What Are The Benefits of a Carriage House?

As we grow older, so do our parents – and there will come a time when you may have to start thinking about their living conditions and the dreaded idea of possibly putting them into a retirement home. Perhaps they may no longer have the ability to live on their own and take care of themselves; or perhaps they can afford living assistance, but they live in a house that is too big for them or not built for their needs: e.g. they live in a two-storey house and can no longer climb the stairs. Well, this would be a great example for why a carriage house on your property would be beneficial! With a carriage house, you can provide your parents with a comfortable place to live – an actual home as opposed to a room in a building with a bunch of strangers (not knowing if they are getting the individual attention they need). A carriage house can provide them with the privacy they need and the space they need, where they can still live independently and have living assistance. You can give them a sense of freedom and independence, and at the same time, give yourself a sense of security: knowing that they are being treated right and getting that much-needed love (that all of us need) when they need it.

Were Retiring

Or perhaps it is you that is thinking of retiring or just looking to downsize, as you no longer need or want to take care of so much space – a carriage house could be ideal, as you would get to design something more practical (and exactly what you need). One of the best benefits to a carriage house is that it is smaller than a traditional “house,” which means less cleaning; your heating bill is greatly decreased; and it is, of course, cozy. Building a carriage house on your property gives you the opportunity to rent your main house and have the advantage and comfort of knowing that the tenants are taking care of your investment. And with a smaller-sized home, you may have a little more room in your budget for the potential of choosing nicer finishes on a space designed just for you!

Whoever you have in mind when building this carriage house, when working with BRC, you will have the opportunity to really look at how this new home will work for you. Wanting to downsize but want to keep all of your old furniture? Well, we would take the time to either place your new or old pieces of furniture right on the plans, then when it comes to building, we could draw on the floor how these pieces would look in the room. Just because it is a smaller home, doesn’t mean it has to feel like less of a home!

Young adults are having a harder and harder time trying to break into the market – now often living at home well into their 20’s and even 30’s! A carriage house gives you the opportunity to get the “kids” out of your house and into a place that they can call home, where they can feel like they are moving on with their own lives. This can be a good self-esteem booster if they are feeling “stuck,” as well. Building a carriage house only adds value to your property – while also giving you back your space so you can move on with your own lives. If you love your kids and have a very close family, what better way to be together (while also keeping your independence)? Added bonus: you can start collecting that rent they have been trying to avoid (which will help pay for your mortgage). Win-win.

A carriage house/starter home is a great way to allow you to purchase the larger property you want (without the pressure of having to build a “bigger” home right away). As your life and family grows, so can your future expansions of the property. When you have a dwelling on the property (e.g. a carriage house), the bank is more likely to see the property as a stronger asset, which means that (if you’re not planning to move into the carriage house right away) this starter home can then be rented out. But when you do decide to move into your carriage house, and when you go to build your forever home, you will have the awesome advantage of monitoring your new/forever house while it’s being built right in front of your eyes.

If you’re deciding to build a carriage house as your starter home on your new property (whether to move into or rent out), it’s a great idea to bring in a general contractor to make sure you have a well thought-out, long term plan. For instance, all of the underground service work (plumbing, electrical, sewer) could be planned to allow future expansion. If this is something you are interested in discussing, we at BRC can help!