Are you a new parent? Then you may be thinking of buying a new home. With a bit of planning and some legwork, you can get into your dream home and start making memories with your growing family.
Before you call a real estate agent and start home shopping, there are several things you need to consider. Take a look at the following tips for new parents. Keep these in mind before, during, and after your dream home hunt.
Square Footage
Determining precisely how much room you’ll need in your new home is imperative prior to beginning your dream home hunt. It may be better to look for a larger home if you plan on growing your family. This could mean moving out to the suburbs, where families generally get more bang for their buck. Just make sure to balance the location with any work or school commutes and access to city amenities.
Maybe you’re ready to graduate from your starter home into your next dream home; then, you are already aware of how important square footage is to your home. Some people will sacrifice location for size or look for a smaller home in their dream location with multiple storage options.
Just remember that your home will have to continue to grow with you and your family, so take your time with your decision. You don’t want to buy a home out of your price range or wind up in something too small, be sure to have a plan before you begin your search.
Location
Your home’s location will affect everything in your life outside of the home itself, potentially including your occupation and certainly the distance to your place of employment, educational resources, and your family’s social and recreational activities. Start by doing some practical research into the areas at the top of your list for likely neighborhoods. Sites like AreaVibes, NextDoor and NeighborhoodScout allow you to type in an address and you’ll get information about liveability, home values, crime rates, and other unique factors about your prospective neighborhood.
Pro tip: Contact the city planning department to find out if there are any significant plans for the area that could impact your opinion of the home and its future resale value.
Schools
Once you’ve considered the ideal educational experience for your family, start researching the best fit. If you’re moving to a new location entirely, you can again use the internet to gather information. Sites like National Center for Education Statistics will provide data for each school district, such as student/teacher ratio and demographics and GreatSchools.org uses several factors and filters beneficial to a parent shopping school districts. They also include user reviews so you will be able to read what real parents think of the school’s performance to help make a well-informed decision.
Home Maintenance
Deciding how much time and money you want to spend maintaining your home with a new family is critical. While a home with a hot tub on a huge lot may sound great on paper, these things can require a hefty amount of upkeep. Set yourself up for success by determining what kind of budget you have for home upkeep and maintenance and how much time you’ll have to devote to those endeavors.
Keeping your home clean, organized, and proactively maintained is a good thing. It not only benefits the home as a structure, but it also helps homeowners feel better and families grow up safer, knowing how to take care of their dwelling.
So, gather the family for some fun cleaning games, or crank up your favorite jams and sing and dance your way through your chores. And remember, as a Hippo customer, you can always reach out to a Hippo Home Care expert, free of cost, to work with you to identify and troubleshoot any home issues, 24/7.
Bedroom Locations
When touring homes, be mindful of the number of bedrooms and bathrooms but also the placement of those rooms. You’ll most likely want your children’s bedrooms to be within earshot of your own so that you are able to respond quickly if needed. That’s why you may want to reconsider a home with the master bedroom on a different floor or far removed from the other bedrooms.
Babyproofing
Making sure your child avoids injury when they begin to crawl and walk around your new home is serious business. Pay attention to details such as the location of heat vents or radiators, water temperature from faucets, and where best to install baby gates. You’ll also want to babyproof cabinets and closets in rooms like the bedrooms, bathrooms and the kitchen. Pay special attention to any power outlets that may be within reach. There are also plenty of devices out there to make the baby-proofing process easier, which we break down in our guide to baby-proofing tech.
Emergency Preparedness
Regardless of whether you’re a planner or more of a “go with the flow” type, it’s essential to have a good idea of what your family would do in the case of an emergency. Knowing where you would go, what you would take from your home, who you would call and how you would evacuate your furry friend ahead of time, can save you valuable moments during an emergency and reduce stress. Check out our Emergency Preparedness Kit checklist or the Hippo Blog for more essential information on seasonal prep for you and the family.
The Yard
If the home has a front yard, backyard or both, there are some special factors to consider. The majority of your yard should be visible from high-traffic rooms like the kitchen or living room. Does the yard border on a road? How busy is the street? Is there a fence and is it properly maintained? If there are any water features like a pond or pool, is there a way to prevent children from going near it unaccompanied? Your home's outside needs to be just as safe as the inside, so taking the time to address any areas of concern will allow you to rest easy.
Smart Home Devices
If your dream home doesn’t already have smart home devices, you might consider investing in this technology. A Smart Home can provide real-time updates on everything from water leaks to abnormally humid conditions in your home.
There are also many smart home devices created specifically for new parents. Besides the obvious baby monitor and smoke/CO (carbon monoxide) detector, there are also ways to set up your smart home hub to allow for more control of your home (which you may be thankful for when your hands are full caring for the baby). Everything from controlling the music and locks to your home’s thermostat and lighting.
Because insurance companies love these smart home devices, you can save quite a bit on your home insurance premiums. At Hippo, we provide a smart home kit to every qualifying customer to do our part in helping to protect you and the things that matter most. Your family and your home.
Home Insurance
Whether you have a bundle of joy on the way or already hear the pitter-patter of little feet across your new home’s floors, now is the best time to update your home insurance. Make sure to indicate any improvements you have made to your home for your new tyke, like a new roof or smart home devices.
When you’re buying the home where you want to raise your children, you want to guarantee comfort and safety. So keep these tips in mind next time you visit an open house. And when its time to move, make sure you read up on our guides on moving with children and hiring a babysitter.
Just give us a call, we have specialists available to assist you day or night. If you don’t have much time, get a quote online in 60 seconds or less.
