Homeowners Invest In 'Granny' Additions

"When David Harrill's aging mother-in-law moved in earlier this year, he knew one consideration trumped all others: Don't mess with her bridge game.

'She's been playing bridge with the same group of friends for 65 years, and it was very important that she could invite them over to her home rather than our home,' he said.

The solution? The Harrills, of Jacksonville, Florida, hired a contractor, who added a sitting area with its own entry on to a back bedroom in their house.

Renovations designed with the elderly in mind is the fastest-growing segment of the remodeling industry, said James Lapides of the National Association of Home Builders, a home builder and remodeler trade association.

In a recent survey conducted by the NAHB, 75 percent of remodeling companies said they had seen an increase in requests for so-called "aging-in-place" work."