Many people realise that living in multigenerational households can be a cost effective way of providing care and support to each other. But how do you make sure you are sharing the cost of living in a granny annexe, and what are the additional costs?
Multigenerational Living On The Rise
These days more and more households contain more than 1 family. Indeed, the Office of National Statistics issued a report on the 15th November 2019 that stated it is the fastest growing type of household in the UK, albeit still the smallest.
The Guardian estimates there are about 1.8 million multigenerational households in the UK.
Motivators seem to be reducing isolation and rising living and housing costs.
So in this blog we are going to look at how you can share the cost of living in a granny annexe, and what those costs might be.
Will My Household Bills Rise With A Granny Annexe?
Naturally, a granny annexe is going to increase the overall costs of a household, especially in terms of food and energy consumption.
Because a granny annexe is an ancillary building the utilities are run from the main home.
This naturally means there will be an increase in energy costs from the primary house.
Each iHUS granny annexe has its own kitchen, which means the collective household will have two washing machines, two ovens, and two places consuming water.
There are also two spaces to heat, the main home and the granny annexe, so overall the costs will be higher for heating bills.
How Can A Granny Annexe Save Me Money?
But don’t panic. A granny annexe is extremely energy efficient, so the energy consumption won’t be that much higher.
Properly insulated and glazed, they are quick to heat and stay warm, even on chilly days.
Electric storage heaters installed as standard, mean you only need to heat the space you are in, so you aren’t paying to heat empty space.
Or, you can choose to upgrade to digital radiators, that you can control via an app. This allows you to save even more money by remotely turning on or off your radiators, depending on where you are.
You can also choose underfloor heating, which makes the most of convection heating, rather than heating a room from halfway up.
LED lights are installed as standard throughout, saving you even more money, as they are famous for their efficiency.
What Costs Can We Share Living In A Granny Annexe?
Many families do decide that sharing the bills through living in a granny annexe is the cheapest way for them to live.
Although the utilities are fed off the main property, we can install a separate counter that allows you to fairly proportion the electricity and water bills. That way, one ‘family unit’ isn’t paying more or less than their fair share.
There is also only one council tax bill to pay.
Many people over the age of 75 really struggle to get a mortgage but living in a granny annexe removes that complication.
You might find that sharing food bills is perfect for your family. You won’t need to have ingredients go out if date anymore, as you can easily share between you all.
Internet, streaming services, and subscriptions usually offer a family deal so you can have multiple accounts on one address and spread the cost between yourselves.
Our Top Tips For Sharing The Cost of Living In A Granny Annexe
- The owners of the main house should be realistic and well informed about exactly how much it costs to run their home before the granny annexe is built.
- Proportion approximately a 30% increase in that baseline and monitor regularly.
- Have a frank conversation before you agree to go ahead with living in a granny annexe to decide how the bills will be apportioned.
- Consider a joint account for things like food and gardening items so one person doesn’t end up paying for everything all the time and another owing. Or worse, having to keep track of who owes what to whom.
Get In Touch
Here at iHUS, we have been building granny annexes for happy families for over a decade.
We have seen plenty of people happily learn to share the cost of living in a granny annexe without issue so we can pass on their expertise. Or, have a look at our iHUS Community and hear it from the horse’s mouth.
We also understand that sharing the cost is a big deal to people, rightly so, which is why our service is tailored to make it easy to share the cost.
If you would like to chat with us, get in touch on 0808 164 1111 or email enquiries@ihusprojects.com. We will be happy to discuss options with you.
