Downsizing, or ‘rightsizing’ as it’s called nowadays, is almost always a positive outcome for everyone involved.
It might be tempting to design a huge annexe with multiple rooms or a spare bedroom, but you really must take into consideration how you will use the space now, and in the future.
As one of our Midlands customers explains: “Simplicity is key. I don’t want to spend loads of time maintaining my annexe or cleaning, I want to be out and about doing other things, which is why we designed it to be easy to care for.”
Planning permission is also a major factor, which can heavily influenced by the size and complexity of your granny annexe. This is something our team will guide you through during initial consultations.
I think if you have a parent who is perfectly independent and mobile, it is brilliant. It takes away the stress of when they are poorly. Mum has still got her life and I have mine. We can both get on with what we want to do.
For many people it’s the decision to downsize that’s difficult. Once the decision is made, and you can see all the positive outcomes, it becomes much easier.
This was certainly the case for Diane Diggins from Kent. Already retired, but still active and healthy, Diane wanted to remain close to her daughter and an annexe was the perfect solution.
What Diane and her family didn’t anticipate was the news that she had got cancer. Fortunately, Diane is well again, but living in her annexe meant that her daughter could easily take her to hospital appointments and provide care.
“I wasn’t well last year,” explains Diane, “and it was so handy that I had my daughter close by, but still had my own space and things with me. If I had been living 45 minutes away she wouldn’t have been able to take me to the hospital. Obviously, we didn’t know that was going to happen, but it worked out fine.”
A cancer diagnosis clearly isn’t something to plan for. But as you age, and health issues become more likely, being already settled in your granny annexe can make care much easier.
We’ve met with hundreds of people looking for care home alternatives for their parent(s). It’s the most common reason we come across for building a granny annexe in the back garden, and we take great pride in bringing families closer together. Here are a couple of projects that we’ve recently completed.
We’ve built over 150 garden annexes over the years, and have pictures of most completed projects. So, if you need further inspiration, and would like to view further portfolio images, please get in touch.
If you simply have a question for us, please submit your details, along with a quick message, and we’ll back to you ASAP. You can also reach us on 0808 1641111 or email us at enquiries@ihusprojects.com
