If you are doing multigenerational housing have a clearly defined ownership in your wills (both parties). I grew up in a multigenerational home where my parents owned the majority of the home, but because of how the will was set up, we did not have ownership when it came to selling when my grandparents passed. This meant my aunts and uncles could sell their portion of the home (meaning ours as well since it was a single home) despite having a minority ownership of the home. This is just something to keep in mind especially if you’re dealing with siblings or a larger family. I think it’s incredibly precious to have multigenerational living close together, but it does make it very difficult at end of life, and you have to accept that you will also likely take on the “caretaker” role which many are not prepared for.
Very good points! People often don't think about legalities because, "We're family. Nobody would do that." Wrong! People do strange things when money is involved.
You may even need to set aside a budget for professional care services for some situations. Not everyone is qualified to be a caretaker for certain individuals who need specific kinds of care.
This is a good point, We have put our house in a trust for my sons so that when we die they still have use of the house. We own a duplex. By the time our sons were ready to buy a house they were priced out of the market (we live in Southern Maine). We all live together and are finding ways to make sure each of us have our own spaces
I completely agree! My stepdaughter and her boyfriend have a tiny home in our property (399 sq ft). It is working great for them, and for us! We love having them close to us. We live on 10 acres so we all have our privacy, but we are able to help each other when needed. When we travel, they take care of our animals, and we in turn do stuff for them too. It's a win/win situation. We are even considering eventually renting our larger home and living in a tiny home ourselves as a way to be able to stay in the property we love. It's all about adapting to new circumstances, right? I love the topic of this video, it is fascinating to see how housing design responds to the changing needs of the population.
Wait until 2028 when a 1000 square foot house costs $1.75M. Then we'll all need to prefab multigeneration homes, or just live in a giant commune....hmmm....wait a minute!!!
@@gerardguida7727 Those are rookie numbers, we gotta get those prices UP! I work 13 hours a day and still can't afford a house half as good as the one I grew up in with my dad's basic salary! WE NEED MOAR PEOPLE COMING IN TO WIN!!!!
My mother-in-law came to live with us for the last seven years of her life and died in my arms. What a blessing! Best thing ever. Taught me what a wonderful thing multi generational living can be.
I'm very interested in the "kit" house trend. I stayed in a home from the 1800's that was a Sears kit home. It was delivered to the Colorado frontier by the railroad & assembled on site. It was beautiful & obviously stood the test of time.
In Hawaii, they allow you to build a small house behind a larger one on the same lot, understanding that the parents who own the original house move into the smaller one and the young family with children occupy the original, larger one. They like to keep their elders close.
My parents just upsized to a bigger house outfitted with an elevator, ADA bars/standards in all bathrooms, and additional ramp entrance in the backyard in preparation for their retirement years. My brother and his young family live with them and it works so perfectly! I know my parents will age well in to the home and still be able to move around while having their grandkids to keep them young and active. I live 20 mins away and visit almost every weekend and have a permanent bedroom in their home still. We are an immigrant family and it’s totally in keeping with our culture to live in extended family homes. With the absurd rise of housing prices and wage stagnation, hopefully this trend of more communal/familial living will be a silver lining!
Very thoughtful comment Nick. I’m Australian (used to be a Canadian Vancouverite, so I have a foot in both camps). I think you are right about the inter generational change in nations like yours and mine. And maybe it’s not a trend, but a permanent pivot. I have visited Egypt, a favorite country of mine, a number of times and seen that in action there. In the tradition of Egyptian culture a young engaged couple can’t marry until the young man can provide a home for his bride. And in a city like greater Cairo with a population nearly as great as either Canada or Australia, land is at a premium. Very common approach is for an established couple who have managed to snag a bit of land and a home is to build upward. First son gets engaged, they add a second story. Next son gets himself a girl, another floor is added, and so on. All over Cairo you see these buildings that are essentially tall apartment blocks. They usually have an incomplete upper floor, with partially built brick pillars and reinforcing rod poking out all over the place. They are either prepping for the next son, or are actually finished but don’t have to pay full property taxes on “incomplete” buildings. This is apparently an easy process in a country with fairly fluid building standards and inspection procedures. Not taking too kindly myself to living overly close to my much loved, but exhausting family, I am about to move into an “over 50s leisure community”, aka “old geezers’ retirement village”. I have been very pleased to see the emphasis on sustainability and environmental care in this new project. Things like shared community solar panels cut the load on the main network while saving homeowners a bundle on electricity charges. When I came to Australia 30 years ago from many years in Ottawa I was stunned to see things like single glazing and next to no insulation in new homes, but that standard has gone and construction of my new place is very much in line with best practices and has become a major selling point for new developments. The attitude here has gone from “So what?” to token compliance to a consumer-driven insistence on higher standards.
I serve on the local zoning board. In January 2024 ADUs were allowed in our city's zoniing code. Every month starting in January there has been at least one ADU before the zoning board. All of them have been to provide an apartment for elderly parents or adult children who want to start a family. Definitely multigenerational living is coming.
My parents have lived in their lovely one bedroom unit that sits at the back of our house for 23 years now. Dad passed 3 years ago but still lucky to have mum (she’s 92) and it has worked out so well. Wouldn’t have it any other way, as we are only 3 steps away and able to help out easily.
I think this is your best and most substantial videos yet. The housing market becoming more and more unavailable to younger generations is a huge problem across the world. In particular I think that the prefab houses are a big trend in Europe and Australia because they are more affordable (often smaller in scale and energy efficient) so even if older gen family members have a bigger lot or some of them even have land in (sub)urban areas, it is much more cost-efficient to younger people. For instance, Estonia where I live, is a trailblazer in the prefab housing movement as we have whole communities built like that for young families and many great companies that have expanded their operations worldwide. Innovation in housing is increasing in importance so thank you for hitting the nail on the head with this one. Love your videos.
I am 64. When i was a kid in riverdale, Toronto it was standard for multigenerational families with lots of kids in 3 bedroom houses. Everyone lost their minds and got me-first-itis and started worrying about stuff instead of folks around us. Really sad. No one lives in Riverdale who grew up there, we all got priced out and they screwed the neighbourhood/ all neighbourhoods have been screwed. Really need a paradigm shift
0:54 YESS!! I recently advised someone to invest in a place made for multi-generational living and I was scared it was a huge risk! Nice to see that someone else notices the trend
This is very personal I would say. I could never live with my parents or my inlaws. My mother is a hoarder with narcissistic tendancies so no Thanks. Would rather live in a tent or trailerpark
@nanni84 Fair. For more conventional residences though it's amazing. I'm African and multigenerational living is essential. You have your grandparents/aunts and uncles to take care of the kids while you work and provide money and then finally when the kids move out, they form their own multigenerational household. It ensures everyone that works contributes their talents (either through money or childcare) to the household and those that can't are at least taken care of (care for the elderly or children) with no excess cost. The system does fall apart though when it comes to supercomplex relationships like yours though. It really relies on everyone liking each other or it turns into one of the most toxic ASF households possible
Two things: 10 years ago I didn't know any middle/upper middle class families living multi-generational on purpose, long term. Now I know several thriving multi-generational households or on the same property. #2 geothermal heating and cooling. It should be much bigger than it is for what it provides.
Geothermal is not a solution everywhere. It’s very location specific. First, you need to live on top of a geothermal area. There’s not too many of those.
@@firestick4991 not at all. Geothermal units work anyplace where you can drill down below the frost line. We live in central Illinois. No hot water under us. We have four loops about 165' deep feeding out AC unit all summer (and dumping heat to out hot water heaters) and giving us 45 degrees in the cold of winter that we use with boost heat for our home. Look it up. Pretty amazing technology.
@@firestick4991 Not necessarily. Geothermal energy production, yes, but geothermal heating and cooling can be accomplished with heat pumps, which can be used in lots of locations. It still has some limitations, but you don't need to be in an area of high geothermal activity.
I tried SO hard to make a prefab house work for my new build in New England, and it was so freaking complicated I gave up and went with a stick build. Zoning and building codes, transportation, licensing, installation, etc. I really hope it picks up and the process gets easier for folks!
Nick, here is my experience constructing a pre-fab home 6 years ago in Vermont. I was 60 and newly divorced. I opted pre-fab for speed and for environmental reasons. My only local choice of company made homes with flat roofs that you would love if the alternative was a trailer. I wanted a house that looked like a house. Those companies were all in the middle of Pennsylvania. I actually drove down and visited the big 3 companies at the time. The company most willing to customize design and sell me the most energy efficient home was Apex, under new management. They did not work with anyone in my area to finish the house, so I contracted with a local builder. I could only find one with experience of finishing a pre-fab house. Also new management. There were red flags but I felt I had no choice. It took them 10 months to finish what should have been 2 months max. I ended up about 35% over budget. If it was my first home, I probably would have been delighted. Wanting a higher end type house, I was not delighted. The house was delivered with lots of poor attention to detail- shelves hung crookedly, kitchen counter installed with 1/2 of the “veining” in one orientation , 1/2 in the opposite direction. The “bullnose” edging of the countertop was a separate piece of laminate curved over the edge, with a gap that will be problematic eventually. The stairway was carpet grade wood, when I wanted it exposed wood. Many similar corners cut. My front porch leaks. Perhaps I could have insisted they be redone, but I did not. Any conflict that arose was blamed on the other side. “ No, that was a factory error.” “No, that is the responsibility of the completing contractor.” I am left worried about the overall construction quality, given the poor attention to detail. I don’t recommend others go pre-fab. Too many details completed when you are not there to oversee the process and catch errors early enough to fix them. If you do go pre-fab, go with an experienced company that also finishes the product, so a better known commodity with less buck passing. And realize that little details will probably not be as you pictured them.
Meh, welcome to the adventure known as Home Ownership. There is no good solution except get to know your home and maintain it the best you can. Your complaint is what happens in many new builds (and “flips” for that matter.) I currently live in a home built in the’40’s and hope to repair previous owners mistakes and neglect.
It depends on the company. Here in Eastern Ontario, there used to be a well-regarded prefab home company called Viceroy Homes. My parents bought one of their models in the mid 1980s and had it constructed as their retirement home on a lot my mother inherited in Prince Edward County. It was well-made, attractive, and functional. My uncle was a contractor and he had only good things to say about it. Viceroy was a family operation and I believe it closed down more than a decade ago. Done right, by a good company including the onsite erection of the components into their final form, prefab can be as good as or superior to onsite traditional balloon frame construction.
Also, all the interior finishes were on display at the Viceroy company site so what my parents chose is is what was installed. There was lots of customization to choose from. It sounds like that was not the experience you had, which is unfortunate.
Over the last 40 years, I've had a lot of updating and renovating done on my house, and everyone has commented on its "good bones." It's solid, well made, no shortcuts. When I look around friends' new houses, I definitely can see the difference - and that's just what I can SEE. I think getting a well-built existing house and updating it is a good way to go. Most new houses are built much more "cheaply" than they were decades ago.
Great show...as always Nick. But, I ran away from my children and their noisy spawn. Don't get me wrong I adore them all, even *The Spawn* and I will eventually have a granny flat on my youngest daughters place. But for now, I'm enjoying the freedom of living alone for the first time ever, having my home decorated exactly how I want it and not having to answer to anyone. Freedom!!! There's nothing on earth like it ❣
Kit houses have existed since the late 19th century in the United States. Kit houses by Sears (the foursquare house) etc. were really popular. They were the precursors to pre-fab houses. In Frankfurt, Germany, pre-fab housing was used to rebuild affordable housing and add to it after the destruction of World War 1. In Russia (Siberia), architectural and engineering brigades from Germany (the Bauhaus brigade, for example), the United States and Canada, Switzerland and Austria, were invited and commissioned to build whole pre-fab cities-from domestic spaces, rooms in those spaces (see the Frankfurt Kitchen), kindergartens, and factories.
As someone who is in the midst of building a custom house, I would definitely go with modular pre-fabricated house if I could do it again. Only people who've built a house before can understand the immense stress i'm going through. Hopefully it'll be worth it in the end...
It will be. I promise. I PROMISE. I did a custom ADU during the height of the pandemic where no showrooms were open, no samples available, and every single finish i picked had to be re-selected 3 times due to supply chain issues. EVERYTHING. were talking paint, flooring, cabinetry, countertops, lighting... down to the GD electrical outlets!!!! ugh. i have a lot more grey hairs but holy hell below.. it was worth it. We are about 2.5-3 years post completion and every day im grateful I survived that. every single day im saying "i love our home"
Yes!!! MULTIGENERATIONAL LIVING DUDE! In "American Culture" it feels like intra-dependent family structures are looked down upon. Like...somehow Extreme Independence is Success here? We are Greek. I live in an ADU in my Yiayia's (grandma) backyard and I am her caretaker. My mother lives in the main house with Yiayia. My husband and I are in a beautiful, brand new modern ADU. The benefits of living in such close proximity to your family are awesome and many! I don't have kids but MAN...just the help I get with my very large, geriatric dogs alone has been such a huge relief.... so I can only imagine what having a Yiayia living on property would do for parents! I could never afford property in the Bay Area, California. All of my friends has been priced out D: Even a single-wide here is going to run you $350,000+ - -plus the monthly expenses are upwards of $2,500 a month and you don't even actually OWN the property!!!!!!!!! You're essentially renting a parking spot for absurd amounts of money. This was a stroke of genius on my part, no shame in my pride here. It was my PEAK BIG BRAIN moment. Pooling our savings, my husband and I removed the pool in the yard and built this dream home. We had the main house appraised and it shot up in value. Having our ADU already done/move-in ready added FIFVE TIMES the cost of building it. FIVE. The house is now desirable for people with aging parents or someone seeking passive-income. Creating mutigenerational living is 1000% something homeowners with a yard should consider. -maybe rent it out until mom and dad need a little more help? -downsize and rent out the main home for a few years of extra income? The reduced cost of living will help fund all of the traveling you've always dreamed of
@Cole_Cross. I completely agree with you. It is natural to live around your extended family and live through the good and difficult times with them and in the end what is more rewarding and important than anything is knowing that you’ve stuck it out with them through the difficult times and you know what you’re made of and that all of you love each other and could on each other. We came together and are living within a mile of each other after years of living in different states and now have three generations of our family, sister, brothers, cousins nieces and nephews and it’s the most rewarding thing we’ve ever done. It’s as though we’ve recreated what our family had seventy years ago before the 1950s when my parent’s generation began moving all over the country for job prospects and leaving the neighborhoods the grew up in. We moved back together because my mother and her brother happened to move closer to each other in their final years and then when they were getting sick all of us transferred our jobs and moved closer to where they were and even after we lost them we moved even closer to each other.
I also wanted to add: We hired a family lawyer to figure out every possible problem that could make "money and family" messy- and solutions we compromised on together. We did this before the building process started. It was uncomfy af but absolutely necessary.
I've had 2 grandchildren, a nephew or two living with us over the years, as well as a middle aged adult child return home. A son in his 50's is living with my elderly mother so that she isn't alone. A granddaughter and her baby live with my daughter and her husband. So much of this has happened through economic need. We never imagined life this way, but when family needs a roof over their heads, those of us with one offer just that to family.
Yep. 5 years ago we built an adu for our kiddos, even though their elementary school aged. And the beautiful blessing is that we just bought a little shed and threw out everything that we had in our garage. It really helped us to prioritize the things that we kept and get rid of things that we didn’t need.
I live in a tiny, manufactured new house set in many acres of woods in a city near my children. The house and property is as sustainable and biophilic as possible. Hundreds of people have paid me for tours (mostly virtual tours). Your video touched on topics I hold dear. Thank you. One problem. Most traditional banks in the US are hesitant to provide mortgages for manufactured homes. With limited options, I was left with a subpar mortgage lender. The house is also hard to appraise correctly, because there are no comparables. Real estate agents resort to using recently-sold, hundred-year-old houses with twice the square footage, which is not at all representative. I love the trends you talk about, and hope that soon it gets easier for people who want to explore this route.
When I finally bought my house I purchased a home with a finished basement for my parents. The cost of living is crazy and it's outpaced income ridiculously. This works for us.
As long as capitalism is in its "senile and dying" end-stage, the cost of living will always exceed itself. If there is a Food Not Bombs chapter local to you, you should check them out. Having community and food security developed in a way where they continually reinforce eachother is good for everybody involved from so many different vectors.
@@kathystetts6127 Yes!!! In "American Culture" it feels like intra-dependent family structures are looked down upon. Like..somehow extreme independence is Success here. We are Greek. I live in an ADU in my Yiayia's (grandma) backyard and I am her caretaker. My mother lives in the main house with yiayia. My husband and I are in a beautiful, fully designed-by-me, modern ADU. The benefits of living in such close proximity to your family are amazing and many! I dont have kids but MAN...just the help I get with my giant geriatric dogs alone has been such a huge relief..i can imagine what having a yiayia living on property would do for parents!!!!!! When she's grabbing things from grocery store, Mom can pick up whatever I need and have forgotten. She often runs out of eggs but I buy extra just because she runs out. Little things?..maybe.. but comfy nice things. BUT the big things? when yiayia got diagnosed with dementia, im here to help. which saves us about $20,000 a month on memory care.
You're missing that formerly independent parents need care without feeling like they're the children. This gives them more privacy & freedom without leaving them on their own.
My brothers and I are going through this challenge right now with our elderly mother. Nothing is rational and straightforward. Long term planing involving relocating for some of us plus acquiring and remodeling properties just blocks away from each other has been our best direction so far. Good quality of life for all of us and mom will maintain a feel of independence as long as possible. Children here between 59-63, mother 85
We purchased a “Next Gen” home in 2022 and, while we don’t need that space for a family member yet, thought it would be a good investment. In the meantime, it’s a nice space for guests to have more privacy. I’ve also noticed homes in the neighborhood with the “Next Gen” layout tend to sell faster. My experience as a post-college boomerang kid, I would’ve loved to have more privacy at my parent’s house. I definitely see the potential in this space and glad we made the choice!
My husband and I are in the planning phase of multigenerational housing with my mom and step-dad and our two college age girls. Prefab was one of the options that came up too! You're on the money with this video. My husband and I can afford an ok house but add in my parents income and we can afford our custom dream house that works for everyone. We're even trying to plan ahead for if our children have partners that want to move in someday and need more privacy.
Wow this is so crazy! I'm from Croatia and multigenerational is making it's way ouuuttt😂😂😂 some of my friends live like that but most of them get a house or apartment. The housing and flats are old and small but it's FREEDOME! The premade houses are also being built for the past 10 years or so and they look like modern white boxes but you get used to them and their owners love them so who cares. The natural elements have been build for like 15 years as well and it's only looking greener 💚 Great to see the US turning European 🤭❤
Brilliant! I think the multi-generational living idea is right on. What we need are ways to make it good, well-decorated, functional, and flexible for the various people involved.
I have been super excited about all of these trends and impatiently awaiting their breakout moment! At a time where housing is dealing with shortages on a global scale, these solutions are no brainers. I have to confess that the minimalist, modern, natural finish styles are hugely appealing to me and these trends often tick those boxes too. So over the old house makeovers that so limit what you can change in order to meet those esthetics. Great video!
Hi, Nick. The hubs is an architect and we're doing some market research on upper scale prefab homes. He specializes in sustainable architecture and a bulk of his clients are doing multi generational spaces as well. One thing I know for sure is that we will not be living next door to my husband's mother in law 🤣
Thanks, Nick! Most of your videos are just far enough from day to day work for me that I love watching them - mostly I just scream with laughter or nod my head like crazy. 😄 Architect here - Totally agree with all three points - the multigenerational living especially in Europe is also due to a lack of the younger generation - we simply haven't had enough children in the last half century to sustain the standards/principles we had before. Interestingly enough, in traditional Bavarian farm houses, there always was a "tiny house" beside it in which the parents moved once the younger generation took over the farm. Prefab housing has been studied and done for many decades now of course, but only the combination of the points you mentioned like technical advancement regarding production, pricing etc but imho especially also in combination with design variants that please not only the technology affine eye (architects, designers etc), but rather a more "traditional" clientele created that "boom" we see right now. I'm biased regarding the third point (PhD in Environmental technological design here - with thesis on the estetic effecst of green walls on people inside) - biophilic design is not only important for all the reasons you mentioned, but I feel becomes also - as above - more and more esthetically accessible for the layperson, where the term "sustainability" some years ago was mainly connected to the technological side of it.
Where I grew up, "double deckers" and "triple dealers" were common. For example, grandparents on the first floor, parents with children on the second floor, single aunts or uncles on the third floor. So many different arrangements were possible. Here in the Pacific NW, town homes with three small levels have been common. Fine for the agile who can climb from floor to floor multiple times each day., but limited to the relatively young and able. I'm seeing a slight opening for a modern version of the old triple deckers, so instead of three tall skinny homes, each with their own interior stairs, having three apartments stacked one over the other. Same footprint, but more accessibility. I think the three trends you discussed are becoming more and more evident. When we see the three trends coming together instead of developing separately, we'll really see some wonderful new housing.
I am living in a modular home. It's quite nice. I wish we had chosen a slightly larger model, but it's working fine, especially now that I'll be living alone. My kids are fixing some things for me like handrails outside by the walkways and steps.An extra handrail in the bathroom besides the ones already in the shower. I have a brother-in-law who lives in an in-law apartment that's part of his daughter's home. He has a small kitchenette, a small den and then 2 bedrooms (caregiver if needed) with adaptions in the master bathroom. It works well for both of us in our particular stages of life. I am able to drive and live independently for now at 83 and work part-time as an RN. He's 93 with health issues. So, yeah, it works! I do wish that local building rules would loosen up. For example: Have electrical plugs higher up on the wall - maybe not so pretty, but many of us can't crawl around trying to get to an outlet to plug something in. Have steps that are not as high as the usual. I had the steps leading up to the front porch made so my mother who was living at the time we moved here. It was so difficult to get the contractor to understand what I wanted. a 2 -3-inch rise so she could tip her walker up to the wide step that would allow her to get it and her on the step and she could then move to the next. It didn't seem like a big deal to me, but they had to really wrap their heads around it. My neighbors aren't so lucky to have that. And the ramps they end up with are really dangerous, especially if it's raining! It would be a really good job to get into, designing generic homes for the elderly. I tried to talk a well-known company to hire me and my sister-in-law to help do that 20 years ago. We are both Home Health RNs with a lot of experience working with the elderly, and now - here we are! We are them now.
Thank you for sharing Nick! I work in the environmental field, and I happen to have a close friend who purchased a multi-generational home with her parents and sister in the Los Angeles area. I certainly see these trends in my life and in my neighborhood!
I love all your videos but this one was the best. Currently my son & his girlfriend live in my house so they can save for their own house, if I could do this in my neighborhood I would . The prefabricated & modular homes are so stylish. I thought I saw you on a Kristina Smallhorn video. Love that you brought this topic up. Keep up the good work. Love your style 👍
Really enjoyed this video! I'd love to see more of this type of content on your channel - not just interior design trends, theory, stuff like that, but the actual long-term societal role of housing. The part of Australia I live in, near Sydney, is being hit with a double whammy of a housing crisis AND a cost of living crisis that is seeing a lot of multigenerational households just because people can't afford to move out, and if they can, there's a massive short supply. There's also the impact of climate in areas like the northwest that have just turned into suburban sprawl with absolutely no consideration for climate or how people actually live, and those suburbs get baking hot to the point of being almost unliveable (last summer, some hit 50 C!), since they're designed to cram as many houses in as possible without considering greenspace (as well as adding to emissions by virtue of being so far from everything that you need to drive long distances to get anywhere). If Sydney is going to survive, we NEED to have serious talks about how houses are designed - catering for multigenerational living, being cheaper, easier, and faster to put up, being sustainable and environmentally conscious to build AND to live in, having infrastructure where people are living, the works. Sydney is far from the only city in the world that's having these issues, and I'd love to see more content about how we can design for the future.
All three of these trends hit home for me. We are building a prefab home and focussing on energy efficiency. We are making design decisions based on the need for our children to live with us for longer. Parents with potential mobility challenges are also front of mind. They may need to move in temporarily to be cared for after surgery at the very least. This is what it looks like to build a forever home as part of the sandwich generation.
We had the original part of our home built in 1993 by Timberland Homes in WA State - it’s considered at “manufactured home” but not a “mobile home” - it’s stick built, just like if it had been built onsite and is bolted to a foundation, but they built it about 15 miles away in 3 months with their consistent crew and quality standards. There were no hidden fees and we knew exactly what we were getting. We’ve been very happy with our home and asked them about dropping an addition onto the house about 15 years ago; our road had become impassable for the house sections during the interim but they were willing to build onsite at the time and we were very happy with that process, too. Since shipping costs would be less to Vancouver from WA State, you may want to check them out. Our son is now considering them for his next home. Agree that the prefab space is really interesting, efficient, and has come a long way. Excited to see what you end up with!
Oh my goodness! You have got to do a Fixing Glam video just like you did the Fixing Farmhouse video way back in the day! If anyone can fix Glam, it’s you! 😂
Really, really great video! So grateful that you brought your expertise and oomph to this topic. And it was entertaining despite the absence of your trademark bits of snark.
As an economist, I've always been interested in housing and urban development. I've watched tons of these videos lately. These trends are answers to current issues of affordability and environmentally conscious construction. Glad to see it coming down the pipeline. Truley exciting.
100% correct. There is going to be a lot more multigenerational housing in cities just by virtue of the fact that quality assisted living will be out of reach and traffic congestion will be so out of control that it will take hours to see family regardless of the cost of housing itself. Kerry Tarnow has an excellent channel reviewing prefab housing. When it can be stacked and arranged around a courtyard it is brilliant. Rainways for flood and drought resistant yards will also be essential for biophilic design. The most important thing is is that it is all well designed and that is where you come in Nick.....many thanks for your insight.
My grandparents lived in a post secondary war prefab in the Northend of Halifax , NS . In the late 60’s they built a full second level on top for my parents to live in until they could afford to go to another house . In the 80’s I lived in this flat until my husband and I could afford to get a home . My grandparents were aging and it was a good situation, a win win .
I live in NY, and I've lived in a modular house for 30 years. We were my mother, husband's brother, husband, 2 children and my self. Modular homes are great.
I’m 58 and my husband , 62. We had to move into our daughter’s spare bedroom last April due to financial stress. We sold 90% of what we owned. We don’t even own a fork, knife or plate now. Our daughter owns her home so has been very kind and generous letting us stay with her. We are not sure what the future holds, but we hope to buy an either a Tiny home to place in her backyard one day or help invest in another property that has multi generational living space. We definitely need a totally separate living space as we all need our own room.
I’m 55, back in my childhood home helping my dad, and my 24 year old daughter is here too. The house accommodates. It’s not fancy at all but it has been added onto. Same wallpaper since the early 90s.
Housing costs in Vancouver BC Canada certainly contributes to the fact that our 22YO is living with us while he's in college. A one bedroom apartment is easily $2000 a month and up.
We bought property on the island and have just kicked off our modular home project. It’s the same size as our 2br in Vancouver at a more than half the cost, with so much outdoor space. There are some fab companies here in BC who do awesome prefab homes.
I love the idea of incorporating biophilic principles and materials into renovations. Air quality is a major concern, especially in urban environments. I want my home to feel like a vacation every day. Mental health should also be central to design. Thanks for another banger, Nick!
I am living in a prefab apartment built by IKEA. Yes, in Sweden, IKEA builds houses together with Skanska, one of Scandinavias' largest developers. The projects are under the name Boklok, which means live (in a house) wisely. The storage solutions are amazing, the green profile is amazing, the sound insulations between apartments are amazing, and the prize is amazing. The prize of an apartment is fixed, and you are not allowed to sell the apartment for five years with more than inflation in profit. Who gets to buy is decided by the luck of the draw and you have to live in it yourself. I have a three bedroom, 85sqm, at a great location for the equivalent of $175 000
Improvements in manufacturing and technology have also brought prefabricated houses closer to the vision that was promised decades ago. I'm from Manchester and the deck access flats in Hulme were a very real example of the issues caused when the manufacturing of prefabricated components isn't up to the level it should be. But so long as the work is properly planned out, parts can now be built to tolerances that are in millimetres
My husband and I are building a modular chalet house on family land because of the housing market being trash. Stratford Homes is an awesome company and they have a really good timeline for builds and involve you in every step of the process. It's costing us about the same amount to build with them as it would to buy an older stick build house with minimal upgrades on similar acreage/land. Watching them work has been amazing, too. Can't say enough good things about modular builds.
Living Big in a Tiny Home is a very informative youtube channel. The show's host and his wife just custom built their own tiny home thru a company in Queensland Australia.
I hope that pre-fab will take off more. I'm an architect, and I've noticed that alternative building solutions like pre-fab SIPS panels have come into play much more in my work lately. I'm excited about this - less time building on site is definitely a relief. The big thing is getting contractors who are certified on that type of assembly work, this has always been the main issue with pre-fab, the construction industry and the way they train contractors is very slow to change.
I'm really interested in seeing how pre-fab homes lend themselves to decor. It looks like it would be perfect for mid-century/contemporary/minimalist spaces, but I wonder how it would work with more of the traditional handcrafted woodwork and stuff you get with Traditional/Art Deco.
I can imagine myself snuggled up with a throw, a warm cup of tea and a book (I won’t really be reading but need to feel like I might in my visual) in that comfy, warm looking spot on your sofa near the lamp. It’s very warm and inviting. Great job on creating that area. I’m loving the exodus from so much gray back to the warmth of good ol’ Kilim Beige. Yes. I said it. 😊 I think people might need some help working with warm neutral paint colors when it comes to decor. I feel like Tuscan style and Pottery Barn really played up that era (and good for them) but I think we need to see a newer and modern way to work with it. Also, I was in new home construction for many years and unfortunately prefab wasn’t quite successfully taking off yet where I was. There were so many benefits and the construction I saw even about a decade ago was just as good if not better than regular new home construction. The cost was typically better and the build time was typically much faster. I think it’s an excellent option for many people.
Love these trends. Prefab homes can be great if they are well designed. I'm in a rural area but the idea of multigenerational property has been very important - we built a small ADA compliant home for my grandparents 30 years ago. Many of our friends have had their parents living with them or having small housing nearby to help with care needs. And sustainability has always been one of my primary goals ever since we bought our current home (22+ years ago).
I think prefab houses are becoming more viable, not only because of the issues you mentioned, but also the advances in building and materials sciences. I think those sciences don't get the attention they deserve, especially because they influence the way we live in such a direct way. You also mentioned that the high cost of housing in Vancouver informs your take on multigenerational living, but I also think it impacts your take on sustainability. Your non-Canadian viewers might not realize that British Columbia, where Vancouver is located, is Canada's "left coast" where environmental awareness is proportionally greater than in other parts of Canada--or at least, that's the stereotype. Great video, Nick, and I think all three trends are interrelated so I'm glad you included them in the same piece.
Loved this video which reminded me of your Arizona visit to a manufactured housing facility. Please check the formaldehyde levels before you purchase. We want you to stay healthy. ❤
Great episode. I live in a prefab home, constructed in 2001. Googled it and found out the model was developed in France in the 60s… so prefab has been a long time coming, and really should have gained traction a long time ago - especially if it means more affordable housing. As for multigenerational living, 3 of my 4 adult kids still live with us… so ya, affordable housing would definitely help!
I really like how you think and I agree with your 3 major trends. What really, really irritates me is you can't afford these so called "sustainable" materials. A few years ago I wanted to install a bamboo floor but it was more expensive than hardwood! This includes so many "natural, sustainable, good for the environment" products. This makes me think that only the really well off people can afford this and then boast about it to their other really well off friends about how "good" they are! Even if these products are really cheap, they are marketed to compete with standard, traditional products so that there is greater profit involved. Of course, there is also the case of many of these products having to be imported to your country so how competitive are they really? So until, governments, architects, manufacturers, big businesses, suppliers and the man in the street get on board with these wonderful ideas, it's all just a big swizz in my opinion!
Love your design input. Thank you for the great ideas always. Also, personally loving the beard look! So handsome. I wonder also why I haven't seen the "Ew, David" shirt for a while, because that was hilarious. 😅
I couldn’t agree with you more on all 3 of these trends. I wish the multigenerational living was further along because I would be all in on that now. I also looked into manufactured homes about 4 years ago and love the new options. I’m probably going to go with an older next home that I retrofit to be energy efficient because that’s more my esthetic (and I want to repurpose vs build new).
I think that it really comes down to economics and financing. When I was 18 years old, I couldn’t wait to get out of the house. And that was just what you did back then. But nowadays, it’s harder. For many reasons. So part of it is driven purely by financial reasons. I think the ADU trend is a good thing.
At 18 you move out to fully mature and be on your own. Then one can come back knowing what a struggle it is, being on your own were no one has to tell you what to do, so you take responsibility. Once you get that you come back as a adult . I didn't get it til I went through hard times on my own, it makes you grow up, and come back as an adult.
The first time I moved out on my own I was making 20k a year (grad school) - this was 10 years ago. I had a roommate, which a lot of people were really reluctant to do but it was cheaper. Ended up being about $550 a month for a brand new apartment where we had a shared kitchen but private bathroom and bedroom. It’s completely manageable, but people don’t think it is.
Prefab houses have been built in my country for many years. It's not as expensive and the building time is faster. Most of them are really nice. After a couple of years, families have made them their own homes, and they don't look exactly the same anymore.
Haha, I'm a new MIL, and our DIL moved from regional town to be down here. Our lad and her live in a tiny house in our backyard. Makes so much sense why she's hanging out to move back to a regional area, where the 1950's moving out of home model does apply here.
If you are doing multigenerational housing have a clearly defined ownership in your wills (both parties). I grew up in a multigenerational home where my parents owned the majority of the home, but because of how the will was set up, we did not have ownership when it came to selling when my grandparents passed. This meant my aunts and uncles could sell their portion of the home (meaning ours as well since it was a single home) despite having a minority ownership of the home. This is just something to keep in mind especially if you’re dealing with siblings or a larger family.
I think it’s incredibly precious to have multigenerational living close together, but it does make it very difficult at end of life, and you have to accept that you will also likely take on the “caretaker” role which many are not prepared for.
Very good points! People often don't think about legalities because, "We're family. Nobody would do that." Wrong! People do strange things when money is involved.
You may even need to set aside a budget for professional care services for some situations. Not everyone is qualified to be a caretaker for certain individuals who need specific kinds of care.
This is a good point, We have put our house in a trust for my sons so that when we die they still have use of the house. We own a duplex. By the time our sons were ready to buy a house they were priced out of the market (we live in Southern Maine). We all live together and are finding ways to make sure each of us have our own spaces
Excellent points!
Or a babysitting role which you might not be prepared for
I completely agree! My stepdaughter and her boyfriend have a tiny home in our property (399 sq ft). It is working great for them, and for us! We love having them close to us. We live on 10 acres so we all have our privacy, but we are able to help each other when needed. When we travel, they take care of our animals, and we in turn do stuff for them too. It's a win/win situation. We are even considering eventually renting our larger home and living in a tiny home ourselves as a way to be able to stay in the property we love. It's all about adapting to new circumstances, right? I love the topic of this video, it is fascinating to see how housing design responds to the changing needs of the population.
I clicked because it said 2025 and I’m over 2024.
👍🏻
Wait until 2028 when a 1000 square foot house costs $1.75M. Then we'll all need to prefab multigeneration homes, or just live in a giant commune....hmmm....wait a minute!!!
@@isobutylquinoline Dude.... We've been at a min 1000$ a sq foot for YEARS....
@@gerardguida7727are you blind..? Re read
@@gerardguida7727 Those are rookie numbers, we gotta get those prices UP! I work 13 hours a day and still can't afford a house half as good as the one I grew up in with my dad's basic salary! WE NEED MOAR PEOPLE COMING IN TO WIN!!!!
My mother-in-law came to live with us for the last seven years of her life and died in my arms. What a blessing! Best thing ever. Taught me what a wonderful thing multi generational living can be.
to hear she died peacefully at home with loved ones, is the most heart warming thing 🙏🏼
Bless you as you did not abandon your mummy may she RIEP
I'd love to have a bigger house with my mom and stepdad here. They're the funniest old hippies and we always have the best time.
I'm very interested in the "kit" house trend. I stayed in a home from the 1800's that was a Sears kit home. It was delivered to the Colorado frontier by the railroad & assembled on site. It was beautiful & obviously stood the test of time.
In Hawaii, they allow you to build a small house behind a larger one on the same lot, understanding that the parents who own the original house move into the smaller one and the young family with children occupy the original, larger one. They like to keep their elders close.
My parents just upsized to a bigger house outfitted with an elevator, ADA bars/standards in all bathrooms, and additional ramp entrance in the backyard in preparation for their retirement years. My brother and his young family live with them and it works so perfectly! I know my parents will age well in to the home and still be able to move around while having their grandkids to keep them young and active. I live 20 mins away and visit almost every weekend and have a permanent bedroom in their home still. We are an immigrant family and it’s totally in keeping with our culture to live in extended family homes. With the absurd rise of housing prices and wage stagnation, hopefully this trend of more communal/familial living will be a silver lining!
Very thoughtful comment Nick. I’m Australian (used to be a Canadian Vancouverite, so I have a foot in both camps). I think you are right about the inter generational change in nations like yours and mine. And maybe it’s not a trend, but a permanent pivot. I have visited Egypt, a favorite country of mine, a number of times and seen that in action there. In the tradition of Egyptian culture a young engaged couple can’t marry until the young man can provide a home for his bride. And in a city like greater Cairo with a population nearly as great as either Canada or Australia, land is at a premium. Very common approach is for an established couple who have managed to snag a bit of land and a home is to build upward. First son gets engaged, they add a second story. Next son gets himself a girl, another floor is added, and so on. All over Cairo you see these buildings that are essentially tall apartment blocks. They usually have an incomplete upper floor, with partially built brick pillars and reinforcing rod poking out all over the place. They are either prepping for the next son, or are actually finished but don’t have to pay full property taxes on “incomplete” buildings. This is apparently an easy process in a country with fairly fluid building standards and inspection procedures.
Not taking too kindly myself to living overly close to my much loved, but exhausting family, I am about to move into an “over 50s leisure community”, aka “old geezers’ retirement village”. I have been very pleased to see the emphasis on sustainability and environmental care in this new project. Things like shared community solar panels cut the load on the main network while saving homeowners a bundle on electricity charges. When I came to Australia 30 years ago from many years in Ottawa I was stunned to see things like single glazing and next to no insulation in new homes, but that standard has gone and construction of my new place is very much in line with best practices and has become a major selling point for new developments. The attitude here has gone from “So what?” to token compliance to a consumer-driven insistence on higher standards.
A professional decorator doing a series on making prefab houses look great? I think that will be a very interesting series.
I wonder if he knows Kerry Tarnow.
I serve on the local zoning board. In January 2024 ADUs were allowed in our city's zoniing code. Every month starting in January there has been at least one ADU before the zoning board. All of them have been to provide an apartment for elderly parents or adult children who want to start a family. Definitely multigenerational living is coming.
My parents have lived in their lovely one bedroom unit that sits at the back of our house for 23 years now. Dad passed 3 years ago but still lucky to have mum (she’s 92) and it has worked out so well. Wouldn’t have it any other way, as we are only 3 steps away and able to help out easily.
What a blessing. I hope your mother makes it to 100. Cheers to you for being a great daughter.
I love the last one because I’ve always wanted a courtyard or atrium in the middle of my home and not just a backyard.
yes! like a Korean hanok or a 'Spanish colonial'...so great and you can avoid your weird neighbors.
Open to the sky would be nice, with room for plants and maybe a water feature.
I think this is your best and most substantial videos yet. The housing market becoming more and more unavailable to younger generations is a huge problem across the world. In particular I think that the prefab houses are a big trend in Europe and Australia because they are more affordable (often smaller in scale and energy efficient) so even if older gen family members have a bigger lot or some of them even have land in (sub)urban areas, it is much more cost-efficient to younger people. For instance, Estonia where I live, is a trailblazer in the prefab housing movement as we have whole communities built like that for young families and many great companies that have expanded their operations worldwide. Innovation in housing is increasing in importance so thank you for hitting the nail on the head with this one. Love your videos.
I really love the idea of generations being able to have their own space but on the same property. A family compound idea.
I love it too! And so many cultures have been doing this for centuries, and still are. It's supposed to be the best environment for children too.
I am 64. When i was a kid in riverdale, Toronto it was standard for multigenerational families with lots of kids in 3 bedroom houses. Everyone lost their minds and got me-first-itis and started worrying about stuff instead of folks around us. Really sad. No one lives in Riverdale who grew up there, we all got priced out and they screwed the neighbourhood/ all neighbourhoods have been screwed. Really need a paradigm shift
0:54 YESS!! I recently advised someone to invest in a place made for multi-generational living and I was scared it was a huge risk! Nice to see that someone else notices the trend
This is very personal I would say. I could never live with my parents or my inlaws. My mother is a hoarder with narcissistic tendancies so no Thanks. Would rather live in a tent or trailerpark
@nanni84 Fair. For more conventional residences though it's amazing.
I'm African and multigenerational living is essential. You have your grandparents/aunts and uncles to take care of the kids while you work and provide money and then finally when the kids move out, they form their own multigenerational household.
It ensures everyone that works contributes their talents (either through money or childcare) to the household and those that can't are at least taken care of (care for the elderly or children) with no excess cost.
The system does fall apart though when it comes to supercomplex relationships like yours though. It really relies on everyone liking each other or it turns into one of the most toxic ASF households possible
Two things: 10 years ago I didn't know any middle/upper middle class families living multi-generational on purpose, long term. Now I know several thriving multi-generational households or on the same property. #2 geothermal heating and cooling. It should be much bigger than it is for what it provides.
Geothermal is not a solution everywhere. It’s very location specific. First, you need to live on top of a geothermal area. There’s not too many of those.
@@firestick4991 not at all. Geothermal units work anyplace where you can drill down below the frost line. We live in central Illinois. No hot water under us. We have four loops about 165' deep feeding out AC unit all summer (and dumping heat to out hot water heaters) and giving us 45 degrees in the cold of winter that we use with boost heat for our home. Look it up. Pretty amazing technology.
@@firestick4991 Not necessarily. Geothermal energy production, yes, but geothermal heating and cooling can be accomplished with heat pumps, which can be used in lots of locations. It still has some limitations, but you don't need to be in an area of high geothermal activity.
I tried SO hard to make a prefab house work for my new build in New England, and it was so freaking complicated I gave up and went with a stick build. Zoning and building codes, transportation, licensing, installation, etc. I really hope it picks up and the process gets easier for folks!
Nick, here is my experience constructing a pre-fab home 6 years ago in Vermont. I was 60 and newly divorced. I opted pre-fab for speed and for environmental reasons. My only local choice of company made homes with flat roofs that you would love if the alternative was a trailer. I wanted a house that looked like a house. Those companies were all in the middle of Pennsylvania. I actually drove down and visited the big 3 companies at the time. The company most willing to customize design and sell me the most energy efficient home was Apex, under new management. They did not work with anyone in my area to finish the house, so I contracted with a local builder. I could only find one with experience of finishing a pre-fab house. Also new management. There were red flags but I felt I had no choice. It took them 10 months to finish what should have been 2 months max. I ended up about 35% over budget. If it was my first home, I probably would have been delighted. Wanting a higher end type house, I was not delighted. The house was delivered with lots of poor attention to detail- shelves hung crookedly, kitchen counter installed with 1/2 of the “veining” in one orientation , 1/2 in the opposite direction. The “bullnose” edging of the countertop was a separate piece of laminate curved over the edge, with a gap that will be problematic eventually. The stairway was carpet grade wood, when I wanted it exposed wood. Many similar corners cut. My front porch leaks. Perhaps I could have insisted they be redone, but I did not. Any conflict that arose was blamed on the other side. “ No, that was a factory error.” “No, that is the responsibility of the completing contractor.” I am left worried about the overall construction quality, given the poor attention to detail.
I don’t recommend others go pre-fab. Too many details completed when you are not there to oversee the process and catch errors early enough to fix them. If you do go pre-fab, go with an experienced company that also finishes the product, so a better known commodity with less buck passing. And realize that little details will probably not be as you pictured them.
Meh, welcome to the adventure known as Home Ownership. There is no good solution except get to know your home and maintain it the best you can.
Your complaint is what happens in many new builds (and “flips” for that matter.) I currently live in a home built in the’40’s and hope to repair previous owners mistakes and neglect.
It depends on the company. Here in Eastern Ontario, there used to be a well-regarded prefab home company called Viceroy Homes. My parents bought one of their models in the mid 1980s and had it constructed as their retirement home on a lot my mother inherited in Prince Edward County. It was well-made, attractive, and functional. My uncle was a contractor and he had only good things to say about it. Viceroy was a family operation and I believe it closed down more than a decade ago. Done right, by a good company including the onsite erection of the components into their final form, prefab can be as good as or superior to onsite traditional balloon frame construction.
Also, all the interior finishes were on display at the Viceroy company site so what my parents chose is is what was installed. There was lots of customization to choose from. It sounds like that was not the experience you had, which is unfortunate.
Over the last 40 years, I've had a lot of updating and renovating done on my house, and everyone has commented on its "good bones." It's solid, well made, no shortcuts. When I look around friends' new houses, I definitely can see the difference - and that's just what I can SEE. I think getting a well-built existing house and updating it is a good way to go. Most new houses are built much more "cheaply" than they were decades ago.
Well stated & very true. They just don't hold up! Imagine having one in Florida! No way!
Great show...as always Nick. But, I ran away from my children and their noisy spawn. Don't get me wrong I adore them all, even *The Spawn* and I will eventually have a granny flat on my youngest daughters place. But for now, I'm enjoying the freedom of living alone for the first time ever, having my home decorated exactly how I want it and not having to answer to anyone. Freedom!!! There's nothing on earth like it ❣
I hear ya sister🎉😅
Same. Too much drama
Amen!
Good for you! And the spawn are the worst, worst right? 😂😅
I totally agree! Well said!
This is such a great topic. I hope you keep touching back periodically to where these big climatic shifts in how we live are going.
Kit houses have existed since the late 19th century in the United States. Kit houses by Sears (the foursquare house) etc. were really popular. They were the precursors to pre-fab houses. In Frankfurt, Germany, pre-fab housing was used to rebuild affordable housing and add to it after the destruction of World War 1. In Russia (Siberia), architectural and engineering brigades from Germany (the Bauhaus brigade, for example), the United States and Canada, Switzerland and Austria, were invited and commissioned to build whole pre-fab cities-from domestic spaces, rooms in those spaces (see the Frankfurt Kitchen), kindergartens, and factories.
As someone who is in the midst of building a custom house, I would definitely go with modular pre-fabricated house if I could do it again. Only people who've built a house before can understand the immense stress i'm going through. Hopefully it'll be worth it in the end...
It will be. I promise. I PROMISE.
I did a custom ADU during the height of the pandemic where no showrooms were open, no samples available, and every single finish i picked had to be re-selected 3 times due to supply chain issues.
EVERYTHING.
were talking paint, flooring, cabinetry, countertops, lighting... down to the GD electrical outlets!!!!
ugh. i have a lot more grey hairs but holy hell below.. it was worth it.
We are about 2.5-3 years post completion and every day im grateful I survived that. every single day im saying
"i love our home"
Good luck and all the best from a person who's had to do lots of renovations on their home. Can't imagine building from scratch!
Yes!!! MULTIGENERATIONAL LIVING DUDE!
In "American Culture" it feels like intra-dependent family structures are looked down upon. Like...somehow Extreme Independence is Success here?
We are Greek.
I live in an ADU in my Yiayia's (grandma) backyard and I am her caretaker.
My mother lives in the main house with Yiayia. My husband and I are in a beautiful, brand new modern ADU.
The benefits of living in such close proximity to your family are awesome and many!
I don't have kids but MAN...just the help I get with my very large, geriatric dogs alone has been such a huge relief.... so I can only imagine what having a Yiayia living on property would do for parents!
I could never afford property in the Bay Area, California.
All of my friends has been priced out D:
Even a single-wide here is going to run you $350,000+ - -plus the monthly expenses are upwards of $2,500 a month and you don't even actually OWN the property!!!!!!!!! You're essentially renting a parking spot for absurd amounts of money.
This was a stroke of genius on my part, no shame in my pride here. It was my PEAK BIG BRAIN moment. Pooling our savings, my husband and I removed the pool in the yard and built this dream home.
We had the main house appraised and it shot up in value. Having our ADU already done/move-in ready added FIFVE TIMES the cost of building it. FIVE.
The house is now desirable for people with aging parents or someone seeking passive-income.
Creating mutigenerational living is 1000% something homeowners with a yard should consider.
-maybe rent it out until mom and dad need a little more help?
-downsize and rent out the main home for a few years of extra income? The reduced cost of living will help fund all of the traveling you've always dreamed of
@Cole_Cross. I completely agree with you. It is natural to live around your extended family and live through the good and difficult times with them and in the end what is more rewarding and important than anything is knowing that you’ve stuck it out with them through the difficult times and you know what you’re made of and that all of you love each other and could on each other. We came together and are living within a mile of each other after years of living in different states and now have three generations of our family, sister, brothers, cousins nieces and nephews and it’s the most rewarding thing we’ve ever done. It’s as though we’ve recreated what our family had seventy years ago before the 1950s when my parent’s generation began moving all over the country for job prospects and leaving the neighborhoods the grew up in. We moved back together because my mother and her brother happened to move closer to each other in their final years and then when they were getting sick all of us transferred our jobs and moved closer to where they were and even after we lost them we moved even closer to each other.
Love this slice of life, thanks for sharing :)
@@LlyleHunter
I also wanted to add:
We hired a family lawyer to figure out every possible problem that could make "money and family" messy- and solutions we compromised on together. We did this before the building process started. It was uncomfy af but absolutely necessary.
I've had 2 grandchildren, a nephew or two living with us over the years, as well as a middle aged adult child return home. A son in his 50's is living with my elderly mother so that she isn't alone. A granddaughter and her baby live with my daughter and her husband. So much of this has happened through economic need. We never imagined life this way, but when family needs a roof over their heads, those of us with one offer just that to family.
Yep. 5 years ago we built an adu for our kiddos, even though their elementary school aged. And the beautiful blessing is that we just bought a little shed and threw out everything that we had in our garage. It really helped us to prioritize the things that we kept and get rid of things that we didn’t need.
I live in a tiny, manufactured new house set in many acres of woods in a city near my children. The house and property is as sustainable and biophilic as possible. Hundreds of people have paid me for tours (mostly virtual tours). Your video touched on topics I hold dear. Thank you. One problem. Most traditional banks in the US are hesitant to provide mortgages for manufactured homes. With limited options, I was left with a subpar mortgage lender. The house is also hard to appraise correctly, because there are no comparables. Real estate agents resort to using recently-sold, hundred-year-old houses with twice the square footage, which is not at all representative. I love the trends you talk about, and hope that soon it gets easier for people who want to explore this route.
When I finally bought my house I purchased a home with a finished basement for my parents. The cost of living is crazy and it's outpaced income ridiculously. This works for us.
I moved in w my daughter and her family.
Multigenerational living rocks! ❤❤
As long as capitalism is in its "senile and dying" end-stage, the cost of living will always exceed itself. If there is a Food Not Bombs chapter local to you, you should check them out. Having community and food security developed in a way where they continually reinforce eachother is good for everybody involved from so many different vectors.
@@kathystetts6127 Yes!!! In "American Culture" it feels like intra-dependent family structures are looked down upon. Like..somehow extreme independence is Success here.
We are Greek.
I live in an ADU in my Yiayia's (grandma) backyard and I am her caretaker.
My mother lives in the main house with yiayia. My husband and I are in a beautiful, fully designed-by-me, modern ADU.
The benefits of living in such close proximity to your family are amazing and many!
I dont have kids but MAN...just the help I get with my giant geriatric dogs alone has been such a huge relief..i can imagine what having a yiayia living on property would do for parents!!!!!!
When she's grabbing things from grocery store, Mom can pick up whatever I need and have forgotten.
She often runs out of eggs but I buy extra just because she runs out.
Little things?..maybe.. but comfy nice things. BUT the big things? when yiayia got diagnosed with dementia, im here to help.
which saves us about $20,000 a month on memory care.
Good to hear. I may have to do that, too.@@kathystetts6127
You're missing that formerly independent parents need care without feeling like they're the children. This gives them more privacy & freedom without leaving them on their own.
My brothers and I are going through this challenge right now with our elderly mother. Nothing is rational and straightforward. Long term planing involving relocating for some of us plus acquiring and remodeling properties just blocks away from each other has been our best direction so far. Good quality of life for all of us and mom will maintain a feel of independence as long as possible. Children here between 59-63, mother 85
I’m pretty sure he didn’t miss it. It was in a way that would not discomfit others.
We purchased a “Next Gen” home in 2022 and, while we don’t need that space for a family member yet, thought it would be a good investment. In the meantime, it’s a nice space for guests to have more privacy. I’ve also noticed homes in the neighborhood with the “Next Gen” layout tend to sell faster. My experience as a post-college boomerang kid, I would’ve loved to have more privacy at my parent’s house. I definitely see the potential in this space and glad we made the choice!
My husband and I are in the planning phase of multigenerational housing with my mom and step-dad and our two college age girls. Prefab was one of the options that came up too! You're on the money with this video. My husband and I can afford an ok house but add in my parents income and we can afford our custom dream house that works for everyone. We're even trying to plan ahead for if our children have partners that want to move in someday and need more privacy.
Wow this is so crazy! I'm from Croatia and multigenerational is making it's way ouuuttt😂😂😂 some of my friends live like that but most of them get a house or apartment. The housing and flats are old and small but it's FREEDOME!
The premade houses are also being built for the past 10 years or so and they look like modern white boxes but you get used to them and their owners love them so who cares.
The natural elements have been build for like 15 years as well and it's only looking greener 💚
Great to see the US turning European 🤭❤
Brilliant! I think the multi-generational living idea is right on. What we need are ways to make it good, well-decorated, functional, and flexible for the various people involved.
I have been super excited about all of these trends and impatiently awaiting their breakout moment! At a time where housing is dealing with shortages on a global scale, these solutions are no brainers. I have to confess that the minimalist, modern, natural finish styles are hugely appealing to me and these trends often tick those boxes too. So over the old house makeovers that so limit what you can change in order to meet those esthetics.
Great video!
Love this video, I hope you continue with all of these topics. Great job Nick and thanks.
Hi, Nick. The hubs is an architect and we're doing some market research on upper scale prefab homes.
He specializes in sustainable architecture and a bulk of his clients are doing multi generational spaces as well. One thing I know for sure is that we will not be living next door to my husband's mother in law 🤣
Thanks, Nick! Most of your videos are just far enough from day to day work for me that I love watching them - mostly I just scream with laughter or nod my head like crazy. 😄
Architect here - Totally agree with all three points - the multigenerational living especially in Europe is also due to a lack of the younger generation - we simply haven't had enough children in the last half century to sustain the standards/principles we had before. Interestingly enough, in traditional Bavarian farm houses, there always was a "tiny house" beside it in which the parents moved once the younger generation took over the farm.
Prefab housing has been studied and done for many decades now of course, but only the combination of the points you mentioned like technical advancement regarding production, pricing etc but imho especially also in combination with design variants that please not only the technology affine eye (architects, designers etc), but rather a more "traditional" clientele created that "boom" we see right now.
I'm biased regarding the third point (PhD in Environmental technological design here - with thesis on the estetic effecst of green walls on people inside) - biophilic design is not only important for all the reasons you mentioned, but I feel becomes also - as above - more and more esthetically accessible for the layperson, where the term "sustainability" some years ago was mainly connected to the technological side of it.
I have wanted these trends to expand for decades. I also have been wanting simpler and cheaper maintenance built in to these homes.
Where I grew up, "double deckers" and "triple dealers" were common. For example, grandparents on the first floor, parents with children on the second floor, single aunts or uncles on the third floor. So many different arrangements were possible. Here in the Pacific NW, town homes with three small levels have been common. Fine for the agile who can climb from floor to floor multiple times each day., but limited to the relatively young and able. I'm seeing a slight opening for a modern version of the old triple deckers, so instead of three tall skinny homes, each with their own interior stairs, having three apartments stacked one over the other. Same footprint, but more accessibility.
I think the three trends you discussed are becoming more and more evident. When we see the three trends coming together instead of developing separately, we'll really see some wonderful new housing.
That moment when Nick said- if you can make that work - and loughed😂🤣4:01👍🏻 ❤
I am living in a modular home. It's quite nice. I wish we had chosen a slightly larger model, but it's working fine, especially now that I'll be living alone. My kids are fixing some things for me like handrails outside by the walkways and steps.An extra handrail in the bathroom besides the ones already in the shower. I have a brother-in-law who lives in an in-law apartment that's part of his daughter's home. He has a small kitchenette, a small den and then 2 bedrooms (caregiver if needed) with adaptions in the master bathroom. It works well for both of us in our particular stages of life. I am able to drive and live independently for now at 83 and work part-time as an RN. He's 93 with health issues. So, yeah, it works! I do wish that local building rules would loosen up. For example: Have electrical plugs higher up on the wall - maybe not so pretty, but many of us can't crawl around trying to get to an outlet to plug something in. Have steps that are not as high as the usual. I had the steps leading up to the front porch made so my mother who was living at the time we moved here. It was so difficult to get the contractor to understand what I wanted. a 2 -3-inch rise so she could tip her walker up to the wide step that would allow her to get it and her on the step and she could then move to the next. It didn't seem like a big deal to me, but they had to really wrap their heads around it. My neighbors aren't so lucky to have that. And the ramps they end up with are really dangerous, especially if it's raining!
It would be a really good job to get into, designing generic homes for the elderly. I tried to talk a well-known company to hire me and my sister-in-law to help do that 20 years ago. We are both Home Health RNs with a lot of experience working with the elderly, and now - here we are! We are them now.
Thank you for sharing Nick! I work in the environmental field, and I happen to have a close friend who purchased a multi-generational home with her parents and sister in the Los Angeles area. I certainly see these trends in my life and in my neighborhood!
Well done Nick! You are a visionary!😮
So much content showed in such a dynamic way. Love it ❤
I love all your videos but this one was the best. Currently my son & his girlfriend live in my house so they can save for their own house, if I could do this in my neighborhood I would . The prefabricated & modular homes are so stylish. I thought I saw you on a Kristina Smallhorn video. Love that you brought this topic up. Keep up the good work. Love your style 👍
Really enjoyed this video! I'd love to see more of this type of content on your channel - not just interior design trends, theory, stuff like that, but the actual long-term societal role of housing. The part of Australia I live in, near Sydney, is being hit with a double whammy of a housing crisis AND a cost of living crisis that is seeing a lot of multigenerational households just because people can't afford to move out, and if they can, there's a massive short supply. There's also the impact of climate in areas like the northwest that have just turned into suburban sprawl with absolutely no consideration for climate or how people actually live, and those suburbs get baking hot to the point of being almost unliveable (last summer, some hit 50 C!), since they're designed to cram as many houses in as possible without considering greenspace (as well as adding to emissions by virtue of being so far from everything that you need to drive long distances to get anywhere).
If Sydney is going to survive, we NEED to have serious talks about how houses are designed - catering for multigenerational living, being cheaper, easier, and faster to put up, being sustainable and environmentally conscious to build AND to live in, having infrastructure where people are living, the works. Sydney is far from the only city in the world that's having these issues, and I'd love to see more content about how we can design for the future.
All three of these trends hit home for me. We are building a prefab home and focussing on energy efficiency. We are making design decisions based on the need for our children to live with us for longer. Parents with potential mobility challenges are also front of mind. They may need to move in temporarily to be cared for after surgery at the very least. This is what it looks like to build a forever home as part of the sandwich generation.
We had the original part of our home built in 1993 by Timberland Homes in WA State - it’s considered at “manufactured home” but not a “mobile home” - it’s stick built, just like if it had been built onsite and is bolted to a foundation, but they built it about 15 miles away in 3 months with their consistent crew and quality standards. There were no hidden fees and we knew exactly what we were getting. We’ve been very happy with our home and asked them about dropping an addition onto the house about 15 years ago; our road had become impassable for the house sections during the interim but they were willing to build onsite at the time and we were very happy with that process, too. Since shipping costs would be less to Vancouver from WA State, you may want to check them out. Our son is now considering them for his next home. Agree that the prefab space is really interesting, efficient, and has come a long way. Excited to see what you end up with!
Oh my goodness! You have got to do a Fixing Glam video just like you did the Fixing Farmhouse video way back in the day! If anyone can fix Glam, it’s you! 😂
Not sure he wants to though 😂
That would be a fun watch lol
I mean is the short answer Art Deco? I feel like Organic Modern was the short answer for fixing farmhouse! 🤣
@@Nick_LewisThat makes sense cause it’s classy
I’m glad you gave this a clickbait title, because this is my favorite video that you have ever done.
YES THIS
Really, really great video! So grateful that you brought your expertise and oomph to this topic. And it was entertaining despite the absence of your trademark bits of snark.
As an economist, I've always been interested in housing and urban development. I've watched tons of these videos lately. These trends are answers to current issues of affordability and environmentally conscious construction. Glad to see it coming down the pipeline. Truley exciting.
100% correct. There is going to be a lot more multigenerational housing in cities just by virtue of the fact that quality assisted living will be out of reach and traffic congestion will be so out of control that it will take hours to see family regardless of the cost of housing itself. Kerry Tarnow has an excellent channel reviewing prefab housing. When it can be stacked and arranged around a courtyard it is brilliant. Rainways for flood and drought resistant yards will also be essential for biophilic design. The most important thing is is that it is all well designed and that is where you come in Nick.....many thanks for your insight.
I want to see the process if you get a pre-fabricated home, it’s a super interesting market
Your inspiring, i'm jumping out of bed at midnight moving things around, changing this and that, decluttering etc, getting tired 😊
My grandparents lived in a post secondary war prefab in the Northend of Halifax , NS . In the late 60’s they built a full second level on top for my parents to live in until they could afford to go to another house . In the 80’s I lived in this flat until my husband and I could afford to get a home . My grandparents were aging and it was a good situation, a win win .
I enjoy all of your videos and this was the best yet. I’m excited to the house you eventually build on your property.
I live in NY, and I've lived in a modular house for 30 years. We were my mother, husband's brother, husband, 2 children and my self. Modular homes are great.
I’m 58 and my husband , 62. We had to move into our daughter’s spare bedroom last April due to financial stress. We sold 90% of what we owned. We don’t even own a fork, knife or plate now. Our daughter owns her home so has been very kind and generous letting us stay with her. We are not sure what the future holds, but we hope to buy an either a Tiny home to place in her backyard one day or help invest in another property that has multi generational living space. We definitely need a totally separate living space as we all need our own room.
I’m 55, back in my childhood home helping my dad, and my 24 year old daughter is here too. The house accommodates. It’s not fancy at all but it has been added onto. Same wallpaper since the early 90s.
Housing costs in Vancouver BC Canada certainly contributes to the fact that our 22YO is living with us while he's in college. A one bedroom apartment is easily $2000 a month and up.
We bought property on the island and have just kicked off our modular home project. It’s the same size as our 2br in Vancouver at a more than half the cost, with so much outdoor space. There are some fab companies here in BC who do awesome prefab homes.
I love the idea of incorporating biophilic principles and materials into renovations. Air quality is a major concern, especially in urban environments. I want my home to feel like a vacation every day. Mental health should also be central to design. Thanks for another banger, Nick!
I am living in a prefab apartment built by IKEA. Yes, in Sweden, IKEA builds houses together with Skanska, one of Scandinavias' largest developers. The projects are under the name Boklok, which means live (in a house) wisely.
The storage solutions are amazing, the green profile is amazing, the sound insulations between apartments are amazing, and the prize is amazing.
The prize of an apartment is fixed, and you are not allowed to sell the apartment for five years with more than inflation in profit.
Who gets to buy is decided by the luck of the draw and you have to live in it yourself. I have a three bedroom, 85sqm, at a great location for the equivalent of $175 000
"but if you can make that work. Ha ha" - felt that in my soul 😂😂😂
Improvements in manufacturing and technology have also brought prefabricated houses closer to the vision that was promised decades ago.
I'm from Manchester and the deck access flats in Hulme were a very real example of the issues caused when the manufacturing of prefabricated components isn't up to the level it should be. But so long as the work is properly planned out, parts can now be built to tolerances that are in millimetres
Love this presentation, Nick!!!
Great insight Nick...you are much more than an interior designer, you have cosmovision👏🏻👏🏻
My husband and I are building a modular chalet house on family land because of the housing market being trash. Stratford Homes is an awesome company and they have a really good timeline for builds and involve you in every step of the process. It's costing us about the same amount to build with them as it would to buy an older stick build house with minimal upgrades on similar acreage/land. Watching them work has been amazing, too. Can't say enough good things about modular builds.
Living Big in a Tiny Home is a very informative youtube channel. The show's host and his wife just custom built their own tiny home thru a company in Queensland Australia.
I enjoy watching that 💞👍
I hope that pre-fab will take off more. I'm an architect, and I've noticed that alternative building solutions like pre-fab SIPS panels have come into play much more in my work lately. I'm excited about this - less time building on site is definitely a relief. The big thing is getting contractors who are certified on that type of assembly work, this has always been the main issue with pre-fab, the construction industry and the way they train contractors is very slow to change.
LOVE THIS VIDEO!! More of this macro level stuff please! Love you Nick xoxox
Great perspectives on how we build homes! Also, love the natural light and shadowing on you. Makes it look like you’re wearing your a superhero top. 😊
I'm really interested in seeing how pre-fab homes lend themselves to decor. It looks like it would be perfect for mid-century/contemporary/minimalist spaces, but I wonder how it would work with more of the traditional handcrafted woodwork and stuff you get with Traditional/Art Deco.
You're on to something with these 3 topics. I'd like more info in all areas. I'm interested in flex spaces and prefab homes. Thanks for the video.
Being the owner of a crane company, I'm all about the pre-fab component housing trend!
This, I think, is awesome and thought provoking. Interested to see how you might incorporate these ideS into your new build.
I can imagine myself snuggled up with a throw, a warm cup of tea and a book (I won’t really be reading but need to feel like I might in my visual) in that comfy, warm looking spot on your sofa near the lamp. It’s very warm and inviting. Great job on creating that area. I’m loving the exodus from so much gray back to the warmth of good ol’ Kilim Beige. Yes. I said it. 😊
I think people might need some help working with warm neutral paint colors when it comes to decor. I feel like Tuscan style and Pottery Barn really played up that era (and good for them) but I think we need to see a newer and modern way to work with it.
Also, I was in new home construction for many years and unfortunately prefab wasn’t quite successfully taking off yet where I was. There were so many benefits and the construction I saw even about a decade ago was just as good if not better than regular new home construction. The cost was typically better and the build time was typically much faster. I think it’s an excellent option for many people.
Awesome video. Im a PhD. student, and my research focus is multigenerational households. It's great to know that my research is timely
Love these trends. Prefab homes can be great if they are well designed. I'm in a rural area but the idea of multigenerational property has been very important - we built a small ADA compliant home for my grandparents 30 years ago. Many of our friends have had their parents living with them or having small housing nearby to help with care needs. And sustainability has always been one of my primary goals ever since we bought our current home (22+ years ago).
I think prefab houses are becoming more viable, not only because of the issues you mentioned, but also the advances in building and materials sciences. I think those sciences don't get the attention they deserve, especially because they influence the way we live in such a direct way. You also mentioned that the high cost of housing in Vancouver informs your take on multigenerational living, but I also think it impacts your take on sustainability. Your non-Canadian viewers might not realize that British Columbia, where Vancouver is located, is Canada's "left coast" where environmental awareness is proportionally greater than in other parts of Canada--or at least, that's the stereotype. Great video, Nick, and I think all three trends are interrelated so I'm glad you included them in the same piece.
I’m very interested and excited about new housing developments. Keep up the good work.
I love this type of video! I think these more systemically influenced trends are so fascinating.
"Systemically influenced"... is that the same as government mandated? If so, not a fan.
This was a really interesting and well thought out video, thank you!
Such an informative and interesting video. Thanks Nick 🙏
Loved this video which reminded me of your Arizona visit to a manufactured housing facility. Please check the formaldehyde levels before you purchase. We want you to stay healthy. ❤
Great episode. I live in a prefab home, constructed in 2001. Googled it and found out the model was developed in France in the 60s… so prefab has been a long time coming, and really should have gained traction a long time ago - especially if it means more affordable housing. As for multigenerational living, 3 of my 4 adult kids still live with us… so ya, affordable housing would definitely help!
Hi from Canada!
Agree with everything you said and really enjoying my retirement. So nice to be able to do what I want when I want.🙋♀️
Thank you Nick. I’m excited to see what the future brings.
Hi! Downsize I got prefab house! Luv it!
I really like how you think and I agree with your 3 major trends. What really, really irritates me is you can't afford these so called "sustainable" materials. A few years ago I wanted to install a bamboo floor but it was more expensive than hardwood! This includes so many "natural, sustainable, good for the environment" products. This makes me think that only the really well off people can afford this and then boast about it to their other really well off friends about how "good" they are! Even if these products are really cheap, they are marketed to compete with standard, traditional products so that there is greater profit involved. Of course, there is also the case of many of these products having to be imported to your country so how competitive are they really? So until, governments, architects, manufacturers, big businesses, suppliers and the man in the street get on board with these wonderful ideas, it's all just a big swizz in my opinion!
Love your design input. Thank you for the great ideas always. Also, personally loving the beard look! So handsome. I wonder also why I haven't seen the "Ew, David" shirt for a while, because that was hilarious. 😅
I was astonished to see Singapore! David Attenborough has a three-part series on Singapore the city and the wildlife and it's absolutely stunning
Thanks for this comment. Singapore was the first thing I thought when Nick was talking about urban settings and nature
I couldn’t agree with you more on all 3 of these trends. I wish the multigenerational living was further along because I would be all in on that now. I also looked into manufactured homes about 4 years ago and love the new options. I’m probably going to go with an older next home that I retrofit to be energy efficient because that’s more my esthetic (and I want to repurpose vs build new).
Excellent video Nick, very thought-provoking
Very interesting! I would love more videos like this!
Same in the cities and suburbs in Australia, Nick. Bring it on! ❤
I think that it really comes down to economics and financing. When I was 18 years old, I couldn’t wait to get out of the house. And that was just what you did back then. But nowadays, it’s harder. For many reasons. So part of it is driven purely by financial reasons. I think the ADU trend is a good thing.
At 18 you move out to fully mature and be on your own. Then one can come back knowing what a struggle it is, being on your own were no one has to tell you what to do, so you take responsibility. Once you get that you come back as a adult . I didn't get it til I went through hard times on my own, it makes you grow up, and come back as an adult.
The first time I moved out on my own I was making 20k a year (grad school) - this was 10 years ago. I had a roommate, which a lot of people were really reluctant to do but it was cheaper. Ended up being about $550 a month for a brand new apartment where we had a shared kitchen but private bathroom and bedroom. It’s completely manageable, but people don’t think it is.
@@settame1the market today is completely different from ten years ago. If you live in an expensive area, it’s not doable at all
Prefab houses have been built in my country for many years. It's not as expensive and the building time is faster. Most of them are really nice. After a couple of years, families have made them their own homes, and they don't look exactly the same anymore.
Haha, I'm a new MIL, and our DIL moved from regional town to be down here. Our lad and her live in a tiny house in our backyard.
Makes so much sense why she's hanging out to move back to a regional area, where the 1950's moving out of home model does apply here.