At Linked Living Homes, we've been building Granny Pods for the past few years. One of our most common questions is; what is a Granny Pod?
Granny Pods are becoming more and more popular throughout the United States. The major
factors causing this trend are families wanting to take care of their parents, the need for housing for the large baby boomer generation, and the growing demand for affordable housing in the U.S. The United States will need to develop more capacity for senior housing in the next 50 years and trends indicate that the Granny Pods are going to play a major role.
What is a "Granny Pod"?
A Granny Pod is an independent living space specially designed and built for a senior to live on the same property as the seniors' children or other family members. They are typically 240-700 square foot dwellings that give aging parents an opportunity to live on the same property as their adult children while also maintaining the independence and privacy of their own home.
Where did the term “Granny Pod” come from?
Traditionally in Wisconsin, the term “Mother-In-Law Suite” or simply “In-Law Suite” is used to describe a small home for a senior parent on the same property as their child’s house. The term Granny Pod was more recently popularized in other areas of the country where “Accessory Dwelling Units” (ADU’s) are being used to add housing. The term Granny Pod has now spread to the Midwest and is becoming used almost interchangeably with what we call a mother-in-law suite. A big reason that the term “Granny Pod” has become popular is because these homes are often prefabricated indoors as “pods” and then installed at the house for completion.
Other names for a Granny Pod
In Law Apartment
Granny Flat
Senior ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit)
What’s Included in a Granny Pod?
Granny Pods are typically fully independent living spaces meaning they have their own bedroom, bathroom, kitchen/kitchenette, living room, dining space, and necessary appliances. Many Granny Pods also have their own heating and cooling system which is of noteworthy importance because seniors have a reputation for liking their living space very warm.
Using some of your existing house as your “Granny Pod”
Although many Granny Pods are fully independent spaces some companies like us (Linked Living Homes) offer custom additions that add only what’s needed for the given client. For instance, some families are happy to share their kitchen, dining room, or living room. Other families may have an extra bedroom that can become the perfect connection location for the addition and can be used as part of the Granny Pod. For families that would like to save some money it’s worth taking a look at the house that will be connected to and thinking about which spaces could be shared, or used as a part of the new Granny Pod.
Granny Pods can be the perfect addition for your senior or loved one. Learn more about Linked Living homes or check out our other Blogs.