Thank you so much for your response Mrs Pete and others! I will take it to heart

What are the outside dimensions (not including the carport)?

It looks like a nice project.

16x52. Then the 3' overhangs

I'm 76 so I'll comment. I think all this ADA compliant stuff is nonsense for those who are aging. By the time she's in a wheelchair, will she be able to live alone? Will she be able to get in and out of bed alone or on/off the toilet? ADA-compliant applies far more to those who are young but have a disability or a disease that affects their mobility but who still are young enough to have enough strength to negotiate in and out of a wheelchair.

There needs to be a door on the bedroom. Perhaps she didn't make her bed or there is laundry on it waiting to be sorted and guests drop by - she is going to want to close that door. Or perhaps she doesn't want the cat to sleep with her? Again, a door.

Yes, there should be a door on the washer/dryer area. Initially, my own mother did not have this (she was in her late 70's when she moved into an apt), and had to request that they be installed. Otherwise, she couldn't hear the TV or it kept her awake if she ran a load when she went to bed.

I would not like an exterior door into my bedroom. I would like (and have!) an alarm system that also has a smoke detector attached, with a control pad next to my bed as well as near an entry into the house. I like that if I hear something, I can contact the alarm company.

Thank you Anglophilia I didn't think of the noise from the laundry. That is a great observation.

I’m not sure I’d want to be able to see my whole house from my bed. I’d feel a bit, well, exposed. And I don’t want to see my bed from everywhere else, either. I’m over 60, btw. A nicer view might be artwork, or a sitting area in the bedroom, when the bedroom door is open.

Your mother might want some more storage space for her stuff, like holiday decor, gift wrap, office supplies. Where will she keep her personal records? Even if she does a lot online, Medicare is its own paper company. Does she work/manage investments? Where will those associated activities take place?

Does she need space for overnight guests?

What does your mother want? Did she give you her list of needs, wants, like-to-haves, etc? Does she Cooke or bake a lot, or engage in other hobbies that have certain space needs? Does she like to entertain? Host cards, clubs, music groups?

Updated the laundry area. Combined mechanicals into one room: dehumidifier, pex manifold, and water heater

OP - I'd reiterate the point made by others, that your mother needs to have input to this. I'm a few years older than she is, reasonably mobile, albeit with a new hip, and set in my ways ;) I wouldn't want a tub in my bathroom because it would be a waste of space - due to arthritis, and even with the new hip, I find it difficult to get in and out. Give me a shower every time. Ask your mother how she feels about it.

I agree with Anglo about not necessarily going the ADA route whole hog, so to speak, but wide doorways, no stairs and grab bars in the shower and toilet areas are pretty useful when you're recovering from a hip operation, trust me on this!

I personally intensely dislike eating at an island - I want table height and I'd want room to have a table, even if it only sat four people. Most of my friends, who are, in the nature of things, my age or older, feel the same way.

Door on bedroom, absolutely. Some place to put my desktop computer and printer, my files and stationery, even if it's all in a closet-type space or built in. I have a lot of books as well - does your mother? or does she perhaps have an exercise bike or treadmill? These are the kinds of things that keep us mentally and physically active, so while we can give up spare bedrooms and formal dining rooms, we don't want to give up the things that keep us going.

I think what you're doing is wonderful, and you've got a good design going there, but I really feel you need to be sure you're reflecting your mother's lifestyle.

https://www.houseplans.com/plan/860-square-feet-2-bedrooms-2-bathroom-modern-house-plan-0-garage-36670

https://www.houseplans.com/plan/850-square-feet-2-bedroom-1-bathroom-0-garage-modern-cabin-40508

Lewis,

here is a MIL house idea I had a few months ago -1008 sq ft ,2 beds

Design the home for the site and for the needs now, in a year, in five years, in twenty years. and in fifty years.

Is there a reason for the shape, long & narrow? Makes me think of a trailer park home.

mdln have you been in a long narrow home? they can be very bright and airy

@de, yes, but this is not looking like the Farnsworth House.

it doesn't have to .skinny houses can be much brighter than fat houses since light doesn't have to travel far

Not a fan of flat roofed houses. I've lived for at least a year in each of these --

"flat" roofed steel panel house -- interior panels an exterior panels with mica flakes in between for insulation -- and with steel curb that caught water and created as much as a foot deep pond on the roof after a rain,

a mobile home with about four inches of overhead insulation between the southern summer sun and the interior that was difficult to heat in winter and at least equally difficult to cool in summer,

a flat roofed unfinished cabin without any insulation that, because of shade and windows could be cooled with fans but which was all but impossible to heat. Would not want to do any of that again.

Properly insulating a flat or nearly flat roof can be costly -- perhaps even more costly than creating an attic.

Lot and budget and local building codes permitting, you might consider creating an "L" shaped home with the kitchen/dining space in the center angle and a Master Bedroom Suite on one side and the living/sitting area on the other with the entry between the living/sitting space and the kitchen/dining space. That way the space could be open but there would still be a degree of privacy between the living room and bedroom. Walking between a bathroom on one side (kitchen plumbing side) and a large closet on the other would create walls and privacy as well. Having the first thing seen when the bedroom is entered be a built in dresser facing the entry to the bedroom with the bed headboard on the back side of it could also provide privacy and eliminate the need for as much in the way clothes storage furnishings for the bedroom.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/214484000977025955/

Alternately, if the rectangle is the only shape and if all the windows will be facing toward one side for the best view and/or use of the sun, then use that back "dark" side for a solid storage spaces.

If any room is to be without a window, consider a skylight..

Consider adding at least a small porch. with room for at least a tiny table and a pair of chairs

.

Some thoughts:

Bathroom: (1) There are walk in tubs with built in seats with shower fixtures available but a better choice would be a much larger walk in shower with room for handicap access, including seating and, if it is ever needed, assistance from a home healthcare worker. (2) Choose a toilet with the appropriate height and handicap bar on one side -- which hand/arm does your mom use to help push herself up from a seat? (3) Make the vanity/sink a bit lower than usual and a style that could be handicap accessible for if/when needed.-- preferably without being obviously so.

Kitchen: (1) Cabinet space needs to be reachable and do remember that we usually shrink in height as we age. (2) Countertops and sink -- same as with bath. (3) a small three burner drop in stove (of the kind once used in campers) can be installed in base cabinets that are shorter than the average cabinets and be fully functional.

Bedroom: (1) blocking the direct view into the bedroom from the living area with a bath wall on one side and a closet wall on the other side and then building in chest of drawers inside the bedroom for placing the headboard of the bed against the back of it could eliminate any discomfort as to a lack of bedroom door that could be awkward for an elderly person with a walker or cane or wheel chair to open. With the headboard against that cabinet/chest of drawers and space between the foot of the bed and the exterior wall, the bed could face the window and the morning sun and could also create a circle around the bed for a traffic path. Do make those drawers in that cabinet/chest of drawers have a variety of depths, including some deep ones. Also make sure the drawers have the necessary structure/hardware so they're blocked from coming all the way out of the cabinet/chest of drawers to fall on a foot.

.

You could put the washer and dryer in a closet inside the bathroom or a hall by the bed and bath doors -- beside where she will be changing clothes.

In lieu of a bunch of small windows in either the bedroom or dining area, do consider quality (heat/ac rating -- /dividers to look like individual window panes between the glass layers) sliding glass patio doors for easy ingress and egress and potential fire escape if ever needed. If you're putting doors and/or windows on both sides of the building, consider one for the living/seating area as well. A five foot wide patio door lets in a lot of light that can easily be controlled with vertical blinds (vinyl, wood, faux wood or fabric). \

A small screened area between living area and carport could provide a secure "outdoor" place for a pet and ensure a bit of space between vehicle and door to help keep the auto fumes out of the building A cupola or other covered vent above the carport and/or screened area could help with that, too -- think gazebo roof.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/331225747567062098/?lp=true

It looks like you to have the bed directly in line with the doorway and on an axis as an organizing element to the house, or maybe the bed is a remarkable piece of furniture you want to put on display IDK. Consider moving the bed 90 degrees to a different wall and enforce the axis-idea a different way - a painting or window to view beyond, a nice piece of furniture that isn’t a bed. Place the bed so she can see the bedroom door but not be in line with the door. I’ve found that is a comfortable simple bed set up and not from a Feng Shui intervention.

Some cultures have ancient rules about where bedroom furniture should be placed in relationship to the doorway for the most peaceful rest - it’s considered very bad luck to have feet pointing directly toward a bedroom door!

I agree with others that a bathroom for an older person can be different from a truly ADA-compliant bathroom set up for wheelchair use. But you can always do both without it looking institutional.

My mother at 65 went to the gym 5 days a week, rode her stationary bicycle daily, etc. At 72 she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

You would be very wise to make this house ADA compliant. One cannot anticipate future needs. I am your mothers age and am quite active but I made sure we built our home to accommodate possible future problems

I disagree with Anglo. My Mom was able to stay in her home until her last 6 months with a daytime caregiver because her house was mostly ADA compliant.

I agree with many comments here, but most especially the one about the kitchen island and stools. I hate sitting on stools, but our kids like it. I sit at a table. Can't you fit a table in there with some kind of L-shaped kitchen?

Anglo, just a side note, you're my hero.

Many perspectives on aging...it's very interesting. I wonder what the percentages are of people who actually do "age in place" with daytime caregivers. (I'm not going to google it.). If someone who lives alone needs a daytime caregiver, and survives with their "aging in place" shower bars and wheelchair accessible bathroom, don't they need a nighttime caregiver too? If someone is so old they can't get over a transition from carpet to tile, then I'm trying to imagine how they could turn their wheelchair around in front of a toilet and get themselves on it.

Perhaps it's our HCOLA in SoCal, but a married couple(relatives) live nearby, and now need full-time care, because they want to live in their home (not ADA compliant, btw, but doesn't seem to matter). 3 shifts per day, and caregivers have to be strong males to shift the very old man from wheelchair to sofa and to the bed, etc, in addition to many household tasks. But this arrangement is running them $30K / month, and though no one's asked me, and I'll never say anything, wouldn't they be better off in another location, for that amount of money? It's a damn lonely life for them, I can assure you, and personally, I'd rather be where there were some people around me, when I'm so old that I'm immobile.

Lewis,

Another idea using your 16ft width. it increased to 56ft instead of 52 ft though to get it just under 900 sq ft. not necessary but why not ?

no door to the bedroom but it still provides separation

I like the idea to swap the living room to the end and put the kitchen in the middle. Then, the living room has windows on two walls and the third wall would be the garage wall which is not going to have a window. That makes a perfect space for the TV and whatever bookcase or media center. Also could use that space to store all those misc items every house has like holiday decorations, puzzles and games, wrapping paper and lightbulbs.

Current design has TV on exterior wall where a window could be placed. I would put a window between the garage and the mechanical room. For the kitchen, I would use the L shaped arrangement with small peninsula or island with only 1 or 2 stools and use space at the top for a real table.

I agree with the comments about the closet getting prime real estate. If you really want to maintain the sight line to the bed, split the closet and place it between bedroom and bathroom. Consider putting the bed against the bottom wall so sightlines is all the way to window at the end.

I like the long narrow space because you can have windows for every space. I would like to see additional windows on the garage side unless there is a site specific problem you are avoiding. In that case, use windows at the top of the walls for the light and leave wall space underneath

Make it a 2 bedroom for resale, as well as just daily living. A one bedroom house is much less flexible.

And the overhang is visually out of proportion. Should be minimum 5 feet from the looks of it. With that high of a wall, 3 feet will not shelter the entry from rain or keep sun out in early/ late summer.

5 ft overhang is going to require some serious engineering. I say two ft overhang max

I'm
76 so I'll comment. I think all this ADA compliant stuff is nonsense
for those who are aging. By the time she's in a wheelchair, will she be
able to live alone?

My grandmother lived alone until age 99, and left her own home less than a year before she died. She absolutely could get in/out of bed, on/off the toilet, etc. I listed above some of the things that gave her serious trouble, and they're NOT the things people talk about most frequently on this board (for example, not wide hallways).

And, yes, her life would've been easier if a few (simple, inexpensive) things had been different in her house. Little things: She could run the washer/dryer, but carrying baskets the length of the house was hard. She could shower by herself, but stepping into the tub was hard. Both she and my grandfather had some "issues" that were made easier with shelf storage by the toilet.

Forget about wheelchairs. Most people who aren't in wheelchairs from a young age AREN'T going to end up being permanent wheelchair users, and -- if they are -- they're probably going to end up moving because their needs will be so large. Instead, put energy into the small things that're much more likely to befall us all.

There needs to be a door on the bedroom. Perhaps she didn't make
her bed or there is laundry on it waiting to be sorted and guests drop
by - she is going to want to close that door. Or perhaps she doesn't
want the cat to sleep with her? Again, a door.

These are good reasons for a door.
I would not like an exterior door into my bedroom. I would like
(and have!) an alarm system that also has a smoke detector attached,
with a control pad next to my bed as well as near an entry into the
house. I like that if I hear something, I can contact the alarm
company.

Pointing out the obvious: by the time an alarm company arrived, you could easily be dead. If an exterior door IN your bedroom doesn't feel right to you, consider placing one just outside your door.

In the OP's plans, though, both house doors are on the far end/away from the bedroom. A fire on that end of the house could render BOTH doors impossible.

Your mother might want some more storage space for her stuff, like
holiday decor, gift wrap, office supplies.

I do think storage is lacking in this house.

OP
- I'd reiterate the point made by others, that your mother needs to
have input to this.

Give the OP a break! We don't know how involved /uninvolved Mom's been on this plan.

Is there a reason for the shape, long & narrow? Makes me think of a trailer park home.

I did think of a trailer. This plan could easily be morphed into a small four-square ( and would still retain good natural light).

OP, what type of land are you building upon?

Thank you, Mrs S!

I know several people who have "aged in place", some with caregiver, others with a spouse who served as their caregiver.. If one needs a daytime caregiver in order to get in and out of bed, on and off the toilet, help with bathing etc, one also needs one at night. This is when it gets tricky and I know of NO ONE who has ever had a truly satisfactory nighttime caregiver. They are hired with the understanding that they are to stay away, there are baby monitors etc, and they invariably fall asleep and do not come when their person needs help going to the bathroom. A dear friend of mine fell innumerable times trying to get there by herself as her caregiver did not respond. She was far too proud to just go in her Depends. The agency would send another and the same thing would happen. It even happened to my FIL with his helper who had worked for him for several years and was now being paid extra to provide personal care. She was a sound sleeper, and he fell.

A bathroom that can accommodate a wheelchair must be quite large. Halls must be wide - so many things take up more space. This is fine if there is a healthy spouse or room for someone to live with the person, but many cannot afford this. I could not. I can't afford my house AND a caregiver, live-in or otherwise. When the time comes that my mobility is that limited, I will have to go to a nursing home. I don't like the idea, but I cannot afford to do anything else, nor is my 1948 house adaptable for such.

If you're going to build a house to be ADA compliant and your mother does not have a partner/spouse, then you need a 2nd bedroom for a caregiver, or be prepared to pay for two daily. That can easily be $500-1000 a day. It's why most people are forced to go to a nursing facility - they cannot afford to "age in place". If there is a spouse, it may be possible, but only if the spouse is healthy and can help with lifting etc.

I dread the thought of ever having to leave my house. I don't want to leave it and I don't want to be surrounded by old people day/night, nor do I want to eat the heinous food most offer. I hope I die in my sleep or quickly. I had friends of 50 years with me for a couple of days - they left yesterday. The husband has myasthenia gravis, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma. They live in 70 year old two story house that cannot be retrofitted with an elevator or a lift chair. They have struggled through multiple orthopedic surgeries for both of them and his illnesses when they were bad. He insists they stay at home. Even though he can well afford to do so, he refuses to put a 1st floor addition on the house with a bedroom/ADA bath. I asked his wife what on earth she is going to do when he cannot do stairs. She said at that point, she'll rent an apartment in a local old hotel/condo/apt building and move them there, probably with him objecting all the way. Nothing else she can do, If, god forbid, she were to die before him, their children would most likely force him to move, but they might not be successful. They can't even turn the LR or DR into a bedroom as there is only a tiny powder room on that floor.

People handle chronic illness and the infirmities of age differently. Some do it gracefully, some deny it's even going to happen, and others make plans knowing it is most likely inevitable. I hope I go gracefully, but doubt that I will. Oh, I won't resist going - I am all too aware of my limitations - but I'll probably grumble all the way.

Making a house work with a walker or with the resident on 24/7 oxygen is prudent and not difficult. Throw in a wheelchair, and it's another story, mainly due to what is usually a major physical deterioration of the person in the wheelchair. They need help with EVERYTHING most of the time.

The thing is, as my dad said, you never know how old age is going to treat you.

Gee, your mother is only 65. That’s remarkably young. This is a house she can live 30 years in. How those years are going to be, no one knows. Maybe add a bedroom just so she can have a caregiver or someone live in. My DMIL at 90 enjoyed having one of her grands live with her, using her spare room, for a couple of years. The grand enjoyed it, too. My own grandmother grandmother had a cottage on her property that various grands lived in over the years. Then she got a live-in caregiver at about 80.

On the other hand, we met a wonderful fellow in my dad’s facility who had a stroke at 65. He lived at home for several years but his needs could no longer be met, so now at 75 he lives in a facility. Very nice, but still.

This is a great discussion. Lots of good ideas going around. I like the idea of an exterior door for exiting the bedroom. Perhaps a slider to a small patio or garden area which would be nice to have for fresh air, light and provide a link to outdoors. One flooring throughout. I personally also hate sitting at an island to eat. If it were my house I'd prefer a "farm table' instead of an island that could double for entertaining or food prep. More cozy and homey, less condo-ish. Is there a little office area? A spot for computer and mail? Maybe a little closet or corner desk. I hate having my desk stuff out and messy.

Good ideas! And thanks for being such a good son!

I know several people who have "aged in place", some with caregiver,
others with a spouse who served as their caregiver.

When it comes to that point, it's wise to consider all the options available to you -- you can have a couple-hours a week caregiver, an all-day caregiver, or you can move to assisted living instead of full-out nursing home care. I know our pastor has been instrumental in putting together numerous "little old ladies who need a little help" with young girls who have babies/don't want to remain at home. Lots of choices.

My daughter who worked home health during college worked ONE NIGHT as an over-night caregiver. The husband was so cruel to her /said such mean things -- actually got out of bed to accuse her of being a money-grubber for taking a job while people mostly slept, etc. She said the woman for whom she was caring was difficult -- she had Alzeheimer's -- she got out of bed multiple times during the night, and she wanted to do things like go for a walk in the middle of the night or call her son in Atlanta -- so my daughter distracted her by asking her to describe the flowers in her garden instead of looking at them and writing a list of things she wanted to say to the son when she talked to him the next day. And in the end, my daughter worked only that one shift. She refused to go back a second time.

MOST of what she did with home health was helping with bathing. Second biggest thing she did: meal prep. You can also "hire in" housework -- that type of thing can keep you in your house.
When the time comes that
my mobility is that limited, I will have to go to a nursing home.

Two thoughts: Not everyone's mobility becomes that limited. And assisted living is nicer /less restrictive than nursing home care ... if mobility is the only issue.

If you're going to build a house to be ADA compliant and your
mother does not have a partner/spouse, then you need a 2nd bedroom for a
caregiver, or be prepared to pay for two daily. That can easily be
$500-1000 a day. It's why most people are forced to go to a nursing
facility - they cannot afford to "age in place". If there is a spouse,
it may be possible, but only if the spouse is healthy and can help with
lifting etc.

Eh, while I generally agree with the second bedroom idea, lots of assumptions are thrown out here. If "aging in place" is too expensive, a nursing home is probably too expensive as well -- and that assumes that a nursing home space is even available. Now that my above-mentioned daughter is out of college /working as an RN, she's known of several patients -- typically elderly women -- who NEED to go to a nursing home, but no bed is available, so they keep them in the hospital. A real need exists in this arena.

Know what'd be a great investment? A dorm for the elderly. Small bedrooms + a shared kitchen and living room. Hmmm.

My husband just pointed me to this story from Port Perry Ontario (he had siblings in Port Perry several years ago). The Golden Girls of Port Perry

Sounds like they thought things through!

Those women in Port Perry have a very good setup. Unfortunately, many communities in the US don't permit multi occupant residences without family relationships. Some communities here have gotten so far as declaring that first cousins aren't close enough family members to live together. That particular case was a household of grandmother and her two granddaughters. After grandma's death, the two cousins inherited the home and continued to live there but the local government was trying to force them to leave. Since I never heard more, I assume the negative publicity encouraged the city to back down.

Our society is going to need to tackle this issue as the population ages. The current focus on immigration issues removes many potential caregivers from the market. In Japan, many nursing homes are hiring young seniors to take care of the elderly people. Many people are struggling to pay for housing and expenses now, even without the extra expenses of hiring services for the home and the resident. I applaud people who are proactive and thinking of such concerns now while they are in a position to make preparations.

I can't quite tell if that's a coat closet or a pantry on the left side of the kitchen. If it's not a coat closet, where would she (or guests) put coats/shoes? Does she sit while taking shoes on/off?

I'd echo everyone else- bedroom and laundry need a door and I think the lack of a space for a dining table could be problematic. I also don't see much of a main storage area for decorations/misc stuff (unless she's very minimalistic). The bathroom has a fair amount of wasted space around that doorway in your second rendition, perhaps that could be reconfigured to add an additional closet?

It might just be me, but I think the TV is kind of far from the living room furniture. There's a big open pit of space there that seems a bit wasted.

Mrs. S - your relative who needs lifting - do they have a Hoyer lift for the caregivers to use? If not, perhaps they should consider getting one!

A walk in shower with bench & pull bars.

I, personally, prefer a large window or even a sliding glass patio door on the east side of the bedroom to help me awaken each morning. Light affects mood and the morning sun brightens the beginning of the day.

You wrote that size = 16’ x 52’

Look up typical single wide trailer plans, they are approx the same dimensions as your footprint. This example is @ 850sf.

Mobile homes, once only ten or twelve feet wide, are now generally fourteen feet wide. One might hope they are better built now than they were during the last century.

Even though I'd still recommend you go with your site built home idea, if your mom has an open mind, the two of you might do some "window shopping" for a mobile home so she can see the small size and give you some input on what kids of features she likes and doesn't like in that sized space.

Speaking as a sixty-something year old woman who will never be younger than I am today, here's my take:

• Ditch the bathtub. Instead include a low-threshold shower with a bench, grab bars and a detachable shower head. Climbing in and out of a bathtub while waiting for or recuperating from hip replacement surgery is not a good thing. Even worse later in life.
• Ditch the island. Instead plan for a table and chairs. I dislike sitting at counters and on stools. They don't work for most older people and they become less and less practical over time.
• Plan for storage beyond everyday needs. Think about bulky items like luggage plus seasonal decorations, bedding and clothing. Make sure storage doesn't require standing on a chair or step stool.
• You're a good son.

I am curious as your account says Lewis Homes and you are listed as a pro. How and why?

My husband just pointed me to this story from Port Perry Ontario (he had siblings in Port Perry several years ago). The Golden Girls of Port Perry

Lifted from that article: The national median monthly cost of a private room in a nursing home in the U.S. is $8,365, according to Genworth Financial, which means it costs more than $100,000 annually to live in a retirement home, and the price tag is only going up.

Even if you have to "hire in" cleaning help, etc., aging-in-place is a whole lot cheaper than a nursing home. Of course, that's a nursing home -- not assisted living.

Some communities here have gotten so far as declaring that first cousins aren't close enough family members to live together. That particular case was a household of grandmother and her two granddaughters. After grandma's death, the two cousins inherited the home and continued to live there but the local government was trying to force them to leave.

I've never heard of this, but I don't see ...

- How it's enforceable. If I let you come live in my house, who's going to say no? Assuming, of course, we're both law abiding citizens, who can say what happens inside my house? And if "they" do say no, how are they going to make you leave my house?

- How it's possible, given society's widespread acceptance of unmarried couples living together as if married /though not married? I mean, if you can live with a guy you just met last week, why is it not okay to live with your cousin?

- How it's possible, given that young people have always looked for roommates as a way of keeping their rent low? If this isn't okay, then college dorms are just plain wrong.

mrs Pete. I think the issue comes in with regulated 55 plus and 65 plus housing. Or any government subsidized housing. Even higher income senior developments typically get some aid or are regulated by the state

there are some good reasons for some of the regulations. For instance, it changes the character of a 65 plus developnent if a bunch of 20 year olds move in to live with grandma. 20 somethings are actually allowed, but they must be married to the primary occupant. (In my area)

a family member lives in an over 60 development. We suspected an upstairs neighbor secretly had her daughter living there. It happens.

a lot of this has to do with state laws or hud. And it would apply to senior specific and or subsidized housing, not a private home or market rate apartment

It will be nice for you to have your mother close by for visits, but everyone has alone time.

All I will add is do put a door on the bedroom. Closing the bedroom door at night saves lives during a fire.

The particular housing case I referred to was a single family residence in a Chicago metro area community. The newspaper had written about the issue and I was disgusted by the ridiculousness of the idea. Enforcement is usually by complaint and that is crazy as well when officialdom becomes a way of settling scores between neighbors. My concern is that we should all be cautious when communities attempt to regulate who can live there instead of what can be built.

The same article mentioned another situation where two single adults each with children were living together. Again, the residence was designated single family residential zoning and that particular community had a regulation that only 5 unrelated persons could live in a single family home but there were 2 adults and 4 children. However, the community wouldn't object if the two adults were married as then it would be a family relationship.

Local community regulations and zoning have a significant but often unrecognized effect on housing. Dorms are not designated single family residential so that is a different category.

Roommates in single family housing are not considered desirable residents in some communities and regulations are written to discourage the establishment of such households. I don't have a problem with designated senior communities but the idea of choosing acceptable occupants based on an old definition of family is out of date.

actually, most manufactured (mobile) homes are now 16 ft. wide. Here is a bit of info re my living space (I am a very mobile 80yr old).

my apt is approx 28 ft long by 30 ft wide.The living area is 26 ft x 12
ft for the majority of it, the kitchen portion is 28 ft wide.. The
other portion includes a bathroom, hall, 4 closets down the center then
the other outside wall has two bedrooms, one of which has a closet
protruding into the bathroom. If a sketch would help, pls let me know.

Is this "tiny house" being built atop an EXISTING concrete slab -- perhaps a former garage or shop floor? As in, the size and shape of the home is fixed?

If so, do consider adding a 4'x16' bump out so you can build a wood floor for the row of drain pipes you'll be needing for the kitchen sink, washing machine, bathroom sink, toilet and tub rather than trying to cut through the concrete slab.

Also, if this is an old slab with nothing beneath it as waterproofing so the slab doesn't absorb moisture when it rains, and/or if the "metal" you're planning to use is a metal roof, do make a point of fining out what, if anything, you need to do to waterproof the slab before building a floor atop it so the home doesn't have moisture, mold, mildew issues.

Lyndee lee. Wow I have never heard about any such issue with unrelated roommates anywhere I’ve lived! I agree it’s ridiculous. Especially for seniors but also a lot of situations.