What to consider in your next home (if you have young kids – like I do)
As I write, I am a working mom and wife in her mid-30s. I have two sons (or three, if you count my truly wonderful husband?) – one in elementary school and one in preschool, and a career in real estate that started nearly 13 years ago. Because I’m a mother, I know the incredible joy our children can bring; and, because I’m a mother, I know the incredible challenges that can result from those same children. If you happen to be in a similar situation/stage of life, it’s likely you, like me, are looking for ways to make your life just a bit easier. If so, and if you’ve been considering a move – this is for you!
This is the first in a series of posts I’ll be writing where we consider some of the obstacles parents deal with, and how these obstacles may influence the next home you buy. It would be nearly impossible to find all of the features we will discuss in these posts in one home, but maybe you can find one or two; maybe these ideas will stir in you a different way of thinking through what you really want in a home. With that, let’s start by considering two of the issues parents run into.
Needing a safe and easy outdoor play area for your kids
If your kids, like mine, have a seemingly endless well of energy, you might consider a property where sending them outside to play is easy. Because it’s not likely you’d want the kids out front without some sort of supervision, living in a home on or near a busy street would be the opposite of easy. But a home on a quiet street, maybe even on a cul-de-sac, would create far less stress/concern – which would certainly make your life easier. Or, consider a home with a small backyard, with nothing to play in or on, and with no room for toys or games. This would likely result in a kid who is bored (and as we know, a bored kid is not an “easy” kid). But a home with a larger/enclosed backyard means the kids will have room to run, play, invent and explore. And if you want the kids to be lost in fun for hours on end, look for a home with a great tree. For more on how one tree can make your life with kids easier, read the tribute my partner, Devin, wrote to his honey locust tree.
Not only do you need the kids to get outside, but you need to get out, too
I don’t know about you, but sometimes we just really, really need to get outside as a family. With this in mind, I suggest you look for a home that doesn’t leave you “landlocked.” Our family really enjoys riding bikes, so we love the idea of having bike trails that are both nearby and are easily accessible. I’ve lived in otherwise great neighborhoods in the past where great bike trails were nearby but were blocked by busy streets. It never occurred to me how much easier life would have been if those same trails were more easily accessed. Loading up bikes and kids in the car in order to go for a ride on a trail is not low stress, but hopping on our bikes at home, and making our way to the trail through our neighborhood is. Easy access to trails that lead to fun places, like the many wonderful parks in our community and Old Town, is something that is important to us, and maybe something you want to consider.