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Original poster

What makes a perfect home for raising children?

81 replies

Yoozanaim · 26/03/2019 18:29

Other than all that mushy love stuff! Grin

We are currently looking at relocating for work and this being our final move until maybe the kids fly the nest. Currently aged four and eight. What do you look for? (Modest. We do not have an excessive budget (for the area).)

I'm considering the house itself and the surrounding area in which they grow up.

I have on my list:

  • Village/good community vibe/spirit
  • Good access to extra-curricular activities and clubs etc
  • A good swimming pool (slides etc - well, certainly my children would like this!)
  • Green open spaces and not too polluted by traffic and industry
  • Safe/low crime
  • A big enough garden for a kickabout/running about and growing things
  • A bedroom each (I have a boy and a girl)
  • Well-served by public transport for us now but also when the kids are teens and getting around independently
  • A cul-de-sac - though I suppose we could move to one and there be no other kids to play with. So I don't know how much to hang on this one.
  • A garage or shed so the bikes and scooters aren't in the hall as we come in (as they are now, argh, hate it).
  • Good internal storage

Anything I am overlooking - I really don't want to move again during their childhood and want to get this as right as possible, not least cos moving costs a fortune.

OP posts:
Original poster
Yoozanaim · 26/03/2019 18:30

(To clarify - I mean a good local pool to go to - NOT a pool on our property.)

OP posts:
Original poster
Yoozanaim · 26/03/2019 19:30

Bump!

OP posts:
greenwhitefrog · 26/03/2019 19:52

A good size kitchen/diner - having space for the children to help me with the cooking, to do their homework at the kitchen table while I'm cooking/clearing up etc means we all spend more time together as a family. The kitchen really is the 'heart of the home' cliched though that is.

ThanksItHasPockets · 26/03/2019 20:03

Maybe this is so obvious that you didn’t think it necessary to include, but schools, both in terms of accessibility and quality. We have the very great privilege that our easy walk to school is through a lovely park and I am honestly grateful every day that I get to do it.

bilbodog · 26/03/2019 20:04

You probably want a town with some everyday shops rather than a village - particularly if you want the kids to be able to take themselves out when they get older.

Liverbird77 · 26/03/2019 20:06

In terms of house, personal space, clutter free and welcoming/large enough to accommodate friends.
Area...great school and amenities which they can easily access alone when old enough (sports/pool/access to shops).

YippieKayakOtherBuckets · 26/03/2019 20:07

In most parts of the country ‘village’ and ‘good public transport’ are mutually exclusive. As a pp says you’re probably looking for a town.

user1494670108 · 26/03/2019 20:09

At least one second sitting room/ playroom

PickAChew · 26/03/2019 20:15

Don't be too wowed by open plan everything. They'll want a bit of private space other than their bedrooms when they're older.

PottyPotterer · 26/03/2019 20:17

I live in a city suburb, it used to be a village so does have a village feel, low crime, near to a school which means lots of kids to play with but the bonus of being 5/10 minutes from pools/trampoline parks/museums/sports facilities/cinemas and all that a city has to offer. Small garden but a large green just behind it. Somewhere kids can play out was my top priority. Loads of my DC's school friends live in our street and surrounding streets hence my DC has had a lot of freedom and a childhood not dissimilar to mine in the 70's and I get plenty peace. Smile

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 26/03/2019 20:17

This is great, thank you so much.

OP posts:
AndromedaPerseus · 26/03/2019 20:28

Since our dcs hit secondary school I’ve been thankful for living in a interesting and vibrant city with brilliant and cheap public transport. I very rarely have to drive them anywhere as they can travel independently and I get time to indulge my own interests as well

RainbowMum11 · 26/03/2019 20:39

Utility room, good sized kitchen/diner, separate living room. Maybe a spare room which could be a play room for now and a study room as they get older.
Safe garden.
Close to shops etc.
A nice pub - great place to meet neighbours and other members of the community.

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 26/03/2019 20:44

I am all for independent teens - can I not hope for that in a town as opposed to a city? I'd like to be near a city, but not live in one. Thoughts?

OP posts:
kayakingmum · 26/03/2019 21:05

A nice walk into town.

Bishalisha · 26/03/2019 21:07

Have you thought about childcare? Checked out if there’s enough options (assuming you’re in need or ever will be needing childcare)

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 26/03/2019 21:12

Don't need childcare, unless I fall horribly ill.

OP posts:
doodleygirl · 26/03/2019 21:14

More than one reception room, having space for their friends to hang out means you get to know their mates and you know where they are.

Ohhgreat · 26/03/2019 21:16

Ability to walk to secondary school - it makes the world of difference!

ChallyCreaks · 26/03/2019 21:18

Good transport links so you don't need to ferry them about in their teen years.

A wide variety of clubs/sports to keep them busy and not hanging around as they get a bit older.

Good schools.

A bedroom each and a playroom/hangout space.

Original poster
Yoozanaim · 26/03/2019 21:30

Thank you all. That's really helped me.

OP posts:
AnemoneAnenome · 26/03/2019 22:54

I'd pick "big enough town" over the whole village thing. Big enough town means kids can walk to secondary school and have places to hang out with their friends, and to get jobs when they are a bit older. If you are more rural, working is more difficult and driving early (including buying a car) a much higher priority.

Swimming pool I don't rate particularly. We can drive 20 mins to a nearby town for that.

Kitchen you can eat in

Enough doors for everyone to not kill each other when someone wants to watch telly, someone has homework, someone else is practising the trombone.

foxstar3 · 26/03/2019 22:58

Avoid village
Tend to be cliquey with poor services and transport and poor kids activities.
Also nightmare once kids are teens and trapped in a random place with no transport and nothing to do.

DialANumber · 26/03/2019 23:05

Realky nice to have open plan spaces for friends over, family gatherings etc but not at the cost of being able to get away/shut doors too. We lived in a completley open plan house before. It was brilliant when having lots of people over but a disaster if everyone wanted to do their own thing!

More than one bathroom is handy if having sleepovers and teens wanting showers before school etc

BubblesBuddy · 26/03/2019 23:10

They do have transport! It’s mum and Dad! This is the reality of village life. There won’t be anything for teens. Except fields and woods which teens love of course when they walk the dog for you!

Either go to a very big village (our nearby one is really a small town with a market, a secondary school and an infants and junior schools, plus a station for transport links to London) or a town. You don’t need a city, but some would float my boat! Oxford or Bristol appeal for example.

No village where I live has much except for an infant school at some. There is a pool, library, shops, Doctor, dentist, loads of activities for children and adults in my nearby large village/town but not in smaller villages. There really isn’t anything!

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