Granny flats are becoming more popular in SA.
Multiple generations living under the one roof – or two on the same property – is becoming the new norm, with soaring home prices largely to blame.
Granny flats and ancillary dwellings are becoming increasingly common in SA, according to exclusive analysis from PRD, particularly in suburban areas being redeveloped.
While many are choosing to live together for additional support — either for ageing parents or young children – housing affordability, land constraints and rising construction costs across the state are increasingly forcing families to live together.
About 10 to 15 per cent of households are multigenerational, many of which are made up of parents with adult children who are staying in the family home longer.
PRD Real Estate chief economist Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo. Picture: Supplied.
PRD Real Estate chief economist Diaswati Mardiasmo said multi-generational living had historically been more common among migrant communities but was now being adopted by a broader cross-section of families.
“Now, we are seeing multi-generational living becoming more integrated as a life choice within the general population — increasingly more so in metropolitan areas,” Dr Mardiasmo said.
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“The reason behind multi-generational living remains the same over time — housing affordability, cost of living, caregiving — but in many cases, it has now transitioned from a nice option to have to, ‘well, this is the only way we can make it work’.
“In short, for many, multi-generational living is now no longer an option or preference, but a necessity.”
The number of dual duplexes being built, houses with separate entry and granny flats on the same property was increasing across the country. Picture: Supplied.
Dr Mardiasmo said the number of dual duplexes being built, houses with separate entry and granny flats on the same property was increasing across the country.
“There is now also an increasing emphasis on work-life balance, family connection, building quality time, self-care and mental health, preserving culture and mother-tongue languages, and sharing the workload,” she said.
“Multi-generational living allows for this.”
OC executive director Nathan Casserly said properties with flexible living options were much more attractive to prospective buyers today than they were five years ago.
“When we have a property that has those features, the buyers looking for multigenerational living come out,” he said.
“It’s a real value add feature.”
OC executive director Nathan Casserly.
At a time when the cost of care for SA’s ageing population was “pretty significant” and additional care was needed for young children as both parents worked, Mr Casserly said multigenerational living made sense for many families.
He said there were also many cases of parents selling their homes to give their adult children early inheritances so they could purchase a property, which they would then move into with them.
“We may not be able to get in the way we’ve always got in, we just have to think differently about it,” Mr Casserly said.
– with Elizabeth Tilley
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