What To Look For When Buying a Family Home

Guest Writer: Sally Norton

Image courtesy of Unsplash

So, you decided to purchase a new primary residence. Finally, a nest that will serve you well for raising your little ones. There are many things to look for when buying a family home. After deciding on the right size for your home, you'll need to balance each member's individual needs. It is not the easiest thing to do, but it's not impossible if you have some guidance, which we aim to provide.
​
First, find a good layout
The arrangement of the rooms in a house is one of the most critical considerations in determining whether or not it is appropriate for children to live there. Your rambunctious toddler will be easier to supervise in an open-concept living space, making it less likely that they will be able to hide in a corner or cranny that is out of your line of sight. It would be best if you also took notice of the distance that separates each of the bedrooms. Parents with a small kid who will wake up numerous times during the night may find it not ideal that the location of the master bedroom is far away from the other rooms in the house.

Image Courtesy Of Unsplash

You’ll want your toddlers to sleep safe and sound and not wander
​around in search of your room when having a nightmare.

​Storage space is the second thing to look for when buying a family home
When you are contemplating having children, one thing that people don't usually tell you is how many things you will need to buy for them. Toys, clothing, books, and even more toys pile up, particularly during the holidays and birthdays. For soon-to-be parents, the ideal home will either have sufficient storage space already installed or enough room for them to construct their storage solutions. Are there spacious closets in each of the bedrooms? Make sure that at least the closet is large enough to accommodate all of them:

• towels
• blankets
• sheets
• all the other items that you will have to cram into it

Check for outdoor space
Does the house you're thinking about buying have a safe backyard where your children can run about and play? When your tiny one can walk (or even more terrifyingly, run!), a modest deck or paved courtyard may not be enough space for them to explore their environment safely. If your home doesn't have a backyard, does it at least have a front yard? If so, does it have a fence around it to keep young children from wandering into the road?

Keep your little one in sight
If the property offers an area to play outdoors, make sure you can see it from inside the house. This can be useful once your children have reached the age when they can go outdoors and play by themselves but still need supervision.
​
Indoors - watch out for the stairs
Is there a significant number of steps in the home? If that's the case, they may be a cause for worry in terms of safety, particularly if you have children that have the explorer's spirit of a little Columbus. Moreover, the repair and remodeling of unsafe stairs can be one of the hidden costs when buying a home. Although you can always put safety gates in the areas that need them, it is something to consider since it is not a deal-breaker itself.

Image Courtesy Of Unsplash

Fancy stairs are great for interior design, but are they great for a family?​

​An inadequate kitchen means potential danger
Children like getting their little fingers in your cooking, particularly if there is a possibility that they may lick the icing off the beaters after it is all done. But kids and kitchens mean potential hazards. Therefore, kid-proofing the kitchen space is crucial. It can mean a simple and budget-friendly upgrade, such as replacing the hardware and adding child locks. Also, a growing family will not do very well in a kitchen that is on the smaller side and has limited space for both access and storage.

What should you look for?
You should look for a kitchen that has a sufficient amount of storage space. Also, give preference to one that is an integral part of an open-plan living area. This will allow you to keep an eye on your children even if they are in the living room while you prepare meals. In an ideal situation, you'll come across a kitchen with these characteristics and the ability to be gated off to keep tiny curious fingers away from hot burners and sharp knives.
​
Investigate the neighborhood
When searching for a new home, this is the question that every family asks (or ought to ask): "How near are the schools (and kindergartens, daycare facilities, etc.) to the property?" Then, how close do you want your house to be to your job? The quality of the schools themselves is just as crucial as their locations. It is only reasonable for parents to be worried about the quality of education provided by the schools in their community. If you want to have a good sense of the educational opportunities available in your neighborhood, you should chat with residents there and look at the information on government websites. 

Image Courtesy Of Unsplash

Your kids’ education is the most important thing.

​After everything is done – look for the right movers
Once you’ve found everything you were looking for in a house, it’s time to move. This is also an important part of buying a new family home. You’ll want to cooperate with professionals that will provide safe and simple transfer of your family. It’s a good idea to contact reliable residential movers as soon as you decide on buying your perfect new home since last minute arrangements may leave you with some less reliable companies.
​
Bottom line
There are many things to look for when buying a family home. It's not an easy task. But, once you go through every point in your checklist, you'll be sure that the chosen property is the right one. Then, you'll be ready to start a new and exciting life with your family.

​Sally Norton is a freelance copywriter based out of Miami, with a flare for writing optimized articles. Her experience is focused on moving, travel, real estate and overall guides to help people with some challenging projects and endeavors. In her spare time, Sally enjoys yoga and walks with her dogs - Mane & Rex.