Things To Look For In A Home When You Have Teenagers

Your kids are past the toddler stage, past the grade-school stage, and into the teen years. They don't need a nursery anymore, and you don't really care that the yard they play in is fenced-in. However, you will still want to keep your teens' needs in mind when shopping for a new family home. Here are a few features that come in handy when you are a parent to teens.

Plenty of bathrooms

When teens start caring more about their appearance, they may spend half an hour or more in the bathroom, getting ready for the day each morning. If you're all trying to share just one or two bathrooms, this can result in some arguments. Look for a home with as many bathrooms as you have people and your mornings will be a lot more relaxed.

A hangout area

Your teens are probably going to have friends over, and they're going to want to do things like watch movies, play board games, and play video games away from the prying eyes of parents. If the home has a separate hangout area in the basement or in a second living room, this will give your teens a spot to hang out without commandeering the family living room.

A large kitchen island

You might start to feel like your kids are always rushing about and never have time to sit down to a meal with family. You can make family mealtime a bit easier by looking for a home with a large kitchen island with stools around it. At least your kids can sit here and do some homework while you're cooking, giving you all time to interact. It's nice to have an island in the morning so they can sit and eat breakfast and share the same space as you while you're doing dishes or making coffee.

A utility sink

Especially if your kids like outdoor activities, like baseball or 4-wheeling, they are going to come home muddy sometimes. Having a utility sink where they can wash off their gear and also rinse some of the mud off themselves will come in handy and will keep your shower drains from having to work as hard.

If you have teens, make sure you look for a single-family home that has the features above. You really can't have too many bathrooms, and having their own hang-out space will make them so happy.