If you’re finding the current housing climate discouraging, it might be time to take your plumbing outside the box.
House prices have risen significantly over the past year and it doesn’t look like they’re going down anytime soon. For those who are renting, it’s not much better as Barrie is well known for its lack of availability.
A little creative thinking could go a long way. Plumbtech Plumbing Inc. has seen some innovative solutions to housing issues over the years and has supplied expertise, installed pipes, fixtures, and the like in new builds as well as renovating existing housing, such as installing a new bathroom in the basement.
Those in the “Sandwich Generation” are very familiar with issues around not enough plumbing for the number of people living under one roof. Use of washrooms, especially in the morning, may result in increased wait times before the person ahead of you to finishes up and leaves. Perhaps all the hot water has been used up, necessitating another wait for it to heat up again.
The term “Sandwich Generation” has been around for long enough for it to gain entry into the Mirriam Webster dictionary where it is defined as a “generation of people who are caring for their aging parents while supporting their children.”
Generations of family members residing under one roof has become a solution for many, perhaps even more so with the onset of the pandemic.
Post-secondary students have lived as ‘roommates’ throughout their school years and some have continued to share expenses with others once they finish their studies and start their working life. Others have “boomeranged” back to the family home to live and work and save money for the day they can move out on their own.
Innovative living arrangements have extended well beyond the traditional family unit. Some people will make their own family.
Retired seniors who have lost a spouse, or partner or perhaps remained single throughout their lives, are moving in with others in similar situations, sharing costs, meal preparation, chores, and support. All of it can help to combat loneliness and isolation.
A more recent trend has separating couples with children creating flexible living arrangements. It’s less expensive to purchase a house with two suites than move into two separate places.
Those who can afford to have two separate houses/living quarters may opt to stay in the same neighbourhood. In both situations, children can back and forth with less disruption to their lives.
Some single parents have joined forces with others, moved into the same house, sharing expenses and support for each mini-family. The same applies to adults who, on their own, find it difficult to afford living accommodations.
A new television show, Five Bedrooms, on W Network captured this dilemma in a drama about five single adults who met while sharing the same table at a wedding. Each individual, all at a different time in their lives, decided the perfect solution was to purchase a house together with five bedrooms.
When combinations of people reside under one roof, adjustments to the plumbing may be needed. For all your plumbing needs, call Plumbtech at 705-722-7209. Estimates are free.
