Building a Multigenerational Home on Cape Cod

Cape Cod Construction News

While it may be a newer phenomenon in some parts of the country, multigenerational living has been prevalent among homeowners on Cape Cod for more than a century, with grand summer homes often built to accommodate extended family for an entire summer. What has changed over time is what clients of our Cape Cod custom building firm consider must-haves for comfortable living when a household consists – at least some of the time – of parents, their grown children and, quite often, grandchildren.

Building a New Home

If you are building a new home on Cape Cod, consider not only the immediate needs of your family, but also what will be comfortable in later years. Whether you might be welcoming aging parents, spouses of your grown children, or grandchildren in the near future, ensuring you have the adequate space to enjoy your time together is paramount.  Bedroom quantities, size, and location are key, along with having additional recreational space or family rooms so that when everyone is together there is ample space to fully enjoy each other’s company.

A first-floor primary bedroom suite, strategically placed away from the commotion of entertainment areas and other bedrooms, not only offers solitude, it can also be crucial if and when climbing stairs becomes challenging. On Cape Cod, which has one of the highest populations of retirees in the country, a first-floor primary, as well as laundry, add value to your home whether you decide to sell it or retain it within the family for future generations.

But what other amenities will add to your enjoyment of vacations and holidays on the Cape?

An open-concept floor plan and en-suite for each bedroom are perhaps the most frequent requests from clients, and with good reason. One facilitates enjoying time together. The other provides much-needed privacy.

Open-concept floor plans are a great use of space, but don’t underestimate your need for separate gathering spaces. Give the kids a place of their own – a second living room, a loft space at the top of the stairs – so you can enjoy grown-up time.

And if an individual bath with every bedroom is cost prohibitive, Jack-and-Jill baths can be a great compromise.

With so many people working from home at least part of the time, or feeling the need to check in with work even when on vacation, a dedicated home office is another great addition to a home.

Finally, consider your outdoor spaces. An expanded terrace with an outdoor kitchen will be perfect for clambakes under the stars. If space and budget permit, a swimming pool can be a smart investment. And don’t forget to allow for a good amount of lawn so the kids have a soft surface for outdoor fun.

Remodeling to Accommodate an Extended Family

Historic home or one that’s just 20 years old; new energy code compliance and allowable land usage concerns; historic districts and zoning laws: these are just a few things that can make remodeling a Cape Cod home for multigenerational living challenging. Yet you may be surprised at just how much can be done to your existing house.

The first thing we would suggest is considering any space in your home that isn’t currently being fully utilized. A formal dining room is often what comes to mind. If it only sees use on the occasional holiday, you may want to consider sacrificing it. Is it large enough to create a first-floor primary bedroom? Would a small bump-out addition for a full bath be all that’s needed to add an en-suite?  

A larger addition can be an absolute game changer, as can a finished garage or guest house. With the project below, set in an environmentally sensitive area, we expanded an existing garage, adding two bedrooms and a full bath.

Here, a three-story addition on a home in Orleans is nearing completion. With it, we enlarged the kitchen, created two separate living areas and, with the third level, gave the homeowners a much better view of the ocean. At the same time, we replaced a second-story deck with one that is nearly four times in size and added an oversized terrace with a gas-operated fire pit on the ground level for expanded entertainment opportunities.

Another option, one that as of February 2025 has become much more feasible, is adding an accessory dwelling unit or “ADU,” a topic we talked about in an earlier blog post. An ADU is either a freestanding guest house, attached in-law apartment, or a finished space over a garage. It must be utilized as either a long-term rental or by family.

If an addition or ADU isn’t doable because of lot-usage regulations, and your home needs to maintain its original “footprint,” adding a second story will quite literally double its size. Two existing first-floor bedrooms can be converted into a primary bedroom suite, leaving the new space for visiting family.

When a home’s footprint can’t be enlarged, finishing the attic or basement of your Cape Cod home – or both – is another great way of creating additional living space.

For many people, multigenerational living is part of the fun of summering on the Cape. Ready to get started on your own multigenerational home on Cape Cod? Please contact us if you would like to explore options for making your home a family-friendly refuge.

Leave a Comment