Buying a home for your growing family is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make, namely because you're making the decision not only for yourself but for your loved ones too! As young families and new parents make this milestone decision, it's important to consider all the features of a home and what will match your family's dynamic lifestyle! With so many factors to consider, it's easy to overlook some things, but to make the house hunt easier, here are 7 must-have features every young family should consider when purchasing a new home!
Within Walking Distance of Parks: You will want to be sure that your home is in a neighbourhood with convenient access to parks and amenities. Being cooped up at home all the time is the last thing you or your children need. At a nearby park, your children will relish the fresh air and free space to roam, mingle and play with their peers. It also gives you a breather as they have a more open venue to entertain themselves. You also have the opportunity to meet other parents and neighbours in your area! It is a special time for socializing that is both valuable for you and your children and is a healthy dose of outdoor time that you'll surely appreciate.
Bathroom with a Tub: This especially rings true for parents with toddlers! We all love the sleek and chic look of a full glass shower, but bathtubs make cleaning time infinitely easier for parents. Children are more likely to take a bath as opposed to a shower without fuss, especially when there are bubbles and toys involved!
A Backyard with Direct Sightlines: Having a backyard is a great feature for any young family, as it provides a place to relax, have fun and entertain, all from the comfort of your home! That said, it's important to have a backyard with clear sightlines from indoors, so you can keep a keen eye on your children even when you aren't outside with them. If the home has a pool, you will likely have to take extra precautions to fence off the area and make it inaccessible to young children without supervision.
Quiet & Safe Neighbourhood with Sidewalks: Try to avoid buying a home either near, or on a busy intersection, as it may not be the safest place for your children to play. Take a drive through neighbourhoods of interest and see how congested with road traffic the area appears to be. A safer, not to mention more peaceful choice for young families may be to choose a home within a quiet suburb, separate from any major roads or intersections, with plenty of safe sideways to get to and from locally. To be extra sure the neighbourhood is a safe and comfortable place to live, you should also do some research online and ask around. Hopefully, you'll get some honest feedback from locals in the area and they can notify you of any red flags.
Same Floor Bedrooms: Being a parent to young children is an especially demanding 24-hour job. This means, tending to your children in the middle of the night is almost certainly the case and you'll want to make this task as painless and easy as it can be! Keep in mind having to lug yourself up or down a flight of stairs to get to your child's bedroom will be a pain, especially when you're exhausted and grumbly. While a home with bigger or more bedrooms on opposite flights might seem appealing, it'll be less hassle for you in the long run if you opt for a home with all the bedrooms on the same floor, so you can tend to your kids easily and crawl back into bed in no time!
Spacious Kitchen: A large kitchen is a great feature for any home, but especially for a growing family. An open-concept kitchen provides plenty of space for those early school mornings, packing lunches and cooking breakfasts, as the family bustles around trying to get prepared for the day! Children are notoriously known for wanting to help out in the kitchen (even if that just means making a mess of things in the cutest ways possible). Give yourself some breathing room to scoot around them while cooking and save yourself the stress of trying to corral rambunctious and hungry kids all in a cramped kitchen.
Open Concept Living Space: Look for a living space that has plenty of room for the kids to play, but also space for you to observe! You'll want a home where you can go about your daily routine, with easy sightlines and access to your children at all times. The last thing you want is to have to leap over a couch or stub your toe on a coffee table because you are rushing across a congested living room to pry that Lego from your child's mouth. Having room to move around freely will help you breathe soundly, so you can go about your day with ease. Additionally, save space by purchasing a home with plenty of main floor storage. Look for homes with wall units, consoles, armoires, or similar storage items, either built-in or with room to install. Having a neat and tidy place to store toys, electronics, and other cluttering items will open your living room and make things feel bigger and brighter at home!
