By Jessica Anstice
More homes than ever in Cardinia Shire right now have multiple generations under one roof.
Housing affordability and an aging population is seeing housing norms evolve as an increasing number of residents move towards multigenerational living arrangements.
Stefan De Silva, 33, has started to build his new home in Officer and said it was the “perfect opportunity” to spend more time with this father and offer an affordable way of life for him.
“There are a lot of reasons we’ve decided to live together but the main one is that he’s been renting for more than 20 years and I want to be able to provide him with a place to call home as he gets older,” Mr De Silva said.
“The home I’ve purchased is a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a living area and a theatre room − this set up will be perfect for us to find our own space and privacy within the house.
“The added benefit of living at Hillstowe estate with my father is that we’re within a community, which is very important to us as Sri Lankans. It means there will be lots of people for us to get know as we value being part of a community.”
The most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics research has projected that up to 904,600 Australians will be living in a multigenerational home in 2041, with the last recorded data indicating 592,600 were in this living arrangement in 2016.
AVID Property Group general manager Peter Vlitas said home buyers are increasingly searching for multigenerational living options and AVID has seen an emerging trend of residents planning to live with other adult family members.
“Families are looking to grow into their homes and have space to accommodate for parents, children and even extended family members, we’ve noticed this from purchasers buying our larger blocks of land, particularly in stage one at Hillstowe,” Mr Vlitas said.
“It’s interesting to see that our traditional family homes are veering towards a new trend that once existed, and still does in many other cultures.
“Masterplanned communities that allow buyers to choose a builder and their home design puts them in a good position to find alternative ways of living like this.”
