A family making christmas crafts

Decorating Your Granny Annexe For Christmas

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There’s no denying that a beautifully decorated house looks amazing, especially at Christmas with all the trimmings up.

Decorating your house for Christmas can really get you in the holiday spirit, it can make the house feel cosy and warm and best of all it’s a fun activity to do with the family.

If you have moved out of your home or downsized to a granny annexe, then you might be wondering how to make your new home look Christmassy. Granny annexes can be a little smaller than you are used to, and you might have a hard time making it feel like your home, especially if you are used to having big family Christmases in a much a bigger home.

If you need some inspiration on how to get your granny annexe ready for Christmas, then here are Family Annexes top tips on decorating your granny annexe for Christmas.

Find The Christmas Tree That’s Right For Your Annexe

When looking for a Christmas tree make sure you take the size of your granny annexe into account. Some granny annexes are quite small, and you might not be able to fit a large tree inside.

Before you start to look for a tree, find a space for it in your granny annexe. Make sure there is a place where it can stand where it won’t block any entrances or heating vents. When you find that spot, measure it and then you will know if your tree will fit there or not.

If there isn’t a suitable pace for a Christmas tree to stand then you might want to looking getting a small tree that can stand on a counter or table.

A Christmas tree

Try Smaller and More Subtle Decorations.

If you don’t have a very big family annexe then you might not be able to have some of the larger, more extravagant decorations some people have at this time of year. Instead, you might want to look into decorating your family annexe with smaller and more subtle decorations.

At family annexe, our granny annexes are designed to have large windows that let in as much light as possible. Paper snowflakes or gel decorations can be a great way to utilise these large windows and decorate them for the holidays.

Other small decorations, like battery powered candles, can be placed on almost any surface and can add a warm Christmassy glow to any room in the granny annexe.

Decorate Your Annexe With Home Made Arts and Crafts

Some of the best decorations are the homemade ones. If you have grandchildren, then getting to make some Christmas decorations with them can be a great way to spend some time with them and get your annexe decorated for the holidays.

Decorations like paper chains, snowflakes and lanterns are easy to make and look delightfully Christmassy in any home. If you have a knack for baking, you can even back some Christmas decorations for you tree. Gingerbread is a good hardy biscuit, and you can hang them on the tree if you remember to punch a hole in the dough for the ribbon to go through.

The best part is you and the grandkids can spend the day baking and decorating these delicious tree decorations. Just remember to leave some for the tree!

A family making christmas crafts

Decorate The Outside Of Your Granny Annexe

If you have limited space on the inside, then why not decorate on the outside. Remember to make sure it is safe for you to do so and have someone on hand to help before you go climbing any ladder.

You add some lights to your windows or standing lights around the outside of you granny annexe to help give you that Christmassy feeling.

If you don’t have the room inside, you can always decorate a tree outside and have somewhere you can see from your granny annexe.  

Get In Touch

If you would like to find out more about granny annexes, get in touch with Family Annexe. We have six unique annexe models available, each providing a safe and cost-effective solution to elderly care.

Family Annexe has an efficient seven-step process, designed to make your annexe experience stress-free and enjoyable. This starts with a free, no-obligation consultation!

A multi-generational family at christmas

Christmas in a Multi-generational household

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There’s nothing quite like a big family Christmas, especially if you have a multi-generational household where people of all ages are spending the holidays together.

Christmas can be fun and exciting, but it can also be tough, especially if you have a lot of family members with different needs to take care of.

If you have a big family with lots of different ages mixing together then here are Family Annex’s top tips for having Christmas in a multi-generational household.

1. Have A Plan of Action

If there are going to be a lot of people in the house, then you might want to make a plan of action. It doesn’t have to be an intensive schedule but it’s always a good idea to have some sort of plan in place so you can keep track of the day.

Make sure you know when everything needs to be cooked and when that needs to be done by. If you have the timings down, you can spend more time with your family and people know to be ready for the time you have arranged to eat.

A big family having christmas dinner

2. Make Sure That You Cater For Everybody and Have a Few Options

When you are entertaining a lot of people, especially if there is a big age gap, then you might want to have a few options available for people to choose from.

Be sure to have a choice of food, such as a sweet and a savoury dessert option so that everyone is catered for. People’s tastes can change wildly between age groups and the sweet sugary desserts the kids love might not be to your wine and cheese-loving grandma’s taste.

You should also have a range of activities and entertainment available. Older people tend to get tired a lot quicker than young people, especially children who seem to have boundless energy on Christmas. Try and have a range of options so that everyone’s needs can be catered for, and no one is left feeling uncomfortable.

3.  Remember To Respect Peoples Wishes

Everyone is different and your loved ones might all want to spend Christmas in different ways. As nice as it is to have a big family Christmas with all your family close, you might find they want to do different things.

If this is the case then you need to remember to respect peoples wishes and understand that your families happiness is what matters the most.

A multi-generational family at christmas

4. Try and Make Time for Everyone

Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends, but this isn’t easy when you have a lot of said family and friends. Try and make time for everyone. Yes, you want to make sure the kids are having a good Christmas and that they have everything they need, but you mustn’t forget to spend time with the other member of the family.

Older people can find Christmas particularly lonely, especially if they have lost someone, they would usually spend Christmas with. Remember to try and make time for the older people in your life and sit down with them, have a conversation, and reminisce about Christmases passed.

5. Make Sure Everyone Has Their Own Space

Christmas can be very overwhelming, especially for older people.  Children tend to get a little over-excited and boisterous at Christmas time and this can cause problems for other members of the family.

If you have an older loved one that can get easily overwhelmed or exhausted trying to keep up with the grandkids, then you might want to make sure that there is a space for them to relax in when it all gets too much.

Having a granny annexe is a great way to make sure that your elderly parents have a space that they can retreat to if the big family Christmas gets too much for them. the granny annexe makes a perfect sport for a relaxing peaceful Christmas, whereas the main house can serve as the perfect place for the younger generation to tire themselves out.

Plus, with a granny annexe you’ll always have a spare oven for Christmas, and isn’t that what we all really want.

A family around dinner table at christmas

Get In Touch

If you would like to find out more about granny annexes, get in touch with Family Annexe. We have six unique annexe models available, each providing a safe and cost-effective solution to elderly care.

Family Annexe has an efficient seven-step process, designed to make your annexe experience stress-free and enjoyable. This starts with a free, no-obligation consultation!

A Home Office

Alternative Uses For Granny Flats

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A granny flat is a perfect way to make sure your elderly relative is able to live comfortably when they can no longer manage in your home. However, if your loved one moves out or sadly is no longer with you, then you can end up with a granny flat that you have built but no longer use.

No one likes to have a space that isn’t being utilized in their house. Even if a granny flat is not being used for its intended purposes, that doesn’t mean the space is useless.

Here are some alternative uses for granny flats.

What Is A Granny Flat?

A granny flat is an extension or refurbishment done on your home and converts a section of your house into a fully functional home. These are often designed to help older people manage their home early and have everything you would need in a home-like a working kitchen and bathroom.

Granny flats can sometimes be expensive to have put into your house, but once you have one there are many alternative uses for granny flats when it is not in use.

Alternative Uses For Granny Flats

Building tools and a blueprint

It Can Add Value To Your House

Like a granny annexe, a granny flat can make a great addition to a home and can even increase the value of your home if ever you try and sell it.

Building a granny flat can take a lot of time and money and it can be a very invasive process if you constantly have builders working in your home. This is why some people prefer to move into a house that already has this modification.

It’s not just granny flats that add to the value and it will still increase the asking price for your house if you have the granny flat turned into something else instead.

It Makes A Great Space For Hosting Guests

If you are having family or friends stay over it can sometimes be a pain to work out the logistics of where everyone will sleep and will you have enough bathrooms.

With a granny flat, you already have a perfect space for entertaining guests and it’s kept somewhat separate from the main house meaning your guests won’t feel like they are intruding and everyone can have their own space.

A family getting together

They Make A Great Starter Home For Young People Whilst They Save

If you have a grown-up child who is struggling to save for a house, then they might want to keep living at home while they save up. A granny flat can make a great starter home for your child to live in during this time.

It has everything they could possibly need and helps them get used to having their own home and keeping their independence, but none of the extra cost and hidden fees that con sometimes costs when renting from a private landlord.

A Granny Flat Doesn’t Have To Be Used As A Flat

Of course, a granny flat has been purpose build to work as a living space, but that doesn’t have to be the case. If you are willing to redecorate or even refurbish the granny flat, there are other things the space can be used for.

Make A Home Office

Now more and more of us are working from home you might find that working from the kitchen table doesn’t cut it and you need a home office. A granny flat can be perfect for exactly this.

With a granny flat you not only have space for all the office equipment you need to but you can also keep certain features, like an ensuite bathroom so that everything you need is practically in one room.

A granny flat also makes a great home office because it is slightly separate from the rest of the house, especially if your granny flat is a converted athletic or garage. By keeping the home office separate from the main house, you can find it much easier to separate your work life from your home life.

A granny flat that has been converted into a home office

Use It As A Den or ‘Man Cave’

A granny flat can also be used as a casual hang out space or a space for entertaining. This is a great idea if you have children or teenagers, and it can be a good idea for them to have their own space in the house.

You can use the granny flat for something like a games room and relegate all the games consoles and other playthings into this room. This way you can have your quiet space in the main house and they can have their space in the granny late and no one has to argue over space.

Get In Touch

If you would like to find out more about granny annexes, get in touch with Family Annexe. We have six unique annexe models available, each providing a safe and cost-effective solution to elderly care.

Family Annexe has an efficient seven-step process, designed to make your annexe experience stress-free and enjoyable. This starts with a free, no-obligation consultation!