Because both a child and a house is expensive to have, family planning and home buying should go hand-in-hand. If you are planning to have kids or already have one on the way, here are some important factors you need to consider when choosing the perfect home:
1. School district
Kids grow up crazy fast, and before you know it, they’re on their way to their first day of school. Thus, choosing a good school district is one of the most crucial steps in choosing the perfect home for your family. For example, if you’re looking at house and land packages around Melbourne West, look up the school district as well. Get to know the different schools in the area through online sources, realtors, the students, or by touring the schools yourself.
2. Safety
When you become a parent, the safety of your child is one of your utmost priorities. So when choosing a home, avoid features that can potentially lead them to harm, such as steep steps, nearby ponds, and balconies. Moreover, choose an area that is considered safe and secure for kids, ideally one that has little to no crime rate.
3. Size
The number of kids you plan to have determines the amount of space you need for your future home. For this reason, family planning should be done simultaneously–if not before–finding the right house. How many bedrooms do you need for your future kids? How much living space do you think will be enough for the entire family? How many bathrooms will be enough for everybody?
Don’t forget to consider storage space as well. As children grow up, so do the number of their belongings, so make sure to look at closet space, storage areas, and attic/basement sizes when touring houses, too.
4. Flexibility
If you want your house to be a forever home, select one that can be modified throughout the years as your family’s needs change. For example, can the home office be converted into a bedroom if you decide to have one more child? Or inversely, can a bedroom be converted into a home office or gym when your child grows up and moves out? Think ahead. If the house doesn’t seem ideal for your family 10 or 15 years in the future, move on to the next option.
5. Floor plan
The floor plan is another crucial factor you have to consider if you’re planning on having kids, as some floor plans are not as child-friendly as you may think. Take an open floor plan for example. If you’re cooking in the kitchen and your baby is in the living room, an open floor plan will allow you to watch over them without moving from room-to-room. Moreover, consider the placement of the bedrooms. When you have children, you want their bedrooms to be far from the living spaces to avoid disturbing their sleep.
Whether you plan to have kids in the next five years or ten years from now, consider their needs before choosing a forever home. And to do that, plan ahead, at least 18 years into the future, and base your choices on your family’s current and future needs.
