Finding the right suburb for your family can be quite time consuming and confusing, however there are key items to look for that make up a family-friendly suburb. Making the move from a suburb that is right for you as a working individual or couple, to one that is more family orientated can be a big move and aspects that may have been important previously, like living close to the CBD can be replaced by somewhere near good schools.
Here are some of the most important things to consider when finding a family-friendly suburb:
1. The types of houses typically available in the suburb.
The number of bedrooms and space a house has definitely becomes an important factor when you are looking for a property for you and your family to live. There are many suburbs that promote apartments or smaller space living, however you want to look out for suburbs that typically are 4×2 or 3×2, so that your family has the space it needs.
Checking property reports and viewing properties for sale or rent on property websites will give you a general idea of the types of properties being sold in a particular suburb, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. This will help you narrow down your options when it comes to the type of property that you and your family will feel comfortable in.
2. Does the suburb have schools nearby?
One of the most important factors to consider is does your chosen suburb have good schools? Many schools have a catchment area that you must live in to be able to attend that school. This means that highly sought after schools tend to have a higher property value, as many parents want to live there in order to send their kids to those schools.
This can make those suburbs extremely competitive, so it is always best to plan ahead and consider the importance of the school you send your kids to. Is the school within walking distance? Is there a catholic school nearby?
Websites like realestate.com.au will always have the schools distance at the bottom of each property listing, which makes it easier for you to see how close you are to the schools in the local area.
3. Are there playgrounds and parks in the suburb?
Kids need a lot of sunshine and open spaces to run off all that energy they have. Suburbs with parks nearby make it a lot easier for you to walk down and keep an eye on your kids while they are playing in the sun. You don’t want to have to be travelling far just so your kids can play at a park.
Suburbs with lots of parks and playgrounds generally means there will be a lot of other families in the area and promotes that it is a family-friendly suburb.
When researching on where to purchase your new family home, whether it be from property reports, journals, websites or a property agent, it is important to consider these key factors to know you are buying into an area that promotes families as residents.