If you are planning on buying for the first time or relocating and living in a different state, there are a lot of factors to consider. 

In the same way, you review and consider which bike to buy your kids, you need to consider and pick your new family home with the same care and attention. 

When moving your family, it is never easy, and you most likely have a range of thoughts and emotions circulating through your mind. With this guide, the process of looking for and finding your next family home will be easier and a lot less stressful. 

A Family Home

If you are actively thinking of buying a family home for you all to live in, the chances are that you are planning to remain in that property for a good few years. This means that when you are choosing the right one now, you need to start thinking ahead.

You don’t just want a property that suits your needs and requirements now, you want one that will continue to meet your family’s needs as they continue to grow and your family life continues to evolve. 

This could be ensuring you have the space for a home office, land for a pet in the future, or ensuring that your new property will be child-friendly. 

Whether you are thinking of having children in the next few years or have them already, you need to consider what their needs will be and how they will continue to change. For example the needs for a baby are different from that of a teenager. 

The Location Is Crucial

Many factors can be altered when purchasing a home. You can redecorate, rearrange the furniture, or increase the square footage by adding an extension.  

What you can’t change is the location of your home. Given how quickly neighborhoods change and certain locations can become popular overnight, taking location into account can be crucial. 

When choosing a location for your family, you not only want to consider the financial investment of buying the property and its future returns, but you need to consider how viable the location is with your family’s needs. 

Consider Local Schools And Daycare

Whether you have children already or not, looking into the local schools is a crucial part of deciding which property is going to be right. 

You can access reports surrounding all of the local schools. Understanding the options for childcare and school should be high on your priorities when looking for a suitable family home. Your child will be spending years there, and to get the most of their education they will need a good provider. 

It is also worthwhile going and viewing them before making any offers on any property. You can learn about a school based on how the staff interacts and how they engage with you and your children. 

Transport Links

Even if you drive, understanding the local transport links and options is another important factor to consider. 

As your children get older they will want independence and to be able to get themselves from A to B. Ensuring that you have transport links available will allow you the opportunity to allow your child or future children to be able to build up their independence. Plus it saves you needing to constantly be having to drive them and be their personal chauffeur. 

Check Out What Is Available For Your Children Locally

Even if you don’t have children already, it is important to ensure that you know what child-friendly activities are around. 

Parents know and appreciate that although these are miniature humans they have more energy than the majority of us. Unless you want to constantly have them running wild around your home, you will most likely want child-friendly or oriented options close by where they will be able to release their energy. 

Seeing if you have local parks or play centers can be a combination of your worst nightmare and ideal childs escape. In addition to local play zones, are there kids clubs or activities locally? Having local clubs and activity groups near your new home will allow you to nurture your child’s interests and allow them to develop other skills outside of just purely educational. 

What You Need From The Property

It is worth looking at the property from the viewpoint of what you need now, as well as what you will want in the future. Considering aspects such as the:

Outdoor Space

When viewing properties, is there a safe outdoor area where your children can play in the home you’re considering? 

When babies and children grow and develop, so does their curiosity. Once they have the capability to walk, run and explore, having a small or confided decking area or courtyard may not be engaging enough or practical. 

It isn’t uncommon to find properties lacking in large rear gardens, especially when multiple properties are packed into single blocks and developed spaces. But, even if the property doesn’t boast a large back garden, is there a front yard? If there are, what measures are in place to stop your little one from wandering into the main street or road? Or is there a secure communal garden that they can play in? How accessible is it from your property?

Remember to double-check that if the house has an outdoor play area, it is visible from inside the house. This will be useful when your children are old enough to run outside and play on their own but still young enough for you to keep an eye on them. 

A Good Layout In The Property

The layout is vital in determining how child-friendly the property will be. If you are considering children soon or have little ones, having an open plan layout can make it easier for you to continually see the children and ensure they are behaving. When properties have lots of little hidey-holes or the ability for your child to be out of sight you might find them getting in mischief a little quicker. 

However, as children get older they will start to value their own privacy so having a property with a basement or spacious bedroom will allow you to provide the privacy they crave when they are bigger. 

Not only do you want to consider how many bedrooms you need, but you will want to factor in the layout of the rooms and how close they are to yours. When you have younger children there is a tendency for them to not always sleep through the night consistently. 

Having a large distance between your room and theirs isn’t always ideal if you have or are planning to have a young family. 

Family Rooms

There are plenty of rooms where you will want to be able to interact with your children and enjoy their company. 

When viewing properties you will want to review these rooms specifically. Having a large living room that can accommodate their toys and be adapted to support their imagination is important. Of course, it is nice to be able to sit back and unwind but until your child is old enough they will require a lot of supervision. So unless you are planning on staying in a dedicated playroom, having the space in your family room is crucial. 

Another family oriented room that you need to consider is the kitchen. They say food is the way to a person’s heart, so it only makes sense that the room where food is prepared is part of that concept. 

Kitchens have evolved and now are seen to be more than just a place to cook and wash the plates. Kitchens are now a social room. It is a place where you sit together and enjoy meals, a place where conversation takes place and your family can bond over food. 

It is also a place where your children can develop their love of food and cooking. This can only take place however when the kitchen is large enough to accommodate more than one person occupying the space at a time. 

Ample Storage Options

If you are thinking of having children, you may not be aware of how much stuff they require. It isn’t as simple as having space for another human being in your home, but having an abundance of clothes, toys, books, furniture and across the different holidays this continues to increase. 

Whether you have children now or are planning to be parents soon, opting for a home with ample storage is a must. If the properties that you are considering don’t have much storage built in, consider if there is enough space for you to install your own or have additional furniture items to house these items in the future. 

Along with planning for future storage you will also want to take stock of the storage that is incorporated into the property. Is the linen clipboard big enough to house not only the towels and bedding you have now but does it have enough space when you will need to add more?