Are you ready for a home with a white picket fence in suburbia for your growing family? It’s only natural that when you decide to settle down you think of the traditional house to grow that family. You’ll get plenty of space, a nice yard, and hopefully friendly neighbors.
Yet, not every family has the same needs so you do have to know what you’re looking for. A family house is not going to be the same for everybody so you have to choose wisely to avoid making a costly mistake.
Buying a home is exciting, but it is also daunting. In this article, we will go over several things to think about when looking for the perfect family home.
Location
It’s pretty much a cliche these days to stress that the three most important factors when buying property are location, location, and location. However, what the location is that’s best for you may not be best for somebody else. There is no standard when it comes to which location is most convenient or best.
For example, the most expensive homes in Arizona are often found in the bustling city of Scottsdale, while other people may prefer a more laid-back lifestyle in towns like Carefree or Cave Creek. When considering location, think about what kind of community you want to live in.
You’ll need to evaluate a few things to understand where you should even begin to look. For instance, if you work in downtown Toronto, then your best bet is to look outside the city at a distance that you would be comfortable commuting. There is plenty of Ontario real estate that will get you close to the city so you have access to commuter trains or the highway.
If you work remotely, you have different options so you are free to choose a location based on your lifestyle. If you like being close to nature then a rural house is good as long as it has a stable internet connection and is close to schools for the kids.
Research The Schools
Unfortunately, not all schools are created equal. The quality of the schools highly depends on how the local district handles them. Some school boards are excellent and others fall way short of what good education looks like.
One of the first steps, after you’ve decided on a rough location of where you would like to live, has to be to dig in on the research on what the schools are like there. There is usually data online where you can check things like graduation rates and teacher rankings. You should also join some online forums for that area and ask the people living there how they find the schools.
Check The Condition Of The Home
You’ve settled for an area that has the right location, you like what you are reading about the schools, and even have a house picked out. Now you have to do a home inspection. This is standard but the things you are looking for when you have kids will make the inspection a little different.
The main focus at this point is the safety of the home. Make sure you understand what hazards could pose a problem for your family. Stairs that are not easy to block off will be a problem with toddlers. If there is a pool then you need to make sure it is securely able to close.
Think ahead at the things you are likely to face during each phase of the child’s development and how the house will affect safety.
Featured image: Pixabay (Pexels).
