Under one roof: Moving back in with the parents

A growing number of families are moving in together,
which sometimes means that three generations are living
all under one roof.

The sluggish economy has caused some households to
expand, taking in more family members to trim housing
costs. The practice is also more common among different
cultures.

According to Census Bureau data, 4.4 million households
had three generations or more under one roof in 2010. That
is a 15 percent increase compared to two years prior.

The “double-up” trend is particularly pronounced among
adult children, who are increasingly moving back with
their parents after college to curb costs. The number of
25-to-34 year olds living with their parents jumped by
more than 25 percent between 2001 and 2007, according to
Census data.

The larger household sizes are causing builders to take
notice and redesign floorplans to accommodate multi-
generational households.

For example, Pulte Homes says it’s swapping out one of
the garages in its two-car garage plans to allow for extra
space in a home for a guest room.

And Toll Brothers reports that it’s creating new
floorplans to accommodate multiple generations, such as a
guest suite with a kitchen added where a family room may
have once been.