What to look for when buying a family home

After just over a year of us all being locked away in our houses, it’s not surprising that so many of us are looking to move to a new house at the moment. Those little things that may have irritated us about our homes before the lockdowns have become big issues, as we have been forced to stare at them all day every day for so long. Whether you are thinking about starting a family in the near future or you already have a family, there are some really important things to consider when looking for your next family home. Lizz Banks is a mum of two and the Co-Founder of The Parenting Daily, here she shares the things that she is looking for when viewing potential family homes.

Storage space – This is the first thing I look at when I’m viewing a potential new home, that beautiful hallway in the show home may not look so beautiful when you are squeezing around pushchairs or the many bags that you need to go anywhere! Children come with an unbelievable about of ‘things’. In my experience, the younger the child, the more space you need to hide of all their belongings. When you have a baby there are portable car seats, prams and changing bags that are constantly being brought in and out of the house. Day to day you need space for highchairs, baby bouncers, playpens and play mats. As they get older the big items become less needed but then comes the influx of toys. We are at the school stage now, I thought I would get more space back as the toys seem to get smaller, so you can organise it a bit better and start keeping toys in their bedrooms. Then I was introduced to all the things they need for school… day to day bags, pe bags and lunch boxes now fill my hallway on a daily basis. So, make sure your new home has some good cupboard space or a Utility room to try and store all of these things.
A downstairs loo – this comes in really handy for when you are toilet training! Getting children used to using the loo is great and it means you don’t have to have a potty laying around (which is just one extra thing to clean!).
A viewable back garden – My children spend hours outside and being able to watch them from the kitchen window means that I can be getting on with making the dinner whilst ensuring they are safe.
Open plan living – Now this one is really down to personal preference, but when mine were younger I loved having an open plan living space where I could always see the children. If you have the luxury of being able to afford a house which has a family style kitchen/living area where you can spend your days with the children, then a separate living room you can escape to in the evening you really are on to a winner.
Local Schools – Always look at the catchment your new home will be in for primary and secondary schools. When I was looking at a new home, I looked at a list of schools that I really wanted my children to attend, then I focused on looking at homes in those areas.

I really hope these tips help you to find your happy family home! If you have any ‘must haves’ for your family, please let me know in the comments below.

The Parenting Daily is a Unique Parenting website, aiming to provide the latest news, advice and activity ideas for families.