Choosing the right home for your family.

We are moving soon, so I thought I would write some tips to help some other families that might be having trouble picking a new house to move into.

Here are some important things that need to be considered when looking at a new house for your family:

• First and foremost what is the price? Can you still afford to live there if something happens to the main wage earner of your household? What happens if (god forbid) they have an accident or fall ill and are unable to work for a couple of months? Dont buy a house that is over your budget and try and fool yourself into thinking that 'oh I'll just sacrifice getting my hair done at the salon, and opt for home dyes instead' or other such examples, because chances are it wont happen and you will be left penniless and stressed out.
• Will your family fit in your house? Be prepared for unexpected family that want to stay the night, and what happens if you fall pregnant by surprise? Will your family fit?
• Take into account all the furniture you have, and will it all fit in your new house? Some important things are the things you cant live without. Will your couch(es) fit in the loungeroom? Will your bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers bedside tables etc fit in the master bedroom? Same goes for your kids furniture as well. And what about your appliances? Will your fridge fit in the cutout in the kitchen cupboards? If you have a large washing machine and dryer will they fit in the laundry? Also, if you have a long, high, or wide car, will it fit in the garage or under the carport? Also, for multiple carred families, will they all fit in the driveway?
• Safety: Is there a fish pond outside that young children can fall into and drown if left unsupervised for a few minutes? Can your child fall off the verandah and hurt themself? Are there any unsafe windows that your child may fall through or break? Loungerooms are terrible for this. If there is a stair case inside, is the rail sturdy enough to handle a toddler shaking it, and will it be suitable to put a child safety gate on it to stop falls? Does the pool have s uitable gate around it? It is now a legal requirement not to be able to rent a house with a pool unless it has a safety gate around it. Im sure there are many more safety concerns, but these are only a few.
• Is there a sufficient fence around the property to keep your children safe out the back without them being able to run onto the road? And also can you keep pets there?
• And lastly, location is just as important as all the above tips. Is it near a school, shopping centres, and a doctor? And for those without a car, how far away are you from public transport?

I hope this helps some of you that are having trouble deciding on your next new home.