Cool in law suite house plan

[Scarlett]

I know many of us have aging parents and I though you guys might like this plan. I love it. Not much I dislike about it......but you guys are always good for pointing out all pros and cons.

 

https://www.houseplans.com/plan/2400-square-feet-4-bedrooms-3-bathroom-southern-house-plans-3-garage-24792

[Scarlett]

I do hate that brick wall on the front, but that is not a problem to change.

[Happy]

I like the in law suite--it even has a garage space for the in law. Would be a good income property space or college kid living at home space, too.

 

I'm not crazy about the front door opening right by the fireplace in the living room. I like a little entryway of some sort. All the doors on the front would be fun for a party--open up everything and invite a ton of people.

[Happy]

I do hate that brick wall on the front, but that is not a problem to change.

Agree! It looks stuck on.

 

If it were mine, I'd steak a stepped gable design from northern Europe to add some style to it.

 

Or just remove it. Brick or stone and a nice roof would do the trick.

[Ravin]

I like that the in-law suite connects at the garage so you don't have to go outside to go between it and the main house.

[Scarlett]

I like the in law suite--it even has a garage space for the in law. Would be a good income property space or college kid living at home space, too.

 

I'm not crazy about the front door opening right by the fireplace in the living room. I like a little entryway of some sort. All the doors on the front would be fun for a party--open up everything and invite a ton of people.

I agree it would be nice if there was an entrance way in the living room.....but I doubt that entrance would be used much. I live in OK.......you can't ever leave doors open....LOL.....so I would not even want those other doors in the kitchen and bedroom.

 

Not crazy about the master being right off the eating area....but there is a second eating area/dining off the other side of the kitchen so I think that area by the master could easily be an office.

[Scarlett]

Agree! It looks stuck on.

 

If it were mine, I'd steak a stepped gable design from northern Europe to add some style to it..

I don't know what this means. Lol....explain please.

[Scarlett]

I like that the in-law suite connects at the garage so you don't have to go outside to go between it and the main house.

And there is a porch that goes to the laundry room. That could be glassed in....just depends if they would want it open or closed. But I like how we could share the laundry room but come in from two different ways.

[Annie G]

Like others, the brick wall has to go. 

 

With all the back patio and porch space, I wish the master suite was over where the other bedrooms are so there could be access to the back patio. And even without access, I'd prefer it there to right by the garage and on the front of the house.  

 

I see you can access the inlaw suite from the garage but I'd really like an interior access.  As parents age, we are finding it necessary to check on them during the night when we are there. I probably wouldn't be wild about doing that via a garage. 

 

The 'eating area' looks kind of odd to me...like, you go through that to get to the bedroom. And since I assume a table will be there I'm not sure how I'd feel about going through that to get in and out of my master. 

 

I wish the master closet was larger. 

[Scarlett]

Like others, the brick wall has to go.

 

With all the back patio and porch space, I wish the master suite was over where the other bedrooms are so there could be access to the back patio. And even without access, I'd prefer it there to right by the garage and on the front of the house.

 

I see you can access the inlaw suite from the garage but I'd really like an interior access. As parents age, we are finding it necessary to check on them during the night when we are there. I probably wouldn't be wild about doing that via a garage.

 

The 'eating area' looks kind of odd to me...like, you go through that to get to the bedroom. And since I assume a table will be there I'm not sure how I'd feel about going through that to get in and out of my master.

 

I wish the master closet was larger.

Good points. Probably not deal breakers.....i guess I am so excited that the master is across the house from the boys rooms I didn't even think about how it doesn't make use of the back patio space. But.....I think the in law suite looks out over all that area....so if our master was back there we might be staring at each other.....lol....

[marbel]

I like it a lot too.  Agree on that brick wall; so ugly to me.

 

Also don't like the lack of entryway.  I hate it that my front door opens right into the living room, with no buffer at all.   But a huge plus for me is that the view from the front door doesn't lead directly to the kitchen sink. My last 2 houses do this and I hate it.  

 

Not too fond of all the "front doors."   I like some walls.   I don't want an outside door into a bedroom unless it's the master suite and it goes to the back of the house.

 

Yeah, I guess I have a few criticism but overall I like it!

[bethben]

I agree about the lack of access directly between the two houses.  Yes, it works in theory if the in-laws are able bodied, but it would be a pain if you were the caretaker and had to go outside or through the garage.  On the other hand, there is a nice degree of separation.  

[Scarlett]

I agree about the lack of access directly between the two houses. Yes, it works in theory if the in-laws are able bodied, but it would be a pain if you were the caretaker and had to go outside or through the garage. On the other hand, there is a nice degree of separation.

I thought about this...at this stage where they are both alive and able bodied it would be fine. If one dies ( sob) and the other becomes more infirm, they would just have to move into one of the bedrooms in the house. Our boys are 15 and 16 so that would work....they will either be gone from home or one could live in the inlaw suite.

[Happy]

I don't know what this means. Lol....explain please.

Well...I don't know where the steak came from..... :)

 

Stepped gables have a more pronounced stair step up the sides of the roof. On that brick wall, where the upper part dips in...imagine stair steps up to the square point. Of course, I remember those from my days in Belgium so no one else might like having that there. What's charming in Brussels might not work for OK or TX. :)

 

That wall really does not go with the charm of the other part of the house.

[Angie in VA]

If I'm understanding the floor plan correctly, it appears the garage connects the two living spaces as well as the door off the patio that goes through the laundry room. Is that right? 

 

I think I'd want one way to go b/t the two living spaces, and I'd want it to be totally inside and not through a garage. We just visited friends and though we'd been there before, we got a tour of the house they gave another couple. The lady said she would have designed it the same way (actually, she's an architect and had drawn up plans that were very similar), except that instead of having the spaces connected by the laundry room, she would have had a hallway and had the laundry room off of that hallway. They share laundry space. 

 

So, I would take into consideration a connector that you don't mind company coming through. It's a nice house. I agree w/ losing the brick on that one section (easy) and losing that fireplace, at least moving it from that corner. I really don't like seeing the chimney in the front of the roof like that either. 

[kroe1]

The in law suite is not wheel chair or walker friendly. In reality, the in-laws will have to have the master suite because of the wider shower. You and your DH will have the in-law suite. If that is OK with you, then it is a great floor plan.

[bettyandbob]

I would like an interior access to the in law suite. I think you could turn the porch into an enclosed sunroom and have that.

[Joules]

I like it, though it is more set up on the privacy side than the caregiving side.  One thing to think about if you are building and have a choice, is where the utilities and breaker box are.  If you have frequent power or other issues (turning off water outside, etc.), make sure that you don't have to go into the other family's living space every time there is a problem.  Ideally these would be in the laundry/utility room or other public space.

[gardenmom5]

And there is a porch that goes to the laundry room. That could be glassed in....just depends if they would want it open or closed. But I like how we could share the laundry room but come in from two different ways.

 

with the porch closed in - there would be a better way to get between the house and the suite (if it's a relative, you generally want the connection) than  traipsing through the laundry room.  how many people have one unencumbered by laundry?

[Mergath]

I agree with what everyone else said. Also, I find it odd that there's a door leading to the porch from the kitchen. It seems like a waste of space, given that the living room and main entrance is in the next room. I'd rather have more counterspace there than another front door.

[Scarlett]

The in law suite is not wheel chair or walker friendly. In reality, the in-laws will have to have the master suite because of the wider shower. You and your DH will have the in-law suite. If that is OK with you, then it is a great floor plan.

I would be ok with that I think, but Dh will design the suite to be wheelchair friendly. And make the shower zero walk in and wide enough.....

 

I just talked to my sister who lives 2000 miles away and she LOVES the idea. We talked about different ways of handling it as far as the money.....it is very delicate....I have to make them understand or believe we aren't after their money to build a new house. Maybe they could sell their place and move in as tenets instead of owning part of it.

 

I don't know, they are very sensitive about all of this.

[3 ladybugs]

It is nice but I would want a Jack and Jill bathroom for the main house bathroom between the bedrooms, no door to the outside for the bedroom in the front of the house, and I would want a second floor for the in law suite for my BIL that would mirror the in law suite. Maybe have go over a single car garage that would fit with that exterior storage in the in-law portion. I also don't like the lack of an entry way.

 

Hmm... I like this one better: https://www.houseplans.com/plan/3609-square-feet-4-bedrooms-3-5-bathroom-southern-house-plans-3-garage-21212

[Scarlett]

with the porch closed in - there would be a better way to get between the house and the suite (if it's a relative, you generally want the connection) than traipsing through the laundry room. how many people have one unencumbered by laundry?

 

Whether the porch is closed in or not you have to go through laundry room. I am ok with that. I am sort of a laundry nazi so it won't be a problem for me.

[Scarlett]

It is nice but I would want a Jack and Jill bathroom for the main house bathroom between the bedrooms, no door to the outside for the bedroom in the front of the house, and I would want a second floor for the in law suite for my BIL that would mirror the in law suite. Maybe have go over a single car garage that would fit with that exterior storage in the in-law portion. I also don't like the lack of an entry way.

 

Hmm... I like this one better: https://www.houseplans.com/plan/3609-square-feet-4-bedrooms-3-5-bathroom-southern-house-plans-3-garage-21212

That is a beautiful home but we need to have no stairs.

[3 ladybugs]

It is sad that there are not more floor plans like that. As the population ages I can't imagine that these wouldn't become more popular. We are being squeezed by 2 sides wanting to move in with us. So I actually need a 4 family house! (Brother in law needs his own space too.)

[Scarlett]

It is sad that there are not more floor plans like that. As the population ages I can't imagine that these wouldn't become more popular. We are being squeezed by 2 sides wanting to move in with us. So I actually need a 4 family house! (Brother in law needs his own space too.)

Is he disabled?

[3 ladybugs]

He has autism. He lives with his parents and there is no thought that he will ever move out. He drives and has a job though. 

[Scarlett]

He has autism. He lives with his parents and there is no thought that he will ever move out. He drives and has a job though.

Oh I see.

 

Yes I agree we need more house plans to accomdate mutilgenerations.

[LifeLovePassion]

Check pinterest. I have a few "in law suite" plans saved there

[Storygirl]

I like the idea of an in-law apartment and have been making a list of my dream features. I would want the in-law space to have access to the garage plus the main house through a back hallway. And have it's own separate entrance, like a front door. I don't see that on this plan?? It looks like there is a door to the outside, but it goes to a storage room?? Someone could enter through the back porch but would need to walk to the back of the house. I like the idea of having a front door for that area so that they could have friends or family over to visit without them going through the garage.

 

Also, I would have the bathroom accessible from the living area of the suite, in addition to the bedroom, so that they could have a visitor over and not have them go through the bedroom to get to the bath.

 

I think that plan has potential, but I would want to make it easier for the people living there to be social and connect with both the outside world and the main house.

 

I've been thinking if we ever move again, choosing something like that would be a wise idea. It would be useful for aging parents, young adults who continue to live at home but need some space, or for ourselves if we need to set up a caregiving situation in our home. Alzheimer's runs in my family, unfortunately, and it would be less stressful for DH to care for me if we had a space for me to stay with a caregiver while he had a separate area of the house. That way we could live together, but he would not have to live with caretakers in his personal area constantly.

[Storygirl]

I also agree with making sure it is fully disability accessible.

[Bambam]

I like the fact the master bedroom is on the opposite end of the house of the regular bedrooms. I wouldn't want to be next to the garage though - if one of the kids pulls into the garage late at night, I'm going to hear that and it will wake me up.

 

One thought - my MIL really likes to watch her neighbors through her front window. It is her entertainment to watch the neighborhood traffic and interactions. Can the house be built so that the person in the IL suite can see the street in front through her kitchen window? Better would be her living room window for my MIL, but kitchen window is better than nothing!

[Scarlett]

I like the idea of an in-law apartment and have been making a list of my dream features. I would want the in-law space to have access to the garage plus the main house through a back hallway. And have it's own separate entrance, like a front door. I don't see that on this plan?? It looks like there is a door to the outside, but it goes to a storage room?? Someone could enter through the back porch but would need to walk to the back of the house. I like the idea of having a front door for that area so that they could have friends or family over to visit without them going through the garage.

 

Also, I would have the bathroom accessible from the living area of the suite, in addition to the bedroom, so that they could have a visitor over and not have them go through the bedroom to get to the bath.

 

I think that plan has potential, but I would want to make it easier for the people living there to be social and connect with both the outside world and the main house.

 

I've been thinking if we ever move again, choosing something like that would be a wise idea. It would be useful for aging parents, young adults who continue to live at home but need some space, or for ourselves if we need to set up a caregiving situation in our home. Alzheimer's runs in my family, unfortunately, and it would be less stressful for DH to care for me if we had a space for me to stay with a caregiver while he had a separate area of the house. That way we could live together, but he would not have to live with caretakers in his personal area constantly.

There is a front for to the in law suite.....well I guess it would,be a side door....but it goes into their kitchen.

 

I like that the separation is so clearly defined......they can easily come in to the house through the laundry room, via their porch. There are lots of plans that have the suite more 'in ' the main house....I like the apartment feel of this one.m we could rent it later for income.

 

I think it would need a corner lot.

[Scarlett]

I like the fact the master bedroom is on the opposite end of the house of the regular bedrooms. I wouldn't want to be next to the garage though - if one of the kids pulls into the garage late at night, I'm going to hear that and it will wake me up.

 

One thought - my MIL really likes to watch her neighbors through her front window. It is her entertainment to watch the neighborhood traffic and interactions. Can the house be built so that the person in the IL suite can see the street in front through her kitchen window? Better would be her living room window for my MIL, but kitchen window is better than nothing!

Ha, my kids aren't going to be pulling into the garage. That will be my parking. That is a good point though.....there isn't an entrance door by the garage for the main house. Edited September 27, 2016 by Scarlett

[Storygirl]

There is a front for to the in law suite.....well I guess it would,be a side door....but it goes into their kitchen.

 

 

 

Ah, I see now. I thought that was a closet. I would want a closet by the door for coats, etc.

[EMS83]

Neat!  With younger kids, exterior double doors in one of the secondary bedrooms might be an issue (depending on the kids, I guess).  The only thing that came to mind with the layout is how it would work with fairly elderly and semi-disabled family.  Walkers, wheel chairs, needing access that's separate but still quick (ie: in the case of a fall).  But for someone who's independent and has no extra considerations, it looks awesome!  

[Seasider]

Very nice but I'd have to bump out the front to add a foyer and make a really deep lowcountry porch. I'd also want the "eating area" left of the kitchen to be larger.

 

This is a nice setup for an inlaw or aging parent, but I am thinking how nice it would be for an adult child in college or graduate school, as a "trainer" apartment for a young adult child, or even as a nice rental apartment. Or a place to host a college intern, short term missionary, when my married kids bring grandkids to visit... lots of possibilities. I love the staggered porches and definitely imagine a pool out back.

[Scarlett]

Very nice but I'd have to bump out the front to add a foyer and make a really deep lowcountry porch. I'd also want the "eating area" left of the kitchen to be larger.

 

This is a nice setup for an inlaw or aging parent, but I am thinking how nice it would be for an adult child in college or graduate school, as a "trainer" apartment for a young adult child, or even as a nice rental apartment. Or a place to host a college intern, short term missionary, when my married kids bring grandkids to visit... lots of possibilities. I love the staggered porches and definitely imagine a pool out back.

I would like a foyer.

 

Did you see that there was a dining room behind the kitchen toward the back patios?

 

I would love it for young adults too.....even early married.

[Lady Marmalade]

I like the fact the master bedroom is on the opposite end of the house of the regular bedrooms. I wouldn't want to be next to the garage though - if one of the kids pulls into the garage late at night, I'm going to hear that and it will wake me up.

 

One thought - my MIL really likes to watch her neighbors through her front window. It is her entertainment to watch the neighborhood traffic and interactions. Can the house be built so that the person in the IL suite can see the street in front through her kitchen window? Better would be her living room window for my MIL, but kitchen window is better than nothing!

 

As a former teenager who snuck in and out at off-limits hours, I would appreciate the master being by the garage so that I would be woken when kids arrived home.  The other doors would be dead-bolted at night so the only entrance in and out of the house would be through the noisy garage.  Plus, if you do need to be caretaker to someone in the suite, you are closer in case of emergency. 

 

The whole plan is pretty and seems really workable to me with some tweaks.  I would opt for just one central front door myself, but I live in a climate where those gorgeous french doors would not be able to just be open without a screen in place.  

[momee]

We just built a house and in laws moved in with us.  We hired an architect to get exactly what we wanted.  He "gave" me things I never thought we could afford.   I know the charge seems high at first but it is really worth it if you consider they are "for you" - not a builder.  He just was able to move walls and etc I'd never dreamed could be done.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2016 by momee

[LucyStoner]

Where is the front door? Are those windows French doors or something?

 

ETA- I see that they are. But three sets of French doors all in a row wouldn't be my first or seventeenth choice.

Edited September 28, 2016 by LucyStoner

[Seasider]

I would like a foyer.

 

Did you see that there was a dining room behind the kitchen toward the back patios?

 

I would love it for young adults too.....even early married.

I did see that. I think if the dining room were large enough to seat ten, I'd just have that dining area and make the other a library/media room. I wonder if that's just a half wall/pass through between the kitchen and left eating area. A library or media room would be a better transition to the master, IMO.

 

I'd make that back bedroom on the right my office, so I'd have a good view of the back yard during the day and not mind not having it from the master.

[Scarlett]

I did see that. I think if the dining room were large enough to seat ten, I'd just have that dining area and make the other a library/media room. I wonder if that's just a half wall/pass through between the kitchen and left eating area. A library or media room would be a better transition to the master, IMO.

 

I'd make that back bedroom on the right my office, so I'd have a good view of the back yard during the day and not mind not having it from the master.

That is my thought too.....I would,prefer a library/office next to the master. But yes that other eating area would need to be big.

[Scarlett]

I told Dh my concerns.....he had a few ideas.

 

As far as the in law suite bathroom only being accessible from the bedroom.........he says he could put a half bath in the porch area....bump it out and take a bit from the laundry room. Also he would do away with the storage room behind the suite bathroom and reconfigure the bathroom and closet area better.

 

He would flip that kitchen so that the bar is open to the living room. And take part of that eating area to the left of the kitchen and add to the master and part of it for a foyer. So I am still thinking about that....it would give the plan two front doors, but if one is clearly defined for guests...and the first one they come to via a sidewalk....then I think it would be fine.

[bethben]

I had seen this a while back and it just popped up in my email.  The house has an inlaw suite "add on".  This house is most likely WAY out of our price range, but for taking care of my son as he gets older, it give us both our space without having to mix the two.  And if you're not using the inlaw suite, it's easily accessed by the rest of the house.

 

http://www.classichomes.com/userfiles/image/HomeDesigns/414_Infinity_414_Letter_FP_07-21-2016.pdf

[Scarlett]

Yes that is nice but waaaaay bigger than we could afford to build.