We have discussed why buying a home is the best life decision. We have also talked about the red flags to look out for when buying a home. As a parent, however, your checklist needs to be a little bit different. This is because you have to look out for your kids. By so doing, you ensure a safe and habitable environment not only for you but for them as well. Here is a checklist of the important items you need to look out for. Let us call them kid-friendly features.
Placement of the Bedrooms
As a parent, you need your toddlers’ room to be close to yours. This will make it easier for you to monitor the activities in their rooms. However, it is different for some parents who have kids who are a bit older. In such a case, your bedrooms may be far apart. If the house is a maisonette, for example, you can even be a floor apart. This will give you some much needed peace and quiet.
View of The Backyard
If your home has a yard, ensure you can easily monitor your kids. This could be done from the bedroom or the living room. A yard that can be viewed from these two places enables you to see what your kids are up to. To add to that, you will not have to go outside. The idea is, you can be cooking, reading or even ironing, but your eyes will be on them.
Check the Positions of Electricals
Kids are naturally hyperactive and run around the entire house. Make sure all switches are placed beyond their reach. Little ones may just switch on the water heater for the fun of it. As such, it can be extremely detrimental. You want to make sure that they are not at an easy reach of these. Older kids can be explained to the harm that can come from playing with electricity. However, for the very little ones, you may want to avoid this altogether.
Amenities that are Close By
As a parent, you may not want to drive miles away to take your kids to play or even to see a doctor. Ensure your neighborhood has exemplary social amenities that will cater to you. Parents in neighborhoods like Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Lavington and Hurlingham say most times they don’t have to leave their environs for such. The reason is, their kids go to school just around, play at the malls on weekends and visit the closeby hospitals for emergencies.
As a parent, stick to this checklist when buying a home.