The Top 5 Things to Look for When House Shopping with Kids

Whether you are building a custom dream home or shopping for an already built home, these are our top 5 things that you should look for to make your life with kids run smoothly and efficiently.

Location

This seems like a no-brainer, but have you considered which school district your potential home falls into?  The distance from the school?  These good considerations too take into account when purchasing a home.

Laundry Room

While it may not be your first thought when you are looking for a house, with kids, a fully functional laundry room is a must.  Look for a laundry room on the first floor of the house, does it double as a mudroom?  Even better.

Built-In Storage Options

Top heavy furniture can be a problem for small children and circumventing that problem, while saving yourself a bit of money (by not spending it on unneeded furniture) is entirely possible with built-ins in living spaces.  Also look for built-in storage in closets, the mudroom or laundry room, as well as the entry way which will all help cut down on clutter and keep spaces neat and tidy.

Bathrooms

A kid-friendly bathroom is another important feature to look for in a home.  Kids usually need a large tub with plenty of room for an adult to be around to supervise.  Consider how much storage space you will need for toiletries, toys, and plenty of towels.  The master bathroom is also something to consider as a private space with no kids can be a wonderful retreat to call your own when you need a break.

Stairs that have room for a safety gate

Beyond a safety gate, think about the railings and steps themselves.  Can a child get their head stuck between the railings?  Or slip through them?  If your children are past the stage of bumbling around and exploring on their own, this is not something you necessarily need to consider, but if you have a child who is learning to crawl or walk, this is a good area to carefully consider.

Fresh Laundry Room Design Ideas

In the past, laundry rooms were often an afterthought when designing a dream home.  Recently, they have been making an appearance alongside the kitchen as an essential part of your house that should also be given proper attention with ease of use and aesthetic appeal in mind.

 

 

If you’re stumped on ideas for your custom home’s laundry room design, here are our favorites to get you started.

  1. Floors that are durable and easy to clean.

Laundry rooms are going to see a lot of use and the floor needs to be durable and easy to quickly clean.  Large tiles in a pattern that doesn’t show dirt are a great option for this room.  Wood flooring isn’t always a good choice for laundry rooms because of the chance of flooding but you can get tiles with the look of wood.  Or get a little crazy and choose a fun, bold pattern for your flooring.

  1. Install a sink.

Every laundry room should have a sink in which to wash delicates, pre-soak stains, or to clean up.  If you’re only going to do one thing for your laundry room, install a large easy-to-clean sink.

  1. Make your laundry room your mudroom.

If you’ve planned to have a mudroom in your house, this could be the perfect place to serve double-duty and be your laundry room as well.  This keeps the mess in one place and swimsuits, muddy boots and clothes, can all stay in this space instead of being tracked through the house.

  1. Thoughtful cabinetry and shelving.

Plenty of shelving is essential for your laundry room.  These are for storing clean linens, laundry supplies, laundry baskets, and other odds and ends you’ll want to keep in the laundry room.  The laundry room is a great place to store your ironing board or even in which to iron, install a long rod where you can hang freshly washed clothing that needs to air dry as well as just ironed clothing to keep it from wrinkling while you finish the job.

  1. Windows to let in natural light.

Natural light is a beautiful addition to any laundry room, if you have the option of putting in a window or two, go for it!  You’re going to be in and out of this room with laundry and ironing, and natural light will keep it from feeling stuffy or cave-like.

What is your favorite design idea for laundry rooms?  Share in a comment below, we’d love to hear from you.