Whether you’re thinking about remodeling or considering an upgrade, take a moment to consider today’s most popular home amenity.

Thinking about giving your house an update? Wondering what additions or changes could add the most value? Or are you simply thinking about upgrading to a new home? Currently, in-law apartments are the hottest home amenity reported The Wall Street Journal.

Sure, back in the day you fought incredibly hard to “get out of your parent’s house.” Now folks are clamoring to bring the older generations back home. In her recent article, “The Hottest Home Amenity: In-Law Apartments,” Katy McLaughlin writes:

“Put away the snarky in-law jokes. For both domestic and foreign buyers, the hottest amenity in real estate these days is an in-law unit, an apartment carved out of an existing home or a stand-alone dwelling built on the homeowners’ property. While the adult children get the peace of mind of having mom and dad nearby, real-estate agents say the in-law accommodations are adding value to their homes.”

Just how much value could an accessory-dwelling add? Zillow listings showed homes with accessory-dwellings were priced on average 60% higher than houses without them.

Builders and architects alike report an uptick in requests for in-law units. While the nursing home communities may be booming, more and more adult children are viewing the options of in-home care with an attractive lens.

For some adults this means bringing their aging parents into the house. For others separate dwellings are ideal. In this case, small guesthouses provide the perfect combination of privacy and closeness so families can be together without living in each others shorts.

But, McLaughlin discovered when interviewing Inger and Norbert Bischofberger, moving parents for the sake of moving them isn’t always the best option. Ms. Bischofberger’s 93-year-old father is doing well living on his own and is happy. Disrupting that Ms. Bischofberger feels would be wrong.

Read the full article here.