Tips For Choosing Your Family Forever Home

When it comes to finding a new house for you and your family to live in, it’s not a decision that should be made lightly.

People looking to find a house with a ‘forever home’ appeal should have seven simple considerations to make sure they can find a happy home to live in for the rest of their lives (or at least until the kids fly the nest!)

But what is a ‘forever home’ and what are the differences between a starter home vs forever home? In the case of the latter, it basically means being able to find your own space that suits your current needs and is highly flexible for the changing needs of your family as it grows and your kids grow up.
There are a number of things that need to be considered to make sure you’re on the right path toward living in a home that can bring you happiness in the long term.

From the location of the property, to what it looks like on the inside and the potential for expansion and renovation, here are some of the top tips you need for choosing your family’s ‘forever home.’ 

How Much You’re Willing to Spend 

Having big dreams and aspirations for where you’re going to live and what type of house you have is all well and good, but it’s no good dreaming if you can’t afford it. It is a harsh reality that sometimes all we wish for is just a little out of reach for us. 

Think about what you can afford or how you can get more money together. Having a ballpark figure for your budget will help to narrow down your search and to be able to priorotize your list of requirements. Bear in mind that no matter how ‘turnkey’ you believe the property to be, you’re always going to want to have money aside to personalize the place to make it truly yours. In addition, moving services and packing boxes can become expensive very quickly, as well as any costs that come from needing additional furniture if you end up buying a bigger home. 

Don’t forget realtor fees, deposits, and survey fees on top of that! The property survey is a very important part of the home-buying process, so it is vital it is not forgotten. A survey will explore the house to discover any potential defects, floors, or potential risks to the structural integrity of the building. It can also be used to negotiate the price of the property. If you are unsure of any of the details surrounding a property survey, then you can find articles online and read up on how the property survey process works before you get started.

Where it Lands on the Map 

When looking for your ‘forever home’, one of the most important aspects of your search is to find the right location for you and your family’s needs–for now and in the future. 

Thanks to there being a huge amount of information available online about the local area, much of the information can be scoped out from your phone or laptop. You’d need to consider the location of the property. If you have a growing family, it might be tempting to live somewhere out of town with a large plot of land for them to enjoy, but if getting them to a local school will be problematic or take too much time out of your day then it may not be a wise idea to move there. Instead, try to opt for a location that is close to all schools from pre-k to high school so that you’re not having to find the ideal house and then moving a few years later as your kids grow. 

If you’re lucky enough to find a property with a range of schools, you should be able to look up how they are achieving and how the kids perform while they are there. If you have kids with additional needs, you’d also need to make sure that where you live is near places that can support them throughout their time in school, too. 

Do you need to be close to your family and/or friends? Consider the drive time to them, too. You don’t want to move too far away from them that you lose contact with loved ones or won’t be able to offer care for family members as they get older and need the additional support. 

For people who have to drive to work, you want to make sure that your commute won’t end up eating hours of your day–you want to be able to come home and enjoy time in the house and with your family instead of just going home to eat and sleep. Do your homework about an area and its reputation- you don’t want to fall in love with the best house in the worst area! 

Type of Property 

Do you need a 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home or will a 2 bedroom apartment suit you better? Want a project you can put your stamp on or are you looking for that turnkey experience you get when buying a new construction home? 

Your lifestyle and the size of your family will impact the type of property you need. For larger families with kids who love to run around, having outdoor space is important so that they get to run off some steam within the safety of their own home. Families with kids who want to be a little more independent, who are old enough to go out alone will need the assurance that they can do so safely–but that’s going back to the location of the property, too.
Smaller apartments are easier to keep clean and tidy but are not suited to bigger families who need the space to live comfortably. A townhouse is a great option for a family who wants to be close to neighbors and to feel a part of a community while still having the extra space at home. 

Value of Space 

When looking for a home, you want to consider where you are able to create spaces based on the interior of the home. Where does the value lie for you and your family? Many more people have begun and continued to work remotely from home, so the need to have space in order to do that comfortably is important. 

Kids will also need somewhere to play and to do school, too–as well as having a family space to socialize together. While there is value in being able to have the space to do your own thing, coming together is important too.
If you enjoy socializing and entertaining, having the space to do that is something you’d want to consider. Large, open plan living situations are increasing in popularity with many homes opening up to create a kitchen/ dining/ living space in the home as a multi-purpose option.

Additionally, having the scope for a quiet place to relax, unwind, reading and study is important for overall wellbeing and ensuring that the property is ‘the one’ that you will live in and adapt to overtime.

Interiors 

If you’re looking for a home that you don’t have to do much to in order to live comfortably then looking for a place with high quality fixtures and fixings as well as decoration are important if you don’t want to end up doing much to the property once you move on. 

However, as well as what it all looks like, you’re going to want to consider its layout, too. You will need to take the time to evaluate your lifestyle and to find a place that will accommodate toward it. Do you love to cook for the family? How big do all the bedrooms need to be to accommodate for everybody? How many bathrooms do you need? Will guests be staying with you regularly enough to warrant an additional room? As well as having all of the space available, you want to make sure it works long term. A small room coming off the master bedroom may seem like a great idea when you have a baby or toddler, but by the time the kids are older and into their teens, they’re going to want and need their privacy! 

Potential to Extend for Future Plans 

Since the home you’re looking for is set to be your ‘forever home’, you should also consider the property’s scope to be extended in the future. Not only will this allow for any change in your family’s personal needs, but also add to the potential raise in value if you look to sell in the future. 

Investing in the increase of space in your home is better than needing to move again–especially if your home delivers in other important areas such as being in the ideal location! Looking into this will also involve knowing whether you are legally allowed to extend the home and in what way.

Some older properties may be built in a way that won’t allow for much in the way or renovation (instead of restoration!) or be able to cope with too much in the way of additions being made. 

Finally, when looking for your forever home, it’s worth reminding yourself that a property is one of the biggest purchases that one can make. It’s not something to be taken lightly or rushed into–especially when you’re going to want to be putting down your roots for a while. 

Look for something that offers you and your family the comfort and flexibility to be living there for a long time in the future.