home safety – Easy Agent Blogs

Finding the right home for your family is always a significant decision, but when you have young children, the stakes feel even higher. You’re not just searching for a house; you’re looking for a place where your children can play, grow, and feel safe. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or moving to a new area, knowing what features to prioritize can help make the home-buying process easier. Here’s what to look for in a home when you have young children.

Safe and Kid-Friendly Layout

When you have young children, safety is a top priority. Look for homes with layouts that naturally reduce potential hazards. Open floor plans are often a great option, as they allow parents to keep an eye on their children while cooking or working in other areas of the house. Avoid homes with lots of sharp corners, stairs without handrails, or small spaces where children might accidentally hurt themselves.

It’s also important to consider how easily you can baby-proof the home. Think about areas like kitchens and bathrooms where you may need to install cabinet locks, gates at the top and bottom of stairs, or window guards. A kid-friendly layout helps create a safe and worry-free environment for both you and your little ones.

Bedrooms on the Same Level

For families with young children, having all the bedrooms on the same level is often a must-have feature. This setup allows you to be close to your children during the night, making it easier to tend to them if they wake up or need something. It also gives parents peace of mind knowing their children are nearby and easily accessible.

If you’re looking at multi-level homes, consider whether the master bedroom is too far away from the kids’ rooms. Many families prefer to avoid homes where the primary bedroom is on a different floor than the children’s rooms, especially when the kids are very young.

Safe Outdoor Play Areas

A safe and secure outdoor space is key for families with young children. Look for a yard that’s fenced in or could easily be fenced, so your kids can play freely without the risk of wandering off. A flat, grassy area is ideal for running around, playing games, or setting up a swing set.

Consider the safety of the yard beyond just fencing—are there any steep drops, open water features, or areas that could be dangerous for small kids? If the home has a pool, make sure there are safety gates and locks to prevent unsupervised access.

Proximity to Schools and Parks

Location is always important when buying a home, but for families with young children, proximity to schools and parks becomes even more critical. Being near good schools not only makes the daily commute easier but also ensures your kids will receive a quality education as they grow.

In addition to schools, having parks or playgrounds nearby can provide a great place for your kids to burn off energy and make new friends. A short walk or quick drive to a local park can make a big difference in your family’s routine and give your children a chance to enjoy outdoor playtime regularly.

Plenty of Storage

Families with young children tend to accumulate a lot of stuff—whether it’s toys, clothes, or baby gear. Having plenty of storage space in your home can help you stay organized and keep clutter at bay. Look for homes with ample closets, built-in storage, and garage or attic space for larger items.

A dedicated playroom or bonus room can also be a huge benefit, giving kids a space to keep their toys and games contained. This way, you can maintain order in the rest of the house while still giving your children a fun and functional space of their own.

Child-Friendly Flooring

Young children spend a lot of time on the floor, so flooring is an important consideration when looking for a new home. Hardwood floors or tile can be beautiful, but they’re often less forgiving than carpet when it comes to spills or falls. Consider whether you’ll need to add rugs for extra padding or look for homes with durable, low-maintenance flooring options like laminate or vinyl.

These materials are easier to clean and can stand up to the wear and tear that comes with having little ones around.

Conclusion: Finding the Perfect Family Home

When you have young children, choosing the right home requires balancing practicality, safety, and comfort. By focusing on features like a kid-friendly layout, safe outdoor spaces, and proximity to schools and parks, you can find a home that fits your family’s needs. As your children grow, the right home will provide a foundation for happy memories and a safe environment to thrive.

Call it the “Murphy’s Law of Home-Buying” if you will, but there’s a good chance that shortly after you move into your new home the water heater will die. It may trickle as it gives up the ghost or it may gush, but for some reason, these contraptions choose this time to self-destruct. We in the real estate industry see it a lot.

Then, there’s the “Murphy’s Law of Vacations.” Yes, we’re making these up, but they should be better known. This one says that “if anything can go wrong in your house while you’re on vacation, it will.”

Even the president of Quality Home Improvements, Inc., in Kingwood, Texas agrees. “If you’re going to have a leaking [main water] supply line, it’s going to happen while you’re away,” Fred Spaulding tells Popular Mechanic’s Brett Martin.

It’s summer vacation time, so let’s look at some ways to pay homage to Mr. Murphy’s key principle: always plan for worse-case scenarios.

Getting back to that water main

Sure, most water main breaks occur in winter, when frigid weather freezes pipes. But, “Hot, dry weather can also take a toll; ground shifts and the increased volume and pressure can also stress water mains” cautions the experts at the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority.

Mains constructed of iron are the most conducive to leaking, and most of these water mains were installed in homes built before 1980. Iron cracks, especially with temperature changes.

Extreme temperatures aren’t the only things that may cause a leak in the water main. Soil erosion around the main may cause it to leak or break. Corroded pipes and those that are older than 60 years fail frequently and intrusion from construction work or homeowners (such as striking the main with a shovel) can also damage the water main.

It only takes a small leak to wreak havoc on your home. A leaking water tank in the attic can ruin whatever is in the room under it quickly, even from a small leak. Then there’s that water heater.

Prevent water damage while you’re away by closing the main supply valve to the home. The location of the shut-off valve depends a great deal on the type of home you live in. It could be in the basement, garage or a number of other places. Ask your plumber if you’re unsure of how to find it, or “ . . . look for your water meter, it should be nearby,” advises the Family Handyman. Visit his site to learn how to turn off the valve.

Air conditioner: On or off?

Leave it on. Sure, it makes sense that you’ll save more money on your energy bill if you turn off the HVAC system before leaving town, but the money you save may eventually be spent to fix damage caused by the home overheating.

Air conditioning not only cools the air, but removes humidity from it as well. A hot home interior can cause condensation to form and that, in turn, can cause a rash of problems, according to the pros at Santa Fe Air Conditioning and Heating. These include warped wood floors, doors and furniture, peeling paint and mold. “For optimum comfort and for the health of your home, the humidity in your house should be no higher than 50%,” they say.

Set your programmable thermostat to 85 degrees for the duration of your vacation and to your favorite cooler temperature, set to kick in the day you are to return, or the evening before.

Manual thermostats, unfortunately, should also be turned up to 85 degrees while you’re away. Perhaps a neighbor can be talked into lowering the temperature before your homecoming so you don’t come home to an oven.

Vacays mean unplugging – in more ways than one

Ok, so maybe you don’t consider a high power bill catastrophic, but some of us do – especially when we weren’t home to get the benefit of the power usage. So, if you’re among us, it’s time to unplug.

Still have a cable box for the TV? According to Mother Jones’ Kiera Butler, “The EPA estimates that your box setups use about 500 kilowatt-hours per year, as much electricity as your fridge.” While you may not be leaving town for a year (lucky you if you are), you should still unplug it before your vacation. No word, however, on how much power your Roku stick uses.

Don’t just put your computer to sleep while you’re gone. Unplug it completely. Monitor, router and modem too.

The bigger your TV is, the more power it gobbles, according to Butler. “Flat-screen TVs use about twice as much power as their smaller cathode-ray counterparts,” she claims.

Unplug game consoles, DVD and Blu-ray players as well. Hopefully you have all of your electronics on surge protector power strips so one switch will kill the power to all of them. If you won’t be taking your phone charger with you, unplug it. Do the same with small kitchen appliances, such as the microwave oven, coffee maker, food processor,

If your washer and dryer have digital displays, consider unplugging them as well.

Don’t forget the security measures you’ll need to take before you leave as well. Safewise offers a handy guide on its website.

Then, when all the preparations are complete, you’ll need a vacation from your vacation preparation!

Tag: home safety

What to Look for in a Home When You Have Young Children