10 Things New (and Future) Parents Overlook When Buying a Home

Purchasing a family home is a thrilling milestone. Parents can’t help but envision all of the firsts that’ll occur within the walls of their new home, but for young families and new parents especially, it’s impossible to anticipate everything that the next few years will require, and often, essential features for a family home are overlooked. Read on to learn 10 things new and future parents often overlook when shopping for a family home.

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Family Homes and Their Proximity to Parks

Good school districts are incredibly important for young families and are often used to narrow down the neighbourhoods to house hunt within, but a second important geographical consideration are parks. Living within a short walk from a playground will prove incredibly valuable when your life revolves around trips to the nearest slide. A nice park in the neighbourhood also provides an opportunity to meet other families and make friends. If you’re considering making an offer on a home, scope out the closest playground and see how it feels walking from the house to the park, taking note of things like busy or quiet streets and whether the walk includes sidewalks.

Jason Briscoe

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Baby Proofing Stairs in a Family Home

A swanky set of stairs might entice a young couple (who doesn’t love making a grand entrance?) but once babies enter the picture, those stairs are an accident just waiting to happen. Obviously stairs are unavoidable to some extent, but it’s worth taking note of the style of stairs when you’re searching for a home and how easily they can be baby proofed with gates.

Christa Grover

3 / 10

Every Family Home Needs a Bathtub

Does the home you’re about to buy have a bathtub? If not, you’ll be bathing your babies in the sink, and good luck convincing a kiddo to take a shower. While many adults opt to rip out bathtubs in favour of spacious glass showers, parents will quickly realize how essential baths become for keeping kids squeaky clean.

Douglas Sheppard

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Entryway Storage in a Family Home

Kids are synonymous with clutter, especially when coming and going. Between cold weather accessories, sippy cups, and sunscreen, the stuff that piles up at the door can be overwhelming if left unchecked. Storage near the door, whether a little closet, full on mudroom, or even just space for a console or armoire, is crucial for keeping order (and your sanity) in a family home.

Mark McCammon

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A Family Kitchen With Great Flow

Cooking with kids is like having a sous-chef who’s secretly trying to sabotage your every move. They’re cracking eggs on the floor, sneaking treats from the cupboard, and hovering behind you, ready to trip you at every turn. A spacious kitchen, with optimal flow, will at least give you room to dance around your kiddo (but unfortunately, there’s no way to guard against those disappearing cookies).

Powder room with black and white diamond tile

Pexels

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A Powder Room for Potty Training

It’ll take one day of potty training to show parents just how crucial a main floor powder room is. When kids gotta go, they gotta go, and climbing a set of stairs when the urge hits them doesn’t always pan out, so unless you’re content to clean up accidents all day long, try to find a family home with a main floor bathroom.

Neon Brand

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Bedrooms on the Same Level

For parents with young kids, bedrooms across the same level of the home become a key feature when they’ve made their third trip between bedrooms at 4am. Climbing a set of stairs in the middle of the night, when you’re sleep deprived and the baby is wailing, is a true nightmare.

Brandon Morgan

8 / 10

A Safe Backyard With Clear Sight Lines

A great backyard is a wonderful asset for a family with young kids, especially one with clear sight lines so parents can sit and relax while still keeping a close eye on their kids at play. It’s also good to consider all the access points of your backyard, and how secure you’d feel with your older kids playing outdoors while you’re indoors. A great backyard should offer a little slice of peace and tranquility, and peace of mind.

Sidekix Media

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Main Floor Storage for Toys

Most young families look for homes with basement playrooms, which are great, but they’d be fools to think the toys and clutter will be contained to the lower level. Toys will eventually make their way to the main floor, to help occupy kids when parents are prepping meals, or doing household chores. If you have any hope of maintaining a clutter-free main floor, look for a family home with storage options. Even if it’s just a cupboard in the kitchen, having a hidden space to tuck away toys will make all the difference.

Rodnae Productions

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A Laundry Room Close to Bedrooms

This is a luxury but in more and more new builds, you’ll find laundry rooms on the second floor, next to the bedrooms. While not at all a necessity, this feature does make day-to-day chores a bit less taxing, especially in those newborn days when you’re doing laundry round the clock!