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Tuesday, December 1, 2020

4 Ways to Involve Your Kids When Buying a New Home




Buying and moving to a new family home is a process that incites a mix of emotions - excitement, joy, stress, and fear, among other things. For children, it is oftentimes fear of the unknown that overpowers the other positive emotions when it comes to the reality of buying and moving to a new place. 

The idea of them leaving behind their favorite parks, close friends at school, and the whole routine make it harder for them to accept this life-changing decision. Involving your children in the buying process can help minimize this sense of fear and make it a more pleasant transition for the entire family. Here are four ways to do that:

Have Them Write Down a Wish List


If your kid is old enough to talk, he/she probably is old enough to have preferences. Although they might not be bringing it up, your children probably have some ideas and suggestions about the spaces and features they'd want for their potential new home. 

Have them write or voice out what they want in terms of their living space. And while you might get unacceptable requests, such as a bouncy castle or an indoor swimming pool, you may also get doable items, like a racing car bed frame or a backyard with a tree where they can build a treehouse on. 



Giving them this assignment serves as a distraction from their perceived fears about the move and may also yield clever ideas in terms of property features that you should be looking for in your list of prospects.

Bring Them to Open Houses


Parents might decide not to bring their kids to open houses as it's not exactly an environment that children are naturally fond of. That being said, it's a great way to get accurate input from your children regarding which house to buy. 

And while their input likely won't extend beyond cosmetic preferences, such as what colors they prefer the walls and carpets to be in and how big their rooms should be, seeing the options for themselves makes them more invested in the decision-making process. 

When you do bring your kid/s to an open house, go at the right time. You want to make sure they are well-rested and well-fed lest they become cranky and throw a tantrum. If your kids are old enough, you should also prepare them to behave in someone else's house. Layout some ground rules, such as a no-touch policy on any fragile items and no running around the property.

Take a Tour Around the Community


Drive around or take a leisure walk around the neighborhood. Check the local schools, libraries, parks, and other public facilities that are close by. Before you buy homes for sale in Temecula, do thorough online research and ground recon on what a typical day is like in the area. Is it too cold or too warm? 



Is there a strong presence of sketchy neighbors or drifters roaming around? Are the parks maintained? What public transportation options do you have? Again, since you are scanning the area with a child, you should plan ahead of your tour. It's best to do it during the daytime and when weather conditions are permitting.

Take Them Shopping


Arguably the most exciting about buying a new home is decorating it with new stuff, which means you'll have to go shopping. Even before you go out to shop, sit down with your family and do some online research on home decorating websites, social media platforms, i.e., Pinterest, and magazines. 

Once you have a clearer picture of what you want your new home to look like, visit furniture and hardware stores to buy some paint, fabric, and other materials, you'll need. Doing your shopping and decorating as a family not only makes them feel involved in the whole home-buying process, but it's also an excellent way to strengthen the bond between parents and children.

Buying a new family home affects the entire family as well as their life trajectories in the future. It is a slow path to take whenever taking the entire family’s feelings into consideration, you can call it an investment process so to speak. It's only fair that you involve them in the decision-making process as they will live in this new space for years to come.




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