Whether it’s your first time buying a home or you’re looking to trade up, you probably have a long wish list of the features you want. You’ve heard the advice that you should plan now for the life you’ll be leading in a few years, right? Well, maybe it’s time to think about choosing a home for the family you don’t have .. yet.
Even if kids are still a distant, it makes a lot of sense to search out a home you won’t have to immediately sell whenever you do start a family. And even if you never plan on having a family, it pays to be aware of what parents are looking for – because one day, you’ll probably sell whatever house you buy. And more likely not, parents will be the buyers. Whether you choose a smaller home in an urban neighborhood to be close to attractions, or you opt for a bigger family home in the suburbs, the layout needs to work for a majority of potential buyers at resale time.
Either way, when you don’t have young kids running around you might not recognize potential safety and logistical issues. So here’s a list of considerations to get you started.
-Will you be comfortable with having kids’ bedrooms on different levels, which is common in older homes?
-How close do you want the master bedroom to be by the kids’ bedrooms?
-How close are secondary bedrooms to bathrooms?
-Is the backyard fenced in?
-Will you have a direct line of sight from the kitchen or family room to the backyard to keep an eye on the children?
-Do you want an eat in kitchen or a separate dining room for big family dinners?
-What are the ratings of nearby schools?
-What is the crime rate of your target neighborhoods?
It’s difficult to gauge these items until you’ve walked through properties and drive around the neighborhoods. Look for things like how close the home is to busy streets and if there’s space for kids to play. Of course, no house is perfect but you should look at properties you can expand or remodel to better suit your needs as time and money allow.
In the end, classic real estate wisdom holds true, whether or not you’re a future parent : Choosing a home is an emotional decision, but it’s also a major investment; don’t discount it’s resale value down the road.
