Home buyers with children are scouring properties looking for high-level items on their checklists, such as good schools and a room for a nursery. But some parents may later regret overlooking other factors in choosing the right home for their family. Realtor.com® recently featured an article for parent clients looking to buy and those overlooked factors they’d likely want to consider, including:
Bedroom placement
Parents may size up rooms but could fail to carefully consider the layout of the home and how it will work for them. Realtor.com®’s Cathie Ericson notes her regret from purchasing a home where the master suite was on the main floor and the nursery was upstairs. “While parents know to find a house with ample bedrooms for their kids, what they sometimes fail to factor in is where those bedrooms are,” writes Ericson. “Many parents prefer a layout where their kids’ bedrooms are fairly close to their own, since it keeps their kids within earshot at night. However, bedrooms on separate floors can work for parents who prefer a bit more privacy.”
The neighbors
It’s important to check out the neighbors who will be living next door and make sure the surrounding area is appropriate for a family. Ericson suggests checking The National Sex Offender Public Website to determine if any sex offenders are in the neighborhood.
View of the backyard
Parents may want to assess how well the line of sight is from the backyard to the inside of the home. Can they cook or clean while looking out at their children playing outside? While parents work from the study, can they see where their kids are playing? If parents don’t want to go outside with their kids each time, this may be important to emphasize, too.
Outside safety
Some parents will avoid homes on busy streets, but another outdoor factor that parents may overlook when home shopping is sidewalks, says Billy Rose of The Agency in Beverly Hills, Calif. “Sidewalks invite you to go for a family walk,” says Ali Wenzke, author of the book The Art of Happy Moving. “That’s the perfect place to set up a lemonade stand, and they make an ideal canvas to show off your mad art skills with sidewalk chalk.”
