In today's tough housing market, it's worth considering
changes that could make a home appeal to a wider group of buyers.
Evaluate the space and room arrangement; is there a way it might
accommodate a second living area? "Mother-in-law suite,"
or "possible mother-in-law apartment" in an ad can make
shoppers think twice.
Given the increasing cost of housing and transportation;
the aging of the general population and consequent downsizing; the
high cost of college education and job scarcity, many families would
like to accommodate a parent, an adult son or daughter. Other families
like the idea of having teenagers live at home but in a private
space.
Especially if a house has more than three bedrooms/two
baths & and many do -- it could work. If owners balk at the
cash outlay to actually do the remodeling, plans and estimates will
show the potential and provide rationale for advertising a "possible
mother-in-law apartment."
A house might have room for anything from a one
room studio apartment or bed-sitter, to a complete wing with living,
dining, bedroom and kitchen space.
Could there be a zoning problem in a residential
neighborhood? Zoning regulations that won't allow a rental unit
don't usually apply to live-in family members, but check locally
anyway. This version of a two family house is not a duplex.
How can you approach a house with the idea of
creating a nest within a nest? What are the basic necessities?
The primary requirement is space; ideally, that
the space would be private. A separate outside entrance is best,
but if that's not possible, a distinctive door from a hallway will
help set the place apart.
Whether in one room or more, minimal requirements
are a place to sleep, a sitting area, storage, and a bath. Occupants
also should have at least some cooking facilities. Grandmother,
for instance, could enjoy breakfast on her own, although she may
eat most meals with the family. A microwave, bar sink and a small
refrigerator might be adequate for Grandpa, who never cooked anyway.
Is there a closet that backs up to a bath? If so,
water supply will be no problem, and that may well be the best place
for the cooking area. Even if a separate room becomes the kitchen,
an adjacent bath means the water supply is already available nearby.
There are loads of downsized appliances and kitchen
units on the market; something for almost any budget. Small units
with an under-counter refrigerator, a sink and a couple of burners
on top may be all the "kitchen" needed. It may fit right
into that closet.
In the bath,emphasize safety features like grab
bars in the tub or shower, and perhaps a seat. An adequate exhaust
fan helps keep damp out of a small apartment.
A sitting room can double as a bedroom with a sleeper
sofa or a Murphy bed. These pull-down beds that can fit into a closet,
behind sliding book cases or up against a wall are popular again.
Even if a separate bedroom is available, they provide an extra bed
for guests Mirrors on doors or panels that hide the bed expand the
room visually and amplify light from lamps or windows.
If you took over an existing closet to accommodate
a Murphy bed, you could provide storage along a wall, floor to ceiling,
for hanging space, shelves and cabinets. Consider mirrored doors
again for their space multiplying quality.
Make sure lighting is adequate and conveniently
placed. Electronically speaking, TV, sound system, telephone, and
a hookup for a computer are the bare necessities. .
A simple floor plan sketch will probably be
enough to get rough cost estimates, and an idea of what the property
would be worth with the changes. Feature this at the open house
as well as in ads. The value-added approach is a way to set a property
apart from others that crowd the ads, showing the home in a new
light to a broader group of potential buyers.
