Case Study: Enabling Aging Parents to Live Close to Family

Location: Approximately 30 minutes north of Toronto (address withheld for privacy)

The Situation

A homeowner wanted to create a living arrangement that allowed aging parents to remain close to family rather than moving into a long-term care or assisted living facility.

One parent had mobility challenges affecting balance and walking, while the other was experiencing early-stage dementia. Maintaining independence while ensuring safety and supervision was the primary objective.

Rather than pursuing institutional care, the family decided to construct a detached garden suite in the backyard. The plan was for the parents to sell their home once the garden suite was completed and move into a smaller, accessible space located only steps away from family support.

The Challenge

At the time this project began, the municipality had not yet fully updated its zoning framework for garden suites. As a result, the project required approval through the Committee of Adjustment before a building permit could be issued.

Because this was one of the first projects of its kind in the municipality, the approval process required careful coordination with planning staff and the Committee of Adjustment.

The overall timeline included:

Approximately 12 months for planning approvals and permitting
Approximately 3 months for construction once permits were issued

While the permitting stage took longer than anticipated, the construction itself proceeded relatively quickly once approvals were secured.

Design Considerations

The design focused heavily on accessibility and safety to accommodate the residents’ physical and cognitive needs.

Key features included:

Wider bathroom entry to allow a walker to enter the shower comfortably
Grab bars installed in the shower and near two toilets
Low-rise entry with only two steps into the building
Dual handrails for safer entry
Fully fenced yard to create a controlled outdoor environment
Exterior cameras allowing the homeowner to monitor activity if needed

A wheelchair-accessible ramp was considered during the design phase. However, because of the elevation difference between the yard and the entrance, a compliant ramp would have needed to be approximately 18 feet long, which would have taken up a significant portion of the yard. Instead, the design focused on minimizing steps while incorporating sturdy railings for additional safety.

Financial Considerations

A major factor in the decision was the long-term cost of assisted living.

Typical assisted living facilities for two residents would have cost approximately:

$6,000–$8,000 per month

In many facilities, this cost provides a single room and limited personal space.

By comparison, the total cost of constructing the garden suite was approximately:

$300,000

If financed with a 25-year mortgage at approximately 5% interest, the estimated monthly payment would be about:

~$1,750 per month

The completed garden suite provides:

Approximately 600 square feet of living space
Two bedrooms
Two bathrooms
A full kitchen and living area

This arrangement allows the parents to maintain their own private living space while remaining close enough for family support.

Care Strategy

The long-term plan is to allow the parents to age in place as long as possible.

At present, the family is able to meet most of the parents’ care needs directly. As needs evolve over time, additional support services can be introduced gradually, including:

visiting caregivers
personal support workers
social workers
home care services

This approach allows care to scale with the parents’ needs while preserving independence and dignity.

Estate Planning Benefits

Selling the parents’ original home during their lifetime also created an estate planning benefit.

If the parents had remained in their home until death, the eventual sale would generally have been tax-free under the principal residence exemption. However, once both parents passed away, the property would typically need to pass through probate before being transferred to beneficiaries.

In Ontario, probate fees are approximately 1.5% of estate value above $50,000. For homes valued between $1 million and $2 million, this can represent probate costs of roughly $15,000–30,000.

By selling the property during their lifetime and transitioning into the garden suite, the family simplified the estate and reduced the likelihood of those probate costs applying to the home.

The Outcome

The parents now live in the garden suite and remain close to family while maintaining a level of independence that would not have been possible in an institutional setting.

Although the sale of the parents’ home took slightly longer than expected due to real estate market conditions, the final arrangement has proven to be a practical and flexible solution.

The project demonstrates how a well-designed garden suite can provide:

safe and accessible housing for aging parents
financial efficiency compared with institutional care
the ability to age in place with family support
simplified long-term estate planning

Key Takeaways

Garden suites can provide a practical alternative to assisted living facilities for families who want to keep loved ones nearby.
Early projects in municipalities where bylaws are still evolving may require Committee of Adjustment approvals, which can extend timelines.
Accessibility features should be integrated early in the design process to support long-term aging in place.
Multigenerational housing can offer significant financial and planning advantages compared with institutional care.