If you’re building a custom luxury home in the Naples, Florida area, or already have one, you might want to consider constructing a separate house on the property to accommodate overnight guests. And sure, you may have already accounted for such with planned or existing “guest” rooms in your home; however, a separate guest suite significantly elevates your overnight guest hosting capabilities and provides several other benefits.

Having built numerous guest houses for their Naples-area clients, the general contractors of Carlson Harris know exactly how separate guest quarters benefit their owners. They suggest that you assess the feasibility of building a detached guest house by asking yourself the following questions:

• Do you have a lot of out-of-state friends who love visiting our beautiful southwest Florida area?
• Do you have family members who would visit more often if you had the space for them?
• Have you wondered what enticements you can use to ensure that your children will want to visit you if they move away when they reach adulthood?
• Are your parents or in-laws reaching an age at which they might need a bit of oversight but are not willing to consider assisted living residency?
• Do you find it awkward when visitors spend too many nights?
• Are you interested in generating extra income?

A yes response to any of these questions suggests you could benefit from constructing a separate guest suite on your property. Read on to learn more about these benefits.

EASES THE STRESS OF HOSTING AND BEING HOSTED

You’ve undoubtedly heard the Benjamin Franklin adage that “guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” Sure, you love your friends and family but sharing household space with them over many days can cause stress or awkwardness for both you and the guests. A separate guest suite helps prevent this by offering more privacy to all parties. Your household can maintain its regular daily routine without compromising the comfort of your guests. Meanwhile, your guests don’t have to worry about getting underfoot or otherwise disrupting the normal household flow. And you can still spend plenty of time with your guests when convenient for everyone.

WILL ENCOURAGE VISITS FROM ADULT CHILDREN

When your children leave the nest, having a separate guest suite can encourage more visits by providing them with a continued sense of independence with a private space they can temporarily call their own. If your child has married, their spouse will feel much more comfortable in their own space than sharing living space with their in-laws. And when grandchildren are added to the mix, you’ll enjoy their proximity knowing that your grandparenting duties can be limited.

MAY HELP TAKE CARE OF AGING PARENTS

Your guest suite may prove invaluable if your aging parents need a bit of oversight, but the family wants to avoid typical assisted living options. A guest house allows you to help them during their declining years and provides them with a continuing sense of independence. Your parents will appreciate having you close at hand; everyone benefits from having their private domain.

IT CAN PROVIDE EXTRA INCOME AND BOOST PROPERTY VALUES

Unless your guest suite provides longer-term housing for parents, in-laws, or children who’ve returned or never left the nest, it can help you earn some passive income as a rental property. Of course, if you rent it to long-term tenants, you forgo using it for guest quarters but making it a vacation rental gives you the flexibility to host guests periodically.

Adding a guest house to your property certainly isn’t free, but it will raise your property value to allow you to realize a return on your investment when it comes time to sell your home.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GUEST SUITES, CONSULT WITH CARLSON HARRIS

If you’re planning to build a new luxury custom home or want to upgrade an existing property, consider whether adding a guest suite to the configuration makes sense for your family’s needs. To discuss constructing a customized luxury guest home for your property, contact Carlson Harris today at 239-352-2460.