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

@Ozanj

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).

Oh god so true I've had six cars with three teens at one point on the drive.

A seperate lounge for them to use. Their own rooms.
Depending on the sex of your DC- en suite. We have 1 DD and 2 DS - 4 & 5 years younger than DS so we’re moving to a house with 2 en suites so she has privacy which I think will be very important to her having 2 brothers.
I didn’t have brothers but my sister and I had a bathroom separate to our parents which was good.
Drive big enough for extra cars
Good transport links

@Checkingout811

A seperate lounge for them to use. Their own rooms. Depending on the sex of your DC- en suite. We have 1 DD and 2 DS - 4 & 5 years younger than DS so we’re moving to a house with 2 en suites so she has privacy which I think will be very important to her having 2 brothers. I didn’t have brothers but my sister and I had a bathroom separate to our parents which was good. Drive big enough for extra cars Good transport links

Yes but being teenagers they do take advantage of this.Having to move multiple cars to let one teenager out is a pain so free parking close by like we've got is a plus.

In order of importance:

1. I think location is by far the most important thing. To be near school, friends, facilities, public transport. Much more important than a big house or grounds.
2. Having their own bedrooms.
3. More than one bathroom.
4. More than one sitting room.
5. Parking.

People want big gardens for small children but I think once they’re out of junior school they just want somewhere to sit outside and sunbathe. So I wouldn’t personally choose a large garden over any of the above. I know quite a few people who moved from the town to very rural and their teens are not happy.

Mancave at the end of the garden.Twelve year olds will probably trash it,but teenagers are quite respectful and after a while go really quiet which is a plus.

Good wifi, transport links and an extra toilet. If you can afford a bedroom each, if not somewhere with two receptions (ie living and dining room) that's handy so they have their own space if friends visit. A good secondary is certainly a bonus, but what's good now, might not be in ten years time.

Separate living room area - my biggest wish when we had teens at home.
Preferably their own bathroom, so you won’t be irritated several times a day by their apparent inability to replace loo rolls on the holder and use the last bit of shampoo/conditioner, instead of leaving the bottle there with a little in the bottom and opening another.

Good public transport close by, so that once they’re of an age to be going out a lot, you don’t spend half your life running Mum/Dad’s taxi service and never being able to have a couple of drinks in the evening. (Inevitable when they’re smaller though.).