As a new parent, soon to be parent, or a young family – you may be looking into purchasing a new home. Today we want to share a number of things to consider when you’re buying that new home that might be overlooked.
Potential Deal Breakers
Number of stairs
The amount of stairs and types of stairs. This might not seem like a big deal, but there are a few things you need to think about. Are there stairs to enter the home? This might be a pain to be able to drag a stroller in and out for your daily stroll – not to mention potentially unsafe for younger kids on the move.
Inside the home, the more stairs you have the more you may need to look into baby proofing. You’ll want to limit access points were your kid will wander off. The type of stairs may determine how much extra baby proofing you need.
Facing a major road
The roads can be busy and the ability to get in and out of your house might not be as easy. As your kids get older, you don’t want them running out into the street.
Available play space
You’ll want at least one area where you think you can convert into a play area for your kid. Without one, you may be looking to upgrade sooner than you would like.
Bonus points if you’re able to have the luxury of watching your kid from the kitchen.
Bathroom location & size
Ideally you have a washroom on the main floor or separate from your own personal bathroom. This way you don’t have guests using your personal bathroom and potentially wiping their wet hands on your towel. Otherwise you might want to consider removing all bath towels before your guest arrives. This way you can place them back in once they leave (and maybe sanitize your toilet).
For sizing, when it’s just the two of you – you might not mind. Adding one extra human, this can feel tight. But if you have an option to choose, going bigger can’t hurt.
Garage
When you’re thinking about getting in and out of the house, there’s a lot of extra work to remove snow from your car during the winter months. A garage would also be more comfortable putting in a fighting toddler in its carseat too.
Old homes and lead paint
There’s a good chance that your home has lead-based paint if it was built before 1960s. This is a concern especially for pregnant women and young kids. Also you’ll want to think twice about removing it. To learn more, we recommend visiting the Health Canada website.
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/home-safety/lead-based-paint.html
Other minor things:
Fire Hydrant
Guest can’t park in front of your house.
Corner houses
Require more maintenance – especially during the winter months. But then you do have a nice view!
What are other factors you consider when buying a home?
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