What's important with older kids / teens in a new house

[woollysocksaresexy]

We are just starting to look for our next house, which we hope to stay in at least till the kids are grown up (they are currently 2,4,6). but not sure what is going to become more important as they grow older. Obvious ones are good secondary schools and separate bedrooms (they currently share) but what else is there? Transport links? More space downstairs? garden? I'm not sure. It is very difficult to imagine what life will be like in the future when currently they are all so young! Thanks

I've just refurbed my house, and have 2 teenagers and 1 younger children. I've kept bedrooms as they are (small doubles), but extended downstairs so they have max space for hanging out without having to be glued by my side. I have also incorporated two lounge areas with sofa and tv in each, so they can watch their own tv programs in one area and I can watch what I want in the other area. Its worked out really well as they are happy to hang out downstairs, I think it would be harder with a smaller downstairs space.

They are not big tv watchers, but having the 2 separate living zones (instead of the usual one bigger space) has definitely helped.

A drive (or sufficient street parking) big enough for 3-4 cars for when they want their own cars, close to public transport links so you aren’t doing too much ferrying around, close to 6th forms / adult ed colleges, roads are safe enough for reckless teens to cross ie no crossing a major A-Road (unless of course you plan to drop them off by car).

As above a separate chillout zone to yours, also extra hallway or storage space for the multitude of shoes/coats/bags. Good transport or even better, being in an area they can just walk to where they need to get to. When they get older they probably will want to go off shopping/to friends houses/parks/off to a cafe etc without you.

Ours have used the garden less and less as they've got older. Definitely an extra shower room too!

Schools and separate bedrooms. Good transport links to places where there is stuff to do, places to be.

Good WiFi!

The garden was much more useful when the kids were small to be honest, but they still like space to sit out in in summer (remember summer?)

Extra reception room for playroom now /teens living room when older....thats how we used ours.
Great when they have friends over means no visitors upstairs.
Downstairs toilet also.
Transport links very important also.

Good wifi, good transport links, good school, safe, cafes/shops, separate large enough bedrooms, enough bathrooms/showers, ideally separate living room area for them and their stuff.

We moved when ours (three, similar age gaps to yours OP) were approaching teendom. Yes separate bedrooms was one of the drivers - also bedrooms where there is room to set up a study area if possible, useful for exam years.

We have a living room and a separate sitting area in the big kitchen; that area has been set up for gaming devices (wii then x box) but is also available as an alternative tv for netflix and iplayer. So one teen can watch Friends if the other is watching the footy.

More than one shower or bathroom is a must; we have an ensuite to one bedroom but tbh a downstairs shower would be even better.

Big garden is nice if they are sporty - ds2 plays a lot of footy and so that has been useful.

Our kitchen is very big with doors to the garden and a tiled floor; this has been useful (not lately!) for gatherings to mark birthdays (easy access outside, easy to clean, hard to ruin anything beyond a broken glass or two) - this is something DD in particular used for 16-17-18th birthdays.

yy also to school of course and transport links - we are in a nice leafy area which feels safe to walk around but the bus to town is about a two minute walk and runs several times an hour. This is useful as you do not want to be trailing into town to take your 14yo to meet her friends to go shopping or to the movies.

Public transport links very important, also safe cycle and walking routes so they can travel independently as much as possible.

They will not enjoy being dependent on you to get places and you will not enjoy trying to ferry three around to different places at the same time.

Two bathrooms at least.

Separate rooms downstairs - no open plan living! You want to be able shut the door on their TV/gaming and have your own space to relax.

Garden is not that interesting to teens except for sunbathing on a hot day. If it is big, you could look at putting a garden Room in (properly insulated for year round use) that could be a second living room/hangout space for them.

Super fast full fibre broadband.

Some storage for shoes suitably sized for massive teen boy feet.
Storage for stinky sports equipment (discourage them becoming a hockey goalkeeper because that stuff is massive and smelly)

My neighbour made her whole house open plan
Bad idea
It's separate rooms now!!!

Soundproofing
Hardwired internet every room
Enough bathroom/showers
Garden or access to a park for the football kicking age
Bike storage
Somewhere for parents to escape to.

Fast wifi
Soundproofing
Easy access to public transport
Big beds if you have space - mine have a double/king sized beds
Drive space for their cars (if/when they get them)

Everything already said (extra TV room downstairs/ separate bedrooms/ extra loo/shower room)
I might add:

• good wifi - we live off a private road and ours is limited by lack of cabling
• not too open plan. As they get older they (and you!) begin to want own spaces
• decide early what your policy will be about screens in bedrooms. Ours was none, but as homework developed and they needed private study space the laptops made their way up there and then the gaming etc. Good to have downstairs desk space to supervise early internet use . . .
• garage/bike store/sheds if you're an outdoorsy family with lots of stuff

Definitely a space to hang out, they might not need it now and it need not be a room, I know one person who turned the garage into a teens hangout.

Schools can change a lot so make sure you have at least two near by so you have a choice when it comes to it, also transport so on a bus route and not an hour away from the nearest town centre or 'entertainment' place.

If you have two rooms downstairs then make a play room and go mad with the decoration, I've seen one mocked up as Griffindor's common room.

Are you likley to have friends / family stay over? If so consider making the extra space downstairs suitable for the kids to sleep in occasionally (sofa bed or floor cushions) so guests can have the kids' rooms. I had a double bed from 12 but it had to be vacated for any overnight guests,

Big utility room for all the laundry (washing, drying, sorting) and cleaning of dirty boots/ dogs etc.
Extra fridge freezer in utility room or garage - you have no idea how much food 3 teenagers can eat!

Thanks, this is really helpful! We have made some really daft desicions by not thinking about what we would need in the future with our current house and would appreciate not doing the same again.

Some of these things are luxuries many families with teens will never have.

Lots grow up in a house with 1 living room and 1 bathroom. Many still share bedrooms or have a box room. These are totally normal things and 3 bed houses with 1 bathroom and living room are still considered family houses.

However, 2 areas where people can relax is good. Teens are less likely tos lend all their time shit away in bedroom if there is a 2nd sitting area. A second bathroom is a nice-to-have, but it’s manageable without but you have to organise the house to get everyone through.

Walking distance or public transport distance of school helps for more independent socialising and not always relying on lifts.

I agree that a lot of people have posted pie in the sky things.

However, do agree that open plan is not your friend during teenage years. Small bedrooms are not a huge problem, just so long as everyone has one. And the more loos the better. My mum grew up with 8 siblings and one loo! I can’t even imagine the horror of this....

But, above all, a safe area and good local transport. My dcs can wander out and get on the bus. People who live in more rural areas are clobbered when their dcs reach the “Can you take me to meet up with Eric” phase.

Two living rooms is a massive want for me in next house

For us op, two living rooms, the second one being a play room with games consoles, that they can also use for study.

I’d also say a seperate bathroom, but I had one v your three,,,

Rooms, open plan is not your friend. Size doesn't matter as much as doors. My house is ugly because I've divided up rooms but it is so much nicer to live in.

We moved near to a good secondary and failed to check out public transport. There is a bus stop very nearby but bus once an hour and not direct to anywhere they want to go. Also choose a big school in a small village and discovered the catchment was large over big rural community and ask my kids made friends who lived miles away. Not one of them made a friend who lives within walking distance. We get berated regularly for living in the back of beyond! We also get betrayed for three crap WiFi. We both live the house and it has all the other things everyone mentions though!

Agree about avoiding open planned. We rearranged our ground floor a couple of years ago to put in a utility room, and extend the kitchen so it has a TV area separate from the lounge. My two are only 8 & 11 and it’s already a godsend not being so open planned. That said, we are moving and lots of viewers who are either planning families or have babies said they prefer open planned over having the utility and separate lounge.

Everything others said but also a hallway so you don’t come in to the living room straight from the front door