Compound

A compound is one property set up so more than one generation of a family can live there together and apart at the same time. In practice that means separate living areas with their own entrances, often a second kitchen, and shared space everyone uses. Some are a single house divided into wings. Others are a main house plus a second home on the same lot.

A compound is different from a house with an in-law suite. An in-law suite is usually one bedroom and a bathroom attached to the main house. A compound gives each generation a genuinely separate living area, so nobody is a guest in someone else's home.

Families choose a compound when they want to buy one property together across more than one generation and have it fit everyone. That involves both how they hold title and finance the purchase, commonly as tenants in common with a written co-ownership agreement, and the home itself, which usually has to be renovated or built to work. The homes that genuinely do are rare, which is why the CoBuy Suitability Score scores how well a home supports shared ownership.

See how families find, structure, and build one: Build your compound.