Finding a Family-Friendly Home

By Kimberly Kennedy

Our first home may have had three bedrooms—but it certainly wasn’t child friendly! I worked with Comey & Shepherd agent J.J. Schnettler to come up with this A-list of things new parents should consider:

Convenience, like a first-floor bathroom for potty training and beyond; a first-floor laundry; an open floor plan for child visibility.

The future: Will the house be a childproofing nightmare? Will the home, neighborhood, school district serve you 5–10 years from now?

Play, like an extra room for play and toy storage; a flat outdoor play place for playing ball and riding a bike; proximity to neighborhood kids and a park.

Your budget: Be realistic about how much home you can afford and how much time you’ll have to remodel if considering a fixer-upper. Plus, “Look at windows, roof, furnace—the stuff that isn’t glamorous, but can cost you lots if you don’t pay attention to it,” says J.J.

Safety: Look for hidden dangers, like sewer drain pipes and bodies of water. How busy is the road, and would you prefer a fenced yard?