Multi-generational living — two or more generations living under one roof — is becoming more common in Australia.
We spoke to three families about how they manage multi-generational living and some of the benefits.
Housing 'more expensive than foreseen'
Brooke Shirley wasn't expecting to stay for long when she moved into her parents' Sunshine Coast home on Kabi Kabi lands with her two children (11 and 7) and husband.
Two years later, the family of six is still living under the same roof while the Shirleys try to find their own property to buy.
"The idea was to do maybe six months to a year there and then find a property," says Brooke.
"[But] it's a lot more expensive than what we had originally foreseen."
Brooke, who is a bank manager says she and her husband and one of their daughters share the upstairs part of the home, which has its own kitchen, living, dining and two bedrooms.
"Then you sort of go through some doors, down a couple of stairs, and in that area is where my parents are in the main area of the house," she says. It's also where her other daughter has a bedroom.
"I can just close that internal door [to our space] and it can look as messy or as neat as we like."
The family shares cooking duties on a week-about arrangement.
"So, one week my parents will cook, the next week I will," Brooke says.
"We've obviously got more mouths to feed [than they do] so I transfer them $100 when it's their week and when it's my week to cook I just look after all of us."
Brooke says she feels fortunate to have the support of her parents, both financially and in other ways.
"I'm an only child, so I don't have any competition," she laughs.
"They [my parents] love spending time with the girls and my dad will do after-school pick-up a couple of days a week.
"And my mum has afternoon tea ready for them for when they get home.
"It does work, we've made it work."
'Two to three generations in the same house'
Danish Pokhrel rents a two-bedroom home in Wollongong, on Dharawal lands, with his wife, his 20-month-old daughter and his mother and father.
The 32-year-old Nepalese national says he has been living with different generations of his family for most of his life.
"Back in Nepal we would be living together with our grandparents, like two to three generations would live in the same house."
He says the practice was born out of necessity in South-East Asia but he believes it can be a more positive way to live.
The disability support worker says he has experienced three major benefits of the arrangement; financial stability, emotional wellbeing and physical support.
Danish's parents are retired and look after his daughter so he and his wife can work full-time, sometimes up to 50 hours per week.
They share expenses and use a book to keep track of who spends what on groceries.
"Let's say I went to the shopping centre today and I would buy cauliflower, I will go home and then write it down in our expenses books," he explains.
"At the end of the week, we will calculate how much [the] expenses were and who paid how much [and] distribute the expenses equally between all of us."
He says the family completes household chores, such as cleaning, together, about once a fortnight.
"Some of my Aussie friends, they have already moved to their parents and I do share my experience with them of how we do it," he says.
"It was always my wish to show Australians different ways of living which are better than individualist living."
'We've grown closer'
Bianca Alexander has been living with her mother Pam for almost 20 years.
The disability pensioner says at first it came out of necessity, but now she wouldn't have it any other way.
"When I was 31, I moved back in with my mum because my marriage broke down and I had a breakdown," says the now 50-year-old.
"I just didn't really have anywhere else to go after I got out of hospital.
"Mum and I agreed that it would be best if I moved back in with her, and as the years progressed, we've just grown closer."
The pair have been renting their Gold Coast home in the Yugambeh language region for 15 years.
"We tend to not just tolerate each other, we enjoy each other's company," Bianca says.
"We always make each other laugh and we send each other things on Instagram, even though we sit on the couch together."
The pair share most costs equally and split the household chores, which Bianca says happened "organically".
"We split the rent half each and we split the cost of the excess water bill and the electricity," she says.
"When it comes to groceries, we go shopping separately and I'll feed our household for whatever I buy on my grocery bill.
"I do the vacuuming, and Mum tends to like doing the laundry … and she loves doing the garden."
Bianca says even if she wanted to live independently, she could not afford to with property prices and the cost of living.
She also wants to help care for her 73-year-old mother as she gets older.
"I know some people prefer their own space, but I know that traditionally this is how families … used to do it. It's great."
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