Having kids changes things. Before you had kids you likely had a nice, quiet, and ordered home. This won’t be the case for long. As your kids get older, they are going to take over more and more of the house. To accommodate them, it’s a good idea to make some key upgrades inside and outside your home. Doing so can not only make your home more enjoyable for both you and your kids, but it can make it safer too. With that in mind, here are 5 upgrades you should consider making to your home if you have kids.
Add in a Tankless Water Heater
Once your kids start hitting those teenage years, they’re going to spend a lot more time in the bathroom. Before long they’ll be taking 40 minute showers and not saving you any hot water. To prevent this, add in a tankless water heater. Unlike convention water heaters, tankless water heaters provide hot water on demand so that you never run out. This is ideal for families who will be using a lot of hot water, and it can even save you money. According to Nick’s Plumbing, a Houston tankless water heater service, “Tankless units do not require the use of “stand-by” energy to continuously heat a tank full of water, which can save you money on energy bills.” Installing a tankless water heater now is relatively affordable, and will serve you well for a long time to come. Check out WaterHeaterHub for more details.
Use Stain-Resistant Furniture
There’s nothing worse than buying a great new piece of furniture – such as a living room couch – and having your young children stain it within a few days. Depending on the type of fabric used this stain could be hard to get out and could permanently damage your piece. When you have kids, you should look for furniture that is stain resistant. Find chairs and couches that use stain resistant fabrics and find kitchen tables that are easy to wipe down. There’s no point in spending money on something that will just get damaged within a few days or weeks. Stain resistant furniture comes in all shapes and sizes, so you should have no trouble finding a piece that looks great and fits your home.
Create a Dedicated Play Space
Kids need room to play. If you don’t set aside a dedicated space for this, they’ll just end up taking over the entire home. Rather than having toys all over your kitchen or bedroom floor, look for an area of your home that you can set aside for just your kids. This could be a finished basement, a spare bedroom, or even just a side of your living room. Put all the things your kids love to do in there and encourage them to keep it organized. As they get older you can add things like a desk and a computer so they have a space to do their homework as well.
Fix Up the Yard
Home upgrades aren’t all about the inside of the home. A great thing you can do when you have kids is fixing up your yard to make it more fun and safer. A great example is building a tree or club house for your children to play in. But you don’t even have to do that much if you’re unable. Simply making the yard safer – by removing large rocks or dangerous plants – and adding in some fun toys can make a big difference. If your kids spend more time outside, that’s less time they’ll be inside tearing your home apart. Take some time to scan your backyard and think of improvements that your kids will like.
Safety Measures
Finally, it’s a good idea for all parents to add safety measures to their home. Kids need extra protection and there are a few simple things you can do to keep them safe. For example, adding child-proof locks to all your cabinets that are down low – like under your kitchen or bathroom sink. You can also add covers to any unused outlets or add foam bumpers to the corners of any sharp furniture. Also make sure your kids are unable to gain access to stairs before they are ready, and that none of your larger furniture pieces are in danger of tipping over should your child try to climb it.
Start Upgrading Today Upgrading your home when you have kids takes some work, but it’s certainly manageable. It’s all about thinking of what would make your kids more comfortable and what would make your life easier. Hopefully the above list was able to give you some ideas, and you’ll be able to get started on those new upgrades soon.
