Looking At Houses This Weekend

abharrel

I'm not entirely sure if this counts as 'babies on the brain' but I'm going to be looking at houses this weekend (with my husband of course). Looking at houses and planning for a family in the future, what are some things to keep in the mind? I have thought about things such as school, neighborhood rating, crime rate, etc. Is there anything else I should think about?

jnnfrrose6

Where the kid's rooms would be.  Upstairs/downstairs, near the master, not near the master.  Which of these is important (or not) to you (our master is upstairs while the kid's rooms are on the main floor and I know there are plenty of people who wouldn't be comfortable with that).  Good play space inside and out.  Here's one we didn't think about, but now I'd pay attention to.  How tall is the bathtub?  The master bath is a soaking tub, so deep.  If I had to bathe the kids in that regularly it'd be pretty tough/uncomfortable.  Luckily the one in their bathroom is more standard and low/shallow.

bumpuser794640

Keep in mind where the kids' rooms are in relation to your main living spaces as well. We have one bedroom that adjoins the living room, so I wouldn't like to have a kid in there since we wouldn't be able to watch TV or have regular colune conversation in the living room after bedtime.

jennypolkadots

The perfect house usually will still require some compromise. We adore our house and I can't imagine having kids anywhere else... but it didn't have a fenced in yard and we have had to do some minor repairs/upgrades to make it how we want it. We bought it a few years before ttc knowing that we would spend a lot of money and time making it just perfect. We did the fence ourselves (in 30 degree weather!) and it cost about $6K and that had to be done immediately since we have dogs. We looked at other homes that would have been more move in ready for us, but they didn't have the perfect location near a park and we wouldn't have been happy long term. 

So have your list, but look at houses that may be missing one or two items that you could live without if you needed to. Keep your mind on the potential and long term plans for your family. 

SanRemo

The back deck is something to pay attention to. Also the slope of the back yard. How close the house is to the street, is it a busy street, is the driveway steep? Is there a basement, is it finished? How wide the indoor staircase is, you will need to put in a baby gate eventually so make sure it is not to wide at the bottom. I am a realtor and show a ton of houses + I have 2 kids and 3 dogs.

jnnfrrose6

jennypolkadots said:

The perfect house usually will still require some compromise. We adore our house and I can't imagine having kids anywhere else... but it didn't have a fenced in yard and we have had to do some minor repairs/upgrades to make it how we want it. We bought it a few years before ttc knowing that we would spend a lot of money and time making it just perfect. We did the fence ourselves (in 30 degree weather!) and it cost about $6K and that had to be done immediately since we have dogs. We looked at other homes that would have been more move in ready for us, but they didn't have the perfect location near a park and we wouldn't have been happy long term. 

So have your list, but look at houses that may be missing one or two items that you could live without if you needed to. Keep your mind on the potential and long term plans for your family. 

I'm going to disagree with this, but qualify it.  You don't have to compromise if you aren't in a hurry to buy.  We looked for well over a year until we found our house and we didn't have to compromise on anything in the end.  Then again, if you're in a hurry to buy for any reason, then yes, make sure you know what you are willing to compromise on.

abharrel

Thanks for the responses. A lot of things mentioned we have thought about (like a few houses we liked had a very steep back yard and not a lot of room to play). Some other things I did not think about such as the bathtub height as well as placement of rooms. It's a lot to think about but luckily we're not moving for a few more months. 

Katelobster

Having kid-friendly amenities in the vicinity is really nice, especially if you're going to be a SAHM. We live within walking distance of several parks, playgrounds, a community center with indoor pool, and a nice children's library. It has totally saved my sanity.

yvanehtnioj

do not underestimate the importance of freeway or busy road noise! We thought we would get used to it but we won't. This was our starter house anyway but I hate the fact that I can't sleep with my windows open or relax in my backyard with nothing but the birds.

bjdealerok

yvanehtnioj said:

do not underestimate the importance of freeway or busy road noise! We thought we would get used to it but we won't. This was our starter house anyway but I hate the fact that I can't sleep with my windows open or relax in my backyard with nothing but the birds.

On this topic, listen to all noises.  I didn't notice all the dogs barking until after we moved in.  Turns out the 5 houses around us (two next door, behind us, and next door to behind us) as well as another one a few houses down have multiple LOUD dogs that bark ALL DAY.  We can't even watch TV in our living room over the noise, let alone the fact that I work nights and sleep during the days.

SanRemo

Also check Great Schools.org and school digger for the school ratings and read what the parents are saying as well. You may be planning to go the private school route or home school but this information will be important in the long run.