Buying a house for your family is one of the most significant life decisions you will ever face. It is a considerable investment that requires careful consideration. You need to take into account the immediate needs of your family, as well as the requirements they will have decades in the future.

If you are planning to have, or have just had, your first child, then you no doubt want to buy a home that will be big enough for them to grow in. The more children you plan to have, the more rooms you will need in the house to accommodate them.

Similarly, you want to try and invest in a place that has a backyard so that the kids have room to play outside. A yard is also useful if you’re going to have a pet.

You also want to make sure you buy a house with a great kitchen space. Home cooking is the secret to health and happiness as a family, so make sure that you invest in a kitchen that has enough room for the cooking activities you want to do and is going to be easy to clean before and after you get to work.

Make sure the house you buy also has spacious storage areas that you can keep all of the things you will undoubtedly accumulate as a family. Even if you are diligent in ensuring that you keep accumulation to a minimum, there will always be a large amount of stuff that collects when you own a permanent family residence, especially when you have kids that grow up there.

You should also think about the needs of you and your partner. Buying a house that is only suited to kids won’t leave you very happy as an adult. Find the balance.