewhere to go. Allowing for them helps shared spaces remain useful.
Statistics Canada’s research on multigenerational households identifies insufficient private space and unsuitable home layouts as potential sources of tension. Thoughtful planning gives each generation more choice about when to spend time together.
Plan beyond the move-in date
Consider how the arrangement might change over the coming years.
A room used as an office today might later become a bedroom. Someone who manages stairs comfortably now may eventually prefer living on one level. An adult child may move out, leaving space you would like to use differently.
Look at the route from parking to the entrance, steps, doorways and access to a convenient bathroom. If someone has particular mobility or daily living needs, involve them directly and bring in appropriate professional advice early.
CMHC’s accessible housing guidance emphasizes flexibility and adapting a home as its occupants’ needs change. That principle is useful even when no one currently needs an accessible home.
The aim is to make sensible choices now that leave useful options open later.
Agree on responsibilities as well as rooms
Construction is only part of the arrangement. Talk about ongoing costs, maintenance, shared spaces and how household decisions will be made.
If relatives are contributing to the renovation, be clear about what that contribution means. Where ownership or substantial family contributions are involved, have the arrangement documented with appropriate legal and financial advice.
Discuss expectations around childcare, practical help and care as well. Living nearby can make support easier, but it helps to understand what each person is willing and able to offer.
These conversations can be personal. Having them before the renovation gives everyone a clearer understanding of the home they are creating together.
Check approvals and any potential tax support
Describe the proposed arrangement accurately when checking requirements with your municipality. “For family” explains who will live there; the layout and use still need to be assessed.
For example, Saanich’s secondary-suite guidance sets out zoning and building requirements, inspections and occupancy approval. Confirm the requirements for your own property before proceeding.
The federal Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit may help qualifying families create self-contained accommodation for a person aged 65 or older, or an adult eligible for the disability tax credit. A bedroom and ensuite alone do not qualify. Ownership, family relationship, occupancy and expense conditions also apply. Review the CRA eligibility requirements with your tax adviser before including a potential credit in your financial planning.
How Operandi helps bring the plan together
We start by listening to the people who will use the space and walking through the house. We look at what is working, what needs to change and which questions need further investigation.
Where a paid feasibility stage is appropriate, we agree on the work, fee and what you will receive before proceeding. This can include comparing accommodation options, coordinating specialist input, reviewing the approval path and developing a preliminary budget.
As the project develops, we coordinate the appropriate design professionals and trades, work through selections and costs, and plan construction. Under a separate construction agreement, Jesse leads site coordination, communication and agreed changes through to the final walk-through and handover.
The starting point is your family’s priorities. Bring your ideas, any existing plans and the questions you have not yet resolved.