A new semi-detached home near Varennes can also serve a family plan: living right next to your parents or your adult children without sharing the same roof. When you look for a multigenerational home near Varennes, the first idea is usually a single property laid out for two households. But there is another way to go about it.

Maisons Pépin presents BÉAcité Duo as an attractive alternative to the intergenerational (two-generation) home concept. So the project doesn't sell multigenerational houses: it gives each household its own complete semi-detached single-family home, in the same Sainte-Julie neighbourhood. Here is what that approach changes, what to check, and how to plan a home office.

Varennes, a town of families and seniors at once

Two large generations live side by side in Varennes. As of July 1, 2025, according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ), 23.4% of residents were aged 0 to 19, compared with 20.6% in Quebec, and 19.4% were 65 or older; a profile published in 2022, based on ISQ projections, expects 25% aged 65 and over in 2031, then 26% in 2041.

The 2021 Census fills in the picture: 31.8% of households are couples with children, and in Léger's March 2025 survey, 98% of respondents saw their town as a good place to raise a family. Yet Varennes counted only 100 multigenerational households, or 1.2% of all households. That figure says nothing about the wish to stay close; it simply shows that few families share one house.

A multigenerational home near Varennes: share a roof or live next door?

The classic multigenerational house puts two households from the same family in a single building, with two more or less separate units. The arrangement has its strengths: you see each other every day and helping out comes naturally. It also requires agreeing on a lot: how costs are split, how the yard is used, upkeep, and what happens next if one of the households wants to move someday.

BÉAcité's approach is to be neighbours instead. Each household owns its home, with its own door, garage, kitchen, garden-level backyard and private garden. You stay a few steps apart without sharing living spaces or the decisions that concern the house next door. And the all-inclusive maintenance program applies to each of the two homes.

Which model for which generation?

If you were considering a multigenerational home near Varennes, here is how the three models can be shared out:

the semi-detached bungalow, on one level, with 1,006 sq ft on the main floor, a basement of the same size and a 294 sq ft garage: the first one to look at for parents who would rather avoid stairs;
the Duo cottage, with 2,018 sq ft of living space over two levels, an 858 sq ft basement and a 292 sq ft garage: room for a family with children — the house at 423, a Duo, has three bedrooms;
the Urbain model, with 1,622 sq ft of living space, a 652 sq ft basement and a 260 sq ft garage, for a household that prefers something more compact.

A bungalow for the grandparents and a cottage for the young family, or two homes of the same model: it all depends on your needs and on which homes are still available. If it's mostly the upkeep of a large house that weighs on your parents, our article on the maintenance-free home near Varennes tackles that question head-on.

What to check before you commit

Living in two adjoining homes, or simply two homes on the same street, depends on what is still for sale when you are ready. So ask the right questions of the right people:

the sales director, Eddy Guessous (514-812-9633, call or text; ventes@beacite.com): which homes are still available among the 50 lots on Geoffrion and Bissonnette streets, which ones are next to each other, and on what timeline — four turnkey homes are available for immediate sale, and several customizable homes can be ready in about four months;
a notary: everything involved in a family purchase, such as financial help from a parent, buying under several names or estate planning. This article is no substitute for legal or financial advice.

It may also be that only one of the two households moves. About 22 minutes without traffic separate Varennes city hall from Geoffrion Street, via Route 229. To compare the two settings, read our article on living in Sainte-Julie or Varennes.

A home office, for either generation

In the 2021 Census, 22.1% of Varennes workers had worked from home. That figure was collected in May 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, and sits at the Quebec level (21.9%): it doesn't describe today's situation. If you work from home, even a few days a week, it's still best to decide where the office will go before you move in. The homes on Geoffrion Street show several ways to do it:

an open office: the one in the house at 423 was designed for working from home;
a closed office: photos of 408 show a room with a glass door and built-in shelving;
a bright corner: at 435, an office with an olive-green wall opens onto a large window, and a workspace sits upstairs, next to the residential elevator;
the mezzanine: offered as an option on the Duo cottage, it adds 338 sq ft and brings the living area to 2,356 sq ft; at 405, it serves as an office under a high ceiling.

These are ideas, not promises: ask the representative which homes allow the mezzanine or the rooftop terrace.

Accessibility, to check during your visit

For ageing parents, some features matter more than others. The semi-detached bungalow puts most of daily life on the main floor. At 435, the photos show a residential elevator; for the other homes, the representative will tell you what is feasible. And if a parent needs paratransit, exo's service covers all six municipalities of the Marguerite-D'Youville RCM, Varennes and Sainte-Julie included.

The neighbourhood helps too: in Vilamo, medical services, a pharmacy and a public market are within walking distance, the Elna medical complex is about 900 m from Geoffrion Street, and Sainte-Julie's local bus is free for everyone.

Conclusion

Bringing two generations closer doesn't have to mean a multigenerational home near Varennes. At BÉAcité, each household has its own semi-detached home, door and yard, a few steps from the other, and the upkeep is taken care of. Before deciding, check which homes are still available with the sales director, see a notary about the legal side, then come and tour the homes on Geoffrion Street: you will quickly see where everyone would settle in, and where the office would fit.

Two generations side by side: a multigenerational home near Varennes, done differently