Buying your first home is an exciting step for any young family but there’s lots to consider, and for first-time-buyers, the process can seem overwhelming. These tips will give you the confidence to navigate as young families buying their first home and make informed decisions about which property is right for your family.

Understand Your Budget

The first step to property hunting is to be clear about your budget. You can use a mortgage calculator to get an idea of how much you could borrow and what deposit you’ll need. Don’t forget to factor in the hidden costs of buying your first home, such as legal fees, surveys and removal costs.

For young families buying their first home it can feel like your first property is out of reach, you could explore what help might be available to you in the form of government-backed first-time buyer schemes or consider newbuild developments that often offer shared-ownership to help young families get on the property ladder.

Choose the Right Area

For young families buying their first home location really is key. You need to consider obvious factors such as proximity to work, family and friends as well as future considerations such as local schools and activities for your children as they grow.

Research how safe the neighbourhood is and what kind of vibe it has, for example, are there lots of young families living there or is it mainly retired couples or students? Don’t be tempted to rely on online information or hearsay for this. Young families buying their first home should pay a visit, at different times of day, and get a feel for the place in person. Consider how busy the roads are, and if there are amenities that will make life easier, such as local shops, a GP surgery, post office or supermarket within a reasonable distance.

At the end of the day, while you may be able to personalise, improve or even extend your property, you can’t change the area your home is in so it’s far better to buy a property that needs work in an area you love than a perfect house in a less-than-desirable area that doesn’t suit your family.

Find a Family-Friendly Home

A family-friendly home should have plenty of space for you all to live and grow. Young families buying their first home really need to consider this.

Anyone with kids knows that they come with a lot of stuff and if you don’t have adequate living or storage space, all this stuff can soon take over! When viewing properties, try to visualise how you’ll use the space and don’t be shy about exploring storage options like under stair cupboards, cellars and attics to see if they’ll meet your needs.

Safety is also vital for young families buying their first home. So when you’re looking around a home think about how a baby or toddler might navigate the space. Some homes might come with built-in features that present a hazard to families with young children and pets, such as open staircases, mezzanines, balconies and ponds. If a home otherwise ticks all your boxes, you should consider whether or not these could be altered or made safe for your family and what the potential cost implications would be, before making an offer.

Plan for the Future

Finding a forever home is about more than what your family needs right now, it’s also about what will work for you in the future.

For example, you may only have one car right now, so on-road parking or a narrow driveway might suffice, but if you have a teenager, then a second vehicle might be on the horizon so consider whether you need multi car insurance, a wider driveway or garage.

Likewise, when it comes to bedroom size, a narrow single room or box room might be perfectly fine for a baby or toddler but will be less than ideal for a growing teenager who needs space to relax, study for exams and hang out with friends so always think ahead when looking at properties. So young families buying their first home need to consider those future changes.

Inspect the Property

If you’ve found that perfect property – congratulations! But before you start packing and picking out paint colours, it’s vital that you conduct a thorough inspection of the property to make sure there aren’t any hidden issues that could quickly turn your dream home into a nightmare!

Some people arrange a second or third viewing of a home they’re interested in; to be sure it really is right for them and many will also hire a surveyor to carry out a homebuyers survey. This ensures that a. The property is worth as much as you’ve offered for it, enabling you to renegotiate if there’s a discrepancy and b. Highlights potential issues that will need rectifying in the immediate future, such as damp issues or building work that doesn’t meet regulations.

Whilst getting a survey isn’t a legal requirement it’s recommended to ensure that your new home is safe for your family and to protect your investment in the future.