Is your current home unsuitable for your growing family? Finding something new can be exciting and stressful in equal measures, there’s lots of different elements you’ll need to get right. Here are a few things to consider when finding the perfect new home for you and your young family.
Budget
First things first, when it comes to searching for a new home you’ll need to know what you can afford. If you already own a home, you can find out what it’s worth on a site like William Pitt, otherwise the bank will let you know what your maximum price is when you’re applying for your mortgage.
Once you have your budget, you can instantly narrow down your choices and start looking through the properties that you’re able to afford. While it can be nice searching through high end homes, it’s best to keep focused on the task at hand when you’re realistically looking for a place to live!
Space
Having enough space for a growing family can be a tricky one. As your children get older, chances are they’re going to want their own room. And if you’re not entirely sure that your family is completely, you might need to consider an extra room for another baby later down the line. If you work from home, will you need your own office?
Are the living spaces and garden big enough for your family to live and grow in? Be sure to take space seriously, at the very least, make sure you have room to extend later down the line if you need to.
Accessibility
When your children are small and you’re using a pram or pushchair every day, you need a home that’s going to be easy to get in and out of. For this reason, apartments or homes with lots of stairs to get up might not be the best option.
It’s something to consider when you’re drawing up the checklist of things you want your new home to have.
Safety
As a parent, keeping your child safe will be one of your absolute top priorities. So it makes sense that you’ll want to find a home that’s safe. Security is an issue to consider, you might not have the luxury of being able to live in a gated community, but do some research on the area.
There are lots of crime stats and other data you can find freely just from Googling. Properties that are right by main or busy roads can also be worth avoiding when you have kids, all it takes is for one door to be left open and you could have a small child wandering out into the road.
Things like swimming pools and large ponds can also be dangerous for children, if you plan on buying a home with these features then think about the costs involved in filling them in or fencing them off. Consider the overall safety and security of the place before you sign on the dotted line.