Nuclear family no more? West Midlands homebuilder accommodates multi-generational living

With three-storey homes available at Barratt Homes’ development The Elms in the West Midlands, the housebuilder has highlighted the different ways that these particular properties lend themselves to flexible family living.

The nuclear family, popularised by culture during the 20th Century, is not how every family is able to live and there are now greater opportunities for blended families in a variety of living situations.

As reported in a census by the Office for National Statistics, there were 781,000 step-families in 2021; 547,000 (70%) of which contained dependent children, and 51.6% of step-families with dependent children in households of five people or fewer were blended.

Some families, perhaps with older members, are either unwilling or unable to afford to house these members separately.

Barratt Homes has therefore demonstrated how a three-property home is a suitable answer to accommodating a larger family, with a generation per floor.

Bottom Floor

A smaller bedroom on the bottom floor is ideal for customers for whom stairs might be more of a struggle. It could give elderly family members easy access to their necessities whilst avoiding overexerting them physically.

With the living room, kitchen and outdoor areas within a short reach, people with have mobility issues are more easily able to get by with their day-to-day lives.

Middle Floor

The halfway point between older family members on the bottom floor and younger family members on the top floor. With the middle-aged generation on the first floor, they can easily access either floor to smoothly manage the household.

Residing on the middle floor also gives them amble space to create a home office and personalise sections of the household that meet their individual requirements.

Top Floor

Giving the youngest generation an entire floor means that they can flourish and grow in their own independent space, but it also means that parents can more easily keep track of their children by keeping them within easy reach.

Insurance provider Legal & General reports that, as the UK population ages, more adults will find themselves caring for their elder relatives. This ongoing demographic transformation helps explain why a third of people who responded to its survey believed that multi-generational households would one day become more common than single-family homes.

Nicola Foster, Senior Sales Manager at Barrat Homes West Midlands, said: “We would like to welcome all types of families to our developments, where we can showcase the benefits of three-storey homes for those who might not have considered these particular properties.

“Whether they be families without children, single parent households, traditional nuclear families or those with multiple generations under one roof, we would be happy to discuss our range of offers and schemes that are available to them.”

Thanks to energy efficient features that are standard across all Barratt Homes’ developments means that its homes are 65% cheaper to run, potentially saving up to £1,980 per year.

For more information about any developments in the area, call the sales team on 033 3355 8475 or visit the website at Barratt Homes in the West Midlands.