Lennar Resource Center

New Home Within a Home® model homes by Lennar and Village Builders are now open in several Houston-area communities.  

New  models by Lennar and Village Builders offering two homes under one roof – ideal for the growing number of families living with an elderly parent or in other dual-living arrangements – are now open throughout the Houston area.

Perfect for multi-generational households, The Home Within a Home homes by Lennar and Village Builders combine the features of a luxury home with a full private suite complete with bedroom, bathroom, laundry area, kitchenette and living area.  The suite also is accessible from a separate and private front entry.

As an additional incentive, tour The Home Within a Home model in the Houston area through May 29, 2016 and enter for a chance to win a $5,000 travel voucher.

“When buyers walk into The Home Within a Home model home, they all say ‘this makes perfect sense,’” says Don Luke, division president for Lennar Houston.  “The suite feels like a separate home, but it doesn’t take away space from the main home.”

Besides providing a private living space for an elderly parent, The Home Within a Home dual-living arrangement represents a solution for families caring for a special needs adult child or for those who frequently host family visitors for extended stays.  As a family’s lifestyle changes, the suite can be transformed into a home office, entertainment space, yoga studio or hobby room.

“Everyone finds a different way to use the space,” says Luke, who adds The Home Within a Home households benefit from the convenience of sharing one mortgage and utilities. The Home Within a Home homeowners in other parts of the country report saving upwards of $3,000 per month by combining these expenses, he adds.

In the main home, families enjoy all of the features of a traditional new home – gourmet island kitchen, generous family room with corner fireplace, formal dining, master suite and spacious secondary bedrooms.

Single and two-story, 3-5 bedrooms plans with The Home Within a Home suites are available by both Lennar and Village Builders.  ADA accommodations also can be added in the suite.

According to a 2012 study by Pew Research Center, a record seven million Americans, 18.1% of the population, lived in multi-generational family households, double the figure who lived in a household with at least two adult generations in 1980.

That same study found 22.7% of adults ages 85 and older lived in a multi-generational household.  Moreover, roughly one in four young adults ages 25-34 lived in multi-generational households in 2012, up from 18.7% in 2007 and 11% in 1980, according to the study.

Increasing health care costs for seniors is still another factor driving multi-gen households, says Luke.

A Houston family on average will spend $43,472 per year for a licensed professional to help with cooking, cleaning and running errands and $43,500 per year for a private room in an assisted-living facility, according to a 2015 study on the long-term costs of care in Houston conducted by Genworth Financial.

Both Lennar and Village Builders are part of Lennar Corp., established in 1954 as one of the nation’s leading homebuilders.