For family reasons (keeping the family together without sacrificing independance) or for economical reasons, you might be thinking of investing in a multi-family construction and build a townhouse or a semi-detached homes, a duplex,  a triplex, a multi-family building (4 or more units), or simply a home with a basement apartment with a separate entrance.

Below, I will share with you my favorite Drummond ready-to-build Duplex House Plan, Triplex House Plan, TownHouses (Semi-Detached Home Plan) and a House with a basement apartment.  However, click on the link above to access the entire collections, depending on what you are looking for or directly on the house below to see my favorite multi-family picks!  If you have something specific in mind or haven’t found the ideal multi-unit design yet, contact Drummond’s Custom Design Dpt. to get your FREE house plan cost estimate.

Drummond 4-units Multi-family plans no. 3006 which ia a Beautiful Country Style 4 unit residential building.  Each unit has 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. 

www.DrummondHousePlans.com 4-unit Multi-house plan #3006

Drummond House Plans Duplex House Plans no. 4096 which is an Affordable Country Style Duplex with two nice 2 bedrooms 1 bathroom units.

www.DrummondHousePlans.com Duplex House Plans no. 4096

Drummond House Plans Triplex House Plans no. 3029 which is Drummond’s most popular European / Traditional Style Triplex, with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom per unit.

Drummond House Plans Duplex House Plans no. 3029

Drummond House Plans Country Style Semi-detached House Plans no. 6014 is among our top-selling One-level Semi-Detached Floor Plans, with a one-car garage.

www.DrummondHousePlans.com Semi-detached house plan #6014

Drummond House Plans Houses with Basement Apartment Plan no. 2795B, which is the most charming 4-bedroom Country Style, plus a one-bedroom basement apartment!  Interesting for young families and first-home buyers.

www.DrummondHousePlans.com Home with Basement Apartment - House Plans#2795B

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Drummond House Plans, a house design firm specializing in residential architecture since 1973, recently created a collection of multigenerational house plans, for multi-generational, bi generational or extended families.

Are you thinking of inviting the grand-parents (baby-boomers!) to share a new house with your family, and want to make sure they have their own private areas?  Do you have young adult children moving back home to save money and want to offer them (and you!), private spaces?  Are you a blended family with many children in need of extra bedrooms and more than one kitchen and /or family rooms?

The Multigenerational Drummond house designs and floor plans are designed as one home containing two separate units.  The main unit is generally larger, offering three and even four bedrooms to accomodate a young family with children, while the other unit offers all the comforts of a full apartment with one bedroom, a kitchen, dining and living rooms, as well as a full bathroom and laundry facilities.  For security purposes, both units are usually accessible to one another from inside the home, but both have their own individual / independant access to and from the outside. 

I’d like to share with you three of my favorite multigenerational homes (or bi generational, what is your favorite word fo it?)  Each one caters to the various styles and sizes required by you.  These three beautiful homes all offer large units for the family including very well organized apartments for the grand-parents!  All within the same house!  Which ones are your favorites?  Have a look at all of Drummond’s multigenerational house plan collection and send me your feedbacks! 

Drummond Multigenerational Floor Plans no. 2821: Beautiful 2-storey Spanish / Florida Style, offering a one-bedroom apartment on one side (on the first level), and a large  3-bedroom home on the other side (for the family) with two private balconies on the second level!

www.DrummondHousePlans.com Multigenerational House Plan #2821

Drummond Multigenerational Affordable House Plans 2278:  Charming and Affordable Bungalow Style House Plan, offering on the same level (on the same floor!) a one-bedroom apartment, and a well designed 3-bedroom house. 

www.DrummondHousePlans.com Multigenerational House Design no. 2278

Drummond House Plans - Multigenerational Floor Plan no. 2278 (Main Level)

Multigenerational Designs Plan 3039: Spectacular (and yet affordable) Traditional House Plan Style, on two-levels, offering the grand-parents suite on the first level, and the large 4-bedroom unit on two-levels.

Drummond House Plans Multigenerational House Plan #3039

These multigenerational house designs are offered in many styles and sizes and can be order easily online or by phone: 1-800-567-5267.  All house plans in the Drummond House Plans collection, including any design from the multigenerational house plan collection,  can easily be modified to suit your needs by using the Drummond online house plan modification /customization service, to make sure they answer all your needs. 

I’d also like to recommend a great site I found, that has an article on “How to function in a multigenerational household“.  It is one thing to build a house and another to learn to all live together!

Drummond House Plans’ design team is planning on creating more multigenerational and multi-family house plans, so any comments or suggestions are welcome!

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A Definition

The bi-generation house is the type of construction sometimes considered to facilitate access to property for young adults ready to assume responsibility, or oftentimes by parents or grand-parents who are in need of assistance (loss of autonomy or other reasons). Whatever the situation, this type of construction allows each to preserve their way of living and conserve a certain intimacy, all the while enjoying the advantages of co-ownership and the close proximity of family members.

The particularity of bi-generation homes is the combination of the practical aspect of two homes to appear as one single-family or conventional home.  This permits integration of this type of construction in sectors where conventional multi-family units are not permitted.

The main challenge in this type of design is to bring together two independent interior layouts to look like one single conventional home where both layouts need to be private and functional, while respecting the needs of all the occupants.  As we will see later, municipal regulations are also an important element with which people must deal, but the first thing to do is determine the needs which brought us to consider this type of construction.

Style and Design

The design of a single family home is a procedure which requires a lot of attention and comprehension on the part of the home owners as well as the designer who will accompany them in their project.  This step is even more important and the challenge greater when combining the needs of two families, including one or more family members with restrained mobility or loss of autonomy.

When considering such a construction, it is of prime importance to take the time to evaluate your requirements and to consider these from the family viewpoint as well as those of parents or grand-parents.  We must also take into account the years to come and possible future needs.  Aging home owners or those in need of assistance should evaluate what their situation may be in years to come and foresee now what type of layout will best suit their lifestyle for both today and future.  It is at this step that we must consider all the elements which will make this home a comfortable, peaceful and pleasing haven for its occupants.

The choice of a trusted professional is also a key element to success in this type of design.  You should ensure that all the needs of the future occupants are taken into consideration and that satisfactory solutions are put forth for each.  A good designer must equally be able to offer judicious advice to a future home owner while remaining within a pre-established budget.

Another of the many advantages is that even though it is a bi-generation home with the look of a conventional single-family home, it can be harmonized with a sought-after style.  Amateurs of Victorian-, manor- or contemporary-style homes, it is certainly possible to adapt this type of home to one’s preferences, to get away from the multi-family unit options which the future home owners may possibly have already considered.

Pooling together both families’ resources greatly facilitates the purchases and maintenance of such a home and the bi-generation home offers without a doubt tranquil proximity, security and well being, including the joys of family life.
 

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