Whether you prefer the term secondary suite, accessory dwelling, granny flat, or mother- in-law suite, this home adaptation is becoming an increasingly prevalent fixture in households across the country. The in-law suite – typically a small living space complete with bedroom, bathroom, and private entrance – allows an aging parent to move into their adult child’s home while still maintaining his or her independence. In 2011 the AARP reported “about 3.5 million American households last year included adult children and their parents” additionally profiling aging parents who feared that their move would disturb their child’s home.

Because of this fear, great care must be put into the planning and designing of the accessory home. Today, Arcbazar.com can provide the perfect tool to source many plans for a secondary suite which will allow its inhabitant to feel at home and autonomous.

Arcbazar.com is a first-of-its kind crowdsourcing platform for architecture and design services. Leveraging a global talent pool, Arcbazar facilitates competitions in which architects and designers from around the world compete for the prize money attached to a client’s home remodeling or interior design project. Arcbazar allows the host to easily communicate their requirements, specifications, and even upload pictures of the existing space, making the online service an ideal way to glean multiple solutions to the challenge of remodeling one’s home to incorporate a new in-law suite.

Often times a home may not have a space which can be clearly identified as suitable for the suite. Homes with multiple smaller rooms can open up an array of possibilities of just how to piece together a functional and accommodating space. Using Arcbazar, one can receive surprising or previously unconsidered design options for segmenting the existing structure. Yet, even if the space for the suite has already been identified, there still exist myriad design options based upon the inhabitant’s wants and needs.

As with this recent project at Arcbazar, spaces such as a basement, garage, or patio typically make an obvious choice for the suite. These areas, naturally separated from the rest of the living space, can provide suitable seclusion while also retaining immediate access to the home. However, one must also decide what amenities to include, and exactly how they will fit with the rest of the house. Using Arcbazar.com, a homeowner is able to stipulate exactly what features will be included in the new space (bedroom, bathroom, private entrance, etc.), and seasoned experts can provide their plans on how these features will marry best with the existing layout of the house.

Arcbazar’s skilled architects and designers will often help a client budget the project. Contestants have been known to suggest which materials to use, various interior design options, and have even gone so far as to propose alterations or additions which can be made to the plan to raise or reduce costs based upon monetary flexibility.

Though there are many considerations to take into account during the process of adding an in-law suite, it is important to remember whose input is most valuable – the in-law. In order to create a space which feels as his or her own (and thus feels more like an independent living situation) it is paramount to encourage the participation of the occupant. In facilitating the creation of the ideal space, Arcbazar not only allows one to communicate desires from the beginning, but also allows communication with the architects and designers during the process, and allows all the completed submissions to be shared with friends and family to weigh each design after the project has come to a close.
Moving a parent back home is rarely an easy transition. Arcbazar helps make the move as smooth as possible.