Designing Your Family-Friendly Dream Home
Whether you already have kids or are planning to have kids, take a little extra time to factor them in to your new home design. When you build your own house, you want one that will lasts a lifetime, not one that you will quickly outgrow. Here are some things to consider when designing and building your new family home.
- Storage Space – You will accumulate a lot of stuff over the years, whether it’s outgrown clothes, games, toys, or books, you are going to have to put it all somewhere. Think about closets, built-in bookshelves, attics, and how you want to use your space.
- Kitchens – Kitchens are essential to family-friendly design. Your kitchen should be inclusive and spacious enough to accommodate all the members of your family. Breakfast nooks, computer stations, large food prep areas, and easy-access cabinets are all features to consider when building your kitchen.
- Laundry and Mudrooms – Kids are messy. If you want to have some control over where the messes end up, a well-designed laundry room and a well-placed mudroom are essential. You could combine the two rooms as well to further corral the dirt and mud.
- Outdoors and Garage – A patio, porch, or deck is another great attribute for a family home. If you will have a lot of younger kids around, perhaps screen-in your outdoor areas so kids can safely play outside. Make sure your garage can handle a family-sized vehicle AND all outdoor accessories and toys like bikes, balls, and gardening tools.
- Technology – Plan for all the technology in your house – computers, gaming consoles and accessories, televisions, stereos, and appliances. Strategize with your builder where to place outlets and learn how optimize your home for wireless technology.