Looks like the structure will be above 6,000 s.f. - With an investment like that I'd be concern about resale value.
I am guessing that you are in the south. If you are in an upscale area, did you ever considered approaching the project as a main home with a "Casita" for your parents?
The two structures could be connected by a breezeway and both will have privacy, there are no sound issues and a lot easier and cheaper for the fire separation and as far as I know you will not have the zoning issue.

If it is not an upscale area, you could approach it as a duplex (itÂs almost a duplex, now). The structure will remain under a roof but you will need to review the garage placement and laundry. The architect should provide a way for the 2 units to be independent if there is a need in the future, in which case the garages should be reconfigured and a sound/fire barrier provided.

Yes - this house would be hard to sell. Maybe you will find the 1% of people out there that will say it will be easy to sell because that 1% would like a house like that. While it only takes one buyer, you are shrinking your pool by approximately 99%. They have to like the location, the price point etc etc and want to live with their extended family.

Ask a realtor if you don't believe me. The reason you don't see this is because so few people would buy it. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. I do think a separate house would be more conventional assuming you have the room.

It is a good point that some have had that this is probably an upscale area and future owners are not planning on being landlords so I am not sure the fire thing is a good idea. I mean who pays $1,000,000 for a house to rent out a portion of it?

My last thought is that when the older generation passes, it is way too easy for the younger generation to move back in (which I think is a huge step backwards). But to each his own...

God bless you for taking care of your parents!! Any way you can accomplish it is wonderful in my book!! Good luck to you and yours!!

I think Marthelena has a great idea. Have you considered having your parent stay in a "pool house" connected by a breezeway.

I, too think this would be hard to sell (my Mom is in Real Estate). We are building a Mother in law suite above the garage for our parents which will have two bedrooms, full kitchen, bathroom, storage, etc. and even a covered porch area. But I love the idea of the two living spaces connected by a breezeway and the breezeway could even be screened so it could act as a sitting area too and a place to take off wet or muddy shoes before entering either space. Good luck on your build. And it is really wonderful that you are taking such wonderful care of the people you love!!!

If you're determined that you're not going to give any concessions to the duplex conversion issue by installing a firewall, then I'm wondering if there's any particular reason the laundry should be divided like that.

If you removed the wall between the laundries and got rid of one of the doors, then you'd still be able to have enough machines for both families to do their wash at once, but you'd also gain a nice long stretch of wall for folding or ironing space. Laundry isn't really all that private an activity, is it? Especially among family. In fact, it's a chore that in my experience is far more fun with company.

I kind of get the feeling that this plan can't quite make up its mind whether it wants to be easily convertible into a duplex or not. Many of the layout decisions seem to have been made with future conversion in mind. The divided laundry is one example. The living areas, too, I feel could have been made more useful and comfortable for a multi-generational family, if the design there hadn't been influenced by the desire for a straight, easily firewall-able wall down the center. But then the laundry/garage area disrupts that pattern, introducing other walls and angles which would have to be dealt with if this house were to be brought up to code as a two-family residence.

I wonder if this plan could be improved if the ghost of future conversion were exorcised for good. Otherwise, it's so close to a duplex already that I feel as if you might as well make a few minor changes to the garage/laundry area to make it easier for future owners to divide it if they so wish.

Thanks for all the comments -- I appreciate all of them.

The reason for a single structure rather than a secondary detached structure connected by a breezeway (which I prefer) is due to local zoning laws. The only way around that is to place the house in an agricultural zoning area which is less than ideal because it takes us too far away from town. Zoning hasn't caught up with the needs of families!

The laundry has been divided and undivided in various iterations of the plan -- it is could certainly be rejoined.

As for future sale of the home, all the single-family subdivisions where this house might be placed have restrictions that would disallow it being sold as two units or separated in any way. This is a limitation, but one that we are willing to accept to meet our needs. If the house became too large for us, we will sell it and move. I don't think finding a buyer will be as difficult as some people imagine, but who can really say for sure. Such an issue lies in an unknown future, and we are contending with today. Tomorrow will need to take care of itself when it comes.

Thanks again.

And one more thingÂ

DAVID_CARY,

I really have to disagreeÂit seems to be a particularly American idea that the only good place for one's children is out of their parent's house! In most parts of the world families remain close and share their lives. More often than not, this includes remaining in a single dwelling. In my mind, it makes so much more sense than all of us being scattered to the wind, as it were, without the means of sharing in the joys and sorrows of life and offering mutual support.

Yes to each his own. But for us, for ME, it was a very easy decision and has been such a blessing. A few years ago when my daughter graduated HS, we had a little house in town and I stupidly suggested she could spread her wings and live there, because I wanted her room at home for my son.

So after a year of college, a few years of working, now she has gone back to college less than an hours drive from home. We also sold the little house a few years back, so rather than either of us spending more or accumulating more student loans for housing & monthly expenses, it just made alot of sense for her to live here. And some day when she is gone again, I will still have the guest rooms.

Selfish on my part as much as anything. We have other children whose lives have taken them a 1000 miles away, along with our grandchildren. I lost my mother when I was 13 and she was only 44. My dad died when he was 64. Today our little town is closing the HS early so we can bury a 19 year old who had his whole future planned, and who was one of my son's friends, who my son was with just an hour before this fatal car accident. So any opportunity that I can take to keep them a little closer for a little longer, I am going to take full advantage of.

I tried to create this house to be a safe haven, a sanctuary of sorts for all who enters it's doors. When we started planning this house, the economy & housing just tanked, so in the back of my mind, I knew that if my children needed a place, if my sister who is a single mom with a sperm donor who will never be confused as father of the year, if my other sister who is disabled, if my trail riding girlfriends want to come for the weekend or at some point later in life when our spouses are gone, we can live out our days helping each other out, I could see any number of future possibilites.

Anyways, I would love to have the opportunity to have my parents here with me. I love any extra time with my children while I can. I know it won't last forever, so I am just trying to enjoy it as much as I can while it lasts.

Ok, back to the OP, what was the question again?? :-))

Constantinoploe - I'm sorry - was this being built outside the US? If it is - then I'm sure my comments don't apply. Otherwise they do.

I'm not sure I'd want my parents to see what I wear for underwear.....

I know plenty of people who might like this plan - but they represent a tiny percentage of Americans - I probably exaggerated with the 1% but like I said check with a realtor.

Yeah FWIW I'm with David (and others) on this one. Leaving the plan as-is presents major problems down the road. There are 2 paths down this road- 1) You probably hope to be one day the grandparents living on the other side, but isn't that quite a burden to put on your children? What if they don't want to live there or their job takes them away from town? This leads to 2) You have to now sell- which leaves you with very few, if any, potential buyers. and they have to not only like and need a floorplan like that, but also like the location and can afford it. And most likely they are like you, where they'll just build what they want instead!
I think the best fix is make it easy to convert into a duplex. This might expand your potential pool of buyers (if needed), but not sure by how much. The other fix is to make a 'guest residence' for the extended family, and that may prove to enhance resale value.

I think it is great to build a special house to suit your needs, but please keep in mind that it will likely be yours for a long time. I am currently going on year two trying to sell my beautiful well built custom home in a suburban Charlotte neighborhood. We designed it for our needs with two very large bedrooms (one for us and one for our daughter) along with another decent sized guest room and an upstairs den with a pull-out couch for additional guests. Nearly every prospective buyer who has looked at it has said "not enough room count." Even though the square footage is there, the majority of the buyers want 4 smallish bedrooms and a master. And trust me, our unsellable house sure is priced right. It is priced well below what we paid 12 years ago despite the fact that numerous "tract" homes in the same neighborhood have recently sold for $100,000 profit and way above our price point. So the lesson learned is when you build for you, accept the fact that only a small minority of others will have the same needs as you.

I think there are way more than 2 paths, one that comes to mind is hiring a live-in caretaker if the kids can't and that would keep you in your own house a little longer, but there again this also lends itself better to a duplex type situation.

You mentioned that it can't be sold as two units in the neighborhood, are there any other neighborhoods where this might be acceptable? It might be easier I would think for you to find a different lot than to try to find the right buyer down the road. And I know you aren't building it for resale, you are building it to live and meet your needs. I think sometimes we put too much stock into trying to second guess the needs of buyers in the future, but one can't completely disregard it either. Even if you can't sell it as a two unit in your neighborhood, you could still probably get by with renting it out at some point even if only to "family"

Maybe a garage on the front and one with a rear entrance might help it to not look so duplex-y for the neighborhoods?

Are you dead set on a single level? If going up and/or down a level is an option for your likes or for the lot, I would think the money you would save on things like foundation and roofing, you would pay for an elevator.

I agree with David. This house would be almost impossible to sell in the future. House hunters are extremely picky. I would sugest building a 2 story with 2 bedrooms upstairs and turning the area over the garage into a kitchen and laundry area(it costs less to build up than out)...actually, they could still use the laundry downstairs and you wouldn't have this expense). This way if the future buyers actually want this configuration, they could keep it. If not, just remove the kitchen and laundry..(I hope you're looking at builders grade kitchen...etc...for this area). You might have to install an elevator but that's a small expense if ya don't have to keep the house on the market for years trying to find the 'exact' buyer that would purchase it. You could sell all of the kitchen and laundry stuff or donate it for a tax write off. This would make the house 'much' more market friendly.

Many words of caution! I understand them, though don't necessarily agree with them. Many are very sure of themselves: "this house would be almost impossible to sell in the future," "leaving the plan as-is presents major problems down the road," "I, too think this would be hard to sell (my Mom is in Real Estate)Â", etc...!

I haven't even built the thing, and the major concern is selling it. Ok, I get it, lots of folks think it would be hard to sell. None of those comments, though, are based on the presentation of any data, since homes like this aren't very common. Convince me, if you'd like to try, with your forecasts of doom, but it will take more than "the sky is falling," for me to reconsider my goals.

I have purchased houses in the past on my 'analysis' of their saleability. Sometimes I have been right, sometimes wrong. I would not build a custom house on that analysis alone.

More gloom anyone?

Homes like this aren't very common, as you state, but have you thought why that is? The principle of 'supply and demand' come to my mind.
For most (if not all) of us, our home is the biggest asset we'll ever have in our lives. To not consider what it will be worth down the road is, to put it nicely, foolish. Or, maybe you have enough money that it doesn't matter.
But in the end, it's your decision. Good luck with what you decide!

Looks like you made some changes to the main study area. That kind of jumped out at me before. There were two entrances I think? with an area by the back entrance that seemed like the space could have been better utilized.

I am not good with layouts for other people so someone will give you good input you can use, but the fireplaces in the dining rooms are kind of glarring at me now. But I am sure you have a vision for them.

Will you really be living totally separate? Like meal preparation, dining, etc? Ours is a multi-generation also but we are stacked on 3 floors, but we opted for one bigger kitchen, one main dining area (although not a formal one) We do have 3 different tv viewing areas - one upstairs, one on the main floor, and one in the rec room on the lower level. But the heavy duty cooking is all done in the main kitchen, then the other two floors have a smaller kitchenette/bar type set up. They can also dine with friends on their deck or patio. We have different eating schedules so we could still prepare separate meals in the same kitchen if we wanted.

Just throwing that out there. Larger shared spaces like living, kitchen, dining. When we have a family gathering, it takes over the entire house, but yet still provides spaces for watching a different tv show or something. Maybe even a larger bedroom for your folks with a sitting/tv area off the bedroom where that study area is. I know tvs in the bedrooms are bad feng shui... but we have them anyways.

Anyways, you probably have thought of all that, and still concluded that two spaces are better than one with larger shared spaces with some private spaces also. I know you will get lots of good ideas on maximizing the units.

Constantinople,

It's hard to give advice without knowing the specifics of your family-how many children do you have? what are their ages? How old are your parents and are they in good health?

I am an immigrant and know many, many familes with multiple generations under one roof. However very few of them have separate kitchens, dining areas, laundry etc. I understand that you want to be close by so that you can take care of each other, yet maintain a certain level of privacy. In this situation, I would consider building 2 separate homes on adjacent lots. It will most likely put you in a different neighborhood than you are considering now with smaller homes and smaller lots. You can even connect the homes through landscaping with a stone pathway or an arbor.

Without reviewing others..I just see a plan that doesnt seem to be a cave. The plan has one window to the living area of the house. and a firplace that blocks more views. I would find this plan very depressing to live in. I dont know where any views are but they dont seem to be taken advantage of. There are some tight corners and spaces ( it seems) that for elderly users. I hate to be this way but I find this plan very uninspiring and appears to be by an architect that does commercial work and very little residence. Its"cold "in its feel and just doesnt seem to be very well thought out. I dont know all the variables,ie site, budgets, your requirements etc but thats something you know more about. There also is little detail in terms of kitchen and bath layouts so it is a bit hard to tell

As Macv said I would be worried about a fire separation wall as it basically is a duplex. I have no idea if resale is an issue or not but I dont think the layout does you any favors for getting a good price for it if you ever do sell.

Good luck

BIGKAHUNA,

Lots of windows -- I posted a floor plan diagram -- windows are not shown.

BigK is so right - unless the roof is a window, the common areas have little potential for windows. This is an inherent problemm in duplexes and other attached homes. This plan makes this inherent problem even worse.

C - obviously you don't agree with the majority opinion here - which is fine. I think it would be helpful to know the area you are building in and the price point you are shooting for so we can decide how "foolish" we might think you are - if you care.

I'm going to be bold and state that if I worked for a bank, I would not give you more than 50% of value for this. If I was on a HOA architectural approval - I wouldn't let you build this in my neighborhood (b/c on resale you'd depress values). And finally, I suspect in my municipality, the town would not let you build this. My town is a bit extreme on this but they just wouldn't allow it.

Just giving some examples of what resale value means even today.

I'm going to ask also where you are from so I/we can better explain real estate reality in the US.

Getting to the plan itself, I think that the bathroom in unit B is too far from the master bedroom. If you are talking about an elderly person living in that space, they will probably need to use the bathroom at night, and it is a bit far to travel. I would prefer that it was switched with the closet.

LONDONDI,

Thanks. This is exactly the type of observation I was looking for!

DAVID_CARY,

Fortunately you aren't a bank, a HOA, or an expert on zoning laws in my city, otherwise I might be worriedÂ

Any constructive thoughts on the floor plan are welcome, but silly comments about what you would lend, allow or zone are worthless.

C - just trying to let you know what you might be up against. The living room is closed in with not enough room for windows. There is a ton of wasted hall spaces on both sides - halls that will be confining, dark, and not useful space.

A few questions...do you plan on selling this house in the future and what time frame? When your parents are gone? Where are you in the country? I noticed the sf is approx 5800sf so that is not going to be an inexpensive house to build anywhere in the country. Are you will to lose 'alot' of money in the future? You really need to be realistic about what is selling out there. You got some very good advice about talking to realtors in your area what is selling and what is not. If you were in a different country where a majority of families live together...what you plan to build would be more 'normal'. If ya don't care at all about resale....pls state that... and we can help you all you need on planning this house.

ROBIN0919,

I don't plan on selling the house in the near future -- I don't really care what is selling, as I have said so many times before. I don't care what realtors think. And, for the umpteenth time, I don't care about resale value (though I am very flattered that so many of you wish to care about it for meÂ)

Are you sure that you cannot build a detached structure in that subdivision? It is rare that they do not allow you to build a pool/guest house but they are allowing you to build a duplex without the duplex zoning. I have seen many picky covenants and most of them allow a detached structure as long as they use the same materials as the main house (unless there is no space to respect the setbacks). Of course you cannot call it another home; you could call it a pool house or a "Casita" for guests. The most luxurious homes in my city (and maybe around the world) have a casita, even if it is for the gardener or for guests.

But if all you want to build is a duplex, it is a good idea to wait until you have a plan that shows doors, windows, kitchen and bathrooms to better help you with comments. So far, the unit to the right is not too bad; the foyer seems to have a lot of wasted space.
The unit to the left has too much space wasted in hallways. In both units, the kitchen and living room areas need more windows - maybe you can relocate the fireplaces and also place skylights at the back porch (if it is covered)

I has been in the forum for a while, now and I's say that 98% of the "members" are well intentioned. One of the suggestions that you received is pretty good: what about building two houses next to each other? It will be more expensive but in the same time the investment will be safe (I know, you do not care). I know an older lady from Portugal and her son bought them a house one home in between from them and that works great. She takes care of the grandsons and they get together to eat several times a week

Can you imagine the comments Noah would have gotten when he proposed building an ark? I can just hear his reply "I'm telling you for the last time, I don't care about the resale value!

The central area does lack windows. We have no elevations though.

I would have the central core of the building with a higher roof and clerestory windows for interior light.

The house is already large and therefore caters to a certain market. One that is less likely to want a duplex and could afford to make interior changes that suit them.

OK I and others have spoken our peace about resale etc.etc., and as a lurker and infrequent poster on this board for many years it turns out that the regular posters have priceless info and ideas. But...
You want suggestions on the plan itself- have you thought about HVAC? You may want a first floor mechanical room. If you are leaning more towards 2 separate units, have you thought about 2 electric utilities or just one? If you are planning to put the units in the garage, be careful to make sure there is at least one bay that can fit a handicap van. 8' garage doors are a must.

I sure could use an ark today, my critters are walking around 2 by 2 again today.

My fwiw for today ...

In terms of resale, if I didnt have need for, or couldn't afford a combined generational house such as this, I wouldn't need or could afford one with an unattached separate guest house either, so I don't really see how that gains you much in terms of resale. Either scenerio will require a select pool of buyers as many ppl don't want/need/afford a separate guest house on premises either.

I do see though that it could be used later for a pool house, for home office, work shop, etc but it could if attached under one roof also.

But if zoning allowed, I could see something temporary, like a little cabin or cottage or something, a "shouse" of sorts. Something that could be sold and moved separately. You could put it as close as you wanted, connected by a covered patio or something.

Since OP wants the duplex setup, I think if you keep working your plan with your architect, maybe look at some other duplex floor plans to see how better to maximize the space, minimize the hallways, take better advantage of windows, etc, you will get there. I have seen several duplexes that look like traditional single family dwellings from the exterior and maybe yours already does too.

Visualize and live in the space in your mind -- walk through it, wheel through it, take someone to the bathroom, give them a shower, give meds at midnight, prepare your meals, share holidays -- visualize all of it, so you can make sure you meet your goals so that it will do what you want & need it to do for many many years.

JAMGILL,

Indeed, the house does feature a clerestory.

Have you given any thought to how you will position the furniture in the living room and dining room in unit B? There are two door openings and the fireplace to consider, which make it appear that a good furniture layout would be difficult. The same problem could exits in the living room in unit A.

Do you have this plan in 3D? I would be concerned about not having much of a window view from much of the great room area in unit A. Also, if there are children playing outside, will you be able to see them from inside the house?

It appears that the larger unit has the smaller garage. Is this correct?

I love the idea of a multigenerational home. If I was doing one, though, I'd try to design it so that it could be re-purposed for a single family home for resale -- either by you or the buyer. I'd talk to the architect about ideas for separate spaces that could be reconnected if a future buyer wanted to have a large single family residence. (Sounds like that's mostly what's in your neighborhood.) This would take some thinking, but surely it could be done and would help protect your investment.

My grandparents had a "multigenerational" house, so I like this idea :-) They had a ranch home built into a hill side, so it had a daylight basement. They lived upstairs and exited out the front, the youngsters lived downstairs and exited out the back. When they didn't need the downstairs apartment, they reopened the internal stair case and it became one house again--although still with two kitchens. Very useful at Thanksgiving.

Is the B unit intended for the older folks? If so, I would redo the master suite. Imagine yourself in a wheelchair with limited use of one of your arms (my grandma uses a chair and scoots around using her feet). To get into the bedroom, you have to turn into the hall way, turn again into the door, down a hall and turn again into the bedroom. That's a lot of maneuvering.

Also, as has already been mentioned, the hall in the master suite is wasted space. I would consider only having one bathroom, or possibly one full bathroom with a powder room. I'd make the full bath as large as possible, with a shower that has a bench, by reclaiming that hall space. That bathroom should be quickly accessible from wherever the occupants will spend a lot of time-probably the living room and master bedroom. Will they have guests so often that sharing the "master" bath would be a problem?

I would look at the whole space with an eye to accessibility for someone with a walker or wheelchair; are the walk in closets and laundry big enough to enter, turn around and exit while in a chair? Can a grab bar be installed next to the toilet (plan for it now, install when needed)? If you put in a pedestal sink (so a chair can pull up to it), do you still have room to store toiletries? If you enter the study, is there enough room to turn around and close the door behind you?

The stairs/storage appears to be on the parents side? Will you need to access it?

OK.......sounds like you won the lottery...........:)

I haven't won the lottery. I just don't this board is the place to talk about resale values of a house at some point in a theoretical future. It just doesn't seem to be very helpful. As recent history has demonstrated the values of homes can change drastically in a short period of time. Part of the problem with many individuals who found themselves in financial trouble was that they assumed that buying a home was an investment decision that would guarantee good returns, even over very short periods of time. I am interested in building a house to live in, not to sell.

Sorry, you are mistaken, this board is about ALL things "Building A Home". To most of us that includes resale value. My guess is you don't think this board is helpful because you aren't getting the response you want. If you do go ahead and build it, and later have a tough time selling, you'll remember this thread.
Good luck in your decision.

Constantinole and I are thinking similar thoughts about the use of our $. My multigenerational build is a bit in reverse. We are the older ones. We are not building 2 kitchens, or 2 laundries, but we have laid out our 1 story home as 4 master bedrooms, with 2 being situated at the far end of the house from our big master. The oversized kitchen and laundry are also at the other end of the house. Every dimension in the house is ADA compliant. Our plan is to use the home for comfortable frequent visits from the children and grandchildren for now, and then to age in place with live in help later on.

I have RA so a 2 story is out of the question for me. An elevator would make it a bit better, but I thought if I could avoid that inconvenience I would be happier. We have vacationed in some rental homes with elevators and I did not enjoy the experience.

I can not open the view of your floor plan, but I have read the comments here. I agree that you should not sacrifice natural light, and that planning a separate TV/entertainment area may serve your family's needs without requiring a second kitchen or laundry.

Re design- it took 3 architects to get to our final design. The first 2 were too "commericial". We chose the 3rd based on the beautiful elevations he had used on a home in our current neighborhood. I sketched the general layout of the rooms I wanted and the minimum dimensions of each. Within 7 days of retaining him we reached out final floorplan. He, unlike the previous 2, did not fight me on the ADA compliance throughout the home. Maybe it's our locale (South Florida), but he "get's it" about making it functional and pretty.

Just be satisfied with the aesthetics and function of your home before you advance to final plan phase. The building process is long enough without have to redesign midstream.

Best of luck to you and your family.

I appreciate everyone's comments (on designÂnot interested in speculation on future resale valuesÂ)

In any case, the concept has been updated and is ready for the next round of commentsÂ

{{gwi:1440399}}
{{gwi:1440400}}

Constantinople,

It is possible that some of my comments will be speculative but most of the comments in the forums are based in speculation since we do not have all the facts.
I will only comment in what I think is not ok or just personal preferences. Hope this helps.

The elevations have a few issues. The masterbedroom roof should be shown on the north elevation, also the little window in the bedroom hallway.

Unit A

-I find the Laundry room too small. You will not be happy with it as is (speculating here). It's always nice to have a countertop, even if it is not too big. A small mudroom bench at the garage entry, would be nice, too. Looks like your architect is not able to figure out a way for the garage door to swing inside the home instead to the garage.

-The bedrooms are not nicely dimensioned. 10' wide? You have the space, just not proporcionated in the right way.

-It's like you want the fireplace for a wow factor because its accross the entry but not sure if you will get that effect since the entry is kind of far from it. I prefer the fireplace to be centered to the living room or between 2 spaces. Now it is just centered to the "big" room.

-Talking about the big room. Looks like this if the ultimate open floor concept. I consider important to give the different areas in the "big" space some sort of definition. You will not be able to do that with that ceiling. I wonder how you will place the light fixtures for the different areas (kitchen, dining, living and the empty space that you will have in front of the kitchen. Will you place a very big chandelier in the middle of everything (at the flat ceiling spot)? or you will place the different fixtures randomly? some will be where the celing folds and some where the ceiling slants.

-The masterbedroom:
Is there a reason for not wanting a view? the window sill is at 9'.
A master with 2 exterior doors is a bit excessive. If you get rid of one door you will be able to place the bed in two different ways. Rigth now, it will be very hard to place night stands at each side of the bed.

Unit B
There are many issues here.

I agree with marthalena on many points:
Unit A:
-I would not want my door to open in to the gararge. That is my current situation and I hate it.
-Laundry room is too small and there no landing area by the garage door.
-the 10x 15 bedrooms are an odd shape. 12 x 12 would work alot better.
- I'm not loving the 2 smaller baths. When you open the door, you see the toilet. Is there room to stand in front of the vanity? or is the toilet in the way?
-do you really need that courtyard to the side of the house? I would move the master bath and closet to that space, opening up the master bedroom to the back yard and allowing for another set of patio door from the living room to the backyard.
-the master bedroom opens directly in to the living room. That is not an ideal set up. You will hear everything in the master bedroom from the living room.

Not diggin' the small bathrooms at all.

As mentioned, laundry areas are much too small.

Hallway in unit B Master seems like a waste.

There seems to be no delineation of space in Unit A living/dining/kitchen. Also no obvious place for a TV.

I think it is absolutely wonderful that you are planning on a home where you can care for your parents, yet all parties involved have privacy.

I can't stand the constant thinking about "resale" in our society. To me it is like planning that you will get divorced on your wedding day. The idea of a custom home is just that....it is custom! I'm guessing that the days of anyone being able to sell a home easily of any sort, are long gone. It only takes the right buyer to come along and it is impossible to predict who that is or what they want. I feel a home such as this will become more in demand in the future. Not everyone wants to send their parents to an old folks home.

One thing you may want to think about is opening an area up between the two homes so that you can get to your parents quickly if need be. (Maybe I missed one). Perhaps a shared laundry door?

I also do not feel a fire wall is necessary either, in this case. There are plenty of huge homes in existance, and no one is putting fire seperation between floors or bedroom areas. All you are doing is building a large house with a privacy wall. Firewalls buy a very small amount of time anyway. My last home had an attatched airplane hangar, and we had to have a firewall between the house and hangar as code required it. At most it buys a couple hours, and in the case of a really hot, fast spreading fire probably less. Invest in good smoke alarms. In the event of a fire there is no time to waste any way, firewall or not.

You may like the idea of varying ceiling heights. I do not. I've been in homes that had them and I didn't find them pleasing to be in. You can put enough diffentiation in a large room with furniture placement, or with adding built in bookcases, etc. You may also not care if there is a T.V. spot, but if you watch T.V. that may be an issue. We got rid of the T.V. and all of it's ensuing garbage a couple of years ago. Haven't missed it a second. My husband and I have more fun paying attention to one another.

SANDY808:

Thanks for the comments. There is a shared door between the laundry rooms. I am not sure if more access is needed, but it is a thought.

The firewall is not required by code, so it could be removed. I am not sure what cost savings I would realize by removing it.

To tell the truth, I had not even thought about a place for the TV. We do have one, but I almost never spend time in front of it.

To the others who commented on the size of the laundry room -- it is interesting how certain things are noticed by some and not by others. In the original plans, it is was designed for one large laundry room, two machines and counter space. Later it was changed to two laundry rooms, four machines, no counter space. Every decision is a compromise of sorts.

As for the master bedroom's window height, this may change, or change in part. I was thinking that the center window could be run the length of the wall with the two smaller windows on each side.

At this point we are receiving bids, but have not yet chosen a builder. I suppose we will work on the fine points after we have decided on a builder.

bump

Isn't this essentially a duplex?

Since twins or duplexes are common in my area, I am not sure that I see some of the problems others see. You may be able to split the parcel and sell the other half of the house or utilize it as a rental unit someday, it depends upon your zoning. In this locale, probably because they are more common, building something like this with proper firestops between units is not that much more expensive than without.

Yes, it is a duplex, after a fashion. In our case, the house would need to stay as a single dwelling, and could not be split or sold in part. That is unfortunate, but something we knew going into this.

I don't really see a problem with this house reamining a single dwelling. I think there will be demand for this type of home in the future, and if you have family that can rent the other half at some point it would be nice. I can picture little grandchildren coming over for cookies and milk.

I guess I didn't notice there was already a common laundry room door, but shows you were thinking things through. I don't think you need more than that as an access point to the other side from your end.

If the firewall is minimal in cost there is nothing wrong with doing it. All the firewall amounted to between our house and hangar was sheetrock. Yup, that's it. Wasn't too impressive in my mind, but would cut down on the airflow that could suck flames in quicker.

I wish you the best!

Sandy