The rise in 3G Living
In the UK, households with three or more generations living under the same roof are on the rise, and only look set to increase further over the coming decade.
One big reason for this boom in ‘3G’ Living is the boomerang generation of young-adult children returning back home after university, due to the rising cost of housing and student debt. A recent report from the National Union of Students puts the figure at nearly 45% of all graduates. Similarly, more families are finding that they need to support and care for their elderly relatives in later life by moving them in, rather than paying for them to go into care. There is also the added benefit of grandparents being able to support with the care of children in working households.
It is clear that alternative family households are becoming more common, where couples share their living arrangements with friends, au pairs, extended family or unmarried partners of their children.
In Strutt & Parker’s latest Housing Futures report, ‘Thewaltons’ are identified as one of the five key housing tribes which will play the most important role in the future of the housing market over the next 10 years.
“Our survey results show that 10% of respondents anticipated living in a multigenerational household in the future,” explains Vanessa Hale, Director in Research at Strutt & Parker. “We call this growing tribe ‘The Waltons’, after the American TV show featuring thewalton family who share their hospitality with relatives and strangers as much as they are able.”
Thewaltons represent the multigenerational household. As well as immediate relatives, this can include live-in assistance, such as an au pair or an adult carer. The arrangement is similar to households of the past, where multiple generations lived together as a societal norm, but today the reasons range from financial necessity to being able to live in better housing together, than individually. As house prices grow more unaffordable, this is a trend we see increasing over the next decade.
As a result of the 3G Living trend, more families than ever are looking for larger homes to suit their flexible living arrangements, with plenty of bedrooms or outbuildings suitable for conversion into a ‘granny’ annexe, a ‘graddy’ flat for student returners, or even a ‘honeymooner’s nest’ for newly married children who have been priced out of buying their own home. Vanessa Hale continues: “We’ve coined the term ‘Yo-yo house’ as a possible housing solution that would work to meet the demand for multi-generational homes. Yo-yo houses are adaptable homes that change according to need during a lifetime, growing, contracting and evolving with its occupants. An example could be ‘part-time’ families that need the ability to flex their homes when their circumstances change, such as when children from previous relationships move in for weekends, or in the longer term.
Innovations of the Yo-yo house include being able to move walls internally to create different living spaces, accessibility to pipes and cables to incorporate new technologies, and even the option to divide a property into flats for ageing parents. The Yo-yo house focuses on adaptability, evolving with its occupants and offering them different space to use over their lifetime.