Things To Consider When Doing House Hunting With Kids
Regardless of where your family is relocating, if the kids are part of the house hunting process, the searching plan got a different direction. 13 million children are estimated to be part of the Americans moving every year. Hunting for a house is nerve wracking at the same time adventurous. Putting everything in order that you have all the finances ready, legal documents and remaining active in bidding wars can make the job tougher. Add the children to the mix and the process becomes more complex. Leaving your kids behind in house hunting process is not an option especially if they’ll have to change schools and make new friends.
“We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.” ~ Sir Winston Churchill
When doing house searching with kids in tow, the following tips can help ease the process:
Finding More Information Ahead of Time
Online search as well as using an agent to find more information can help you screen out those homes which don’t meet your family needs. Remember to avoid cramming all your showings in a single day so that kids will have time to relax and have time to enjoy their snacks. Do you have older kids? Give them a job to do more research as kids are more vibrant and they can help you get the right home. Children should actually feel connected to the entire hunting process.
Determine the Child’s Limits
The age often determines how long a child will be able to stay focused on a house hunting trip. While few kids can hang in there for all day full of showings, most kids will lose their concentration after just two showings. Children should be given breaks along the way. Hungry and tired kids can make the trip cumbersome and disappointing. For those people having young children, a babysitter may be the better option when on a rush. Parents should lay out the trip’s regulations for the kids making sure their kids don’t meddle around with people’s properties.
Streamlining the Process
Taking notes and pictures can help you revisit the details later for thorough scrutiny. In case questions should arise, the agent can search for you most of the answers. ‘Uprooting’ kids from where they are used to isn’t that easy. Work hand in hand with the real estate agent so that everything the kids want is gathered for to make the search process easier. As you include your children in the house hunting process, let them know that as the parents, you’ll have the final decision. Change is hard and it’s good to make the kids acknowledge that moving is inevitable.