Why You May Prefer Living In A Single Family Home When You Have Kids
If you're ready to buy a place of your own and start a family, you'll probably enjoy the benefits of living in a single family home over living in a condo. A condo is nice when you don't want to devote time to outdoor maintenance, and it is ideal when you're single or retired, but when you have kids, a single family home might be more appropriate depending on your individual tastes. Here's why.
You Have A Private Yard
Your kids will have their own place to play when you have your own home with a yard. You can put up a privacy fence and let your kids play outside without constant supervision when they are old enough. Having your own yard means you can get a big dog, put in a pool, and have outdoor play equipment to keep your kids entertained. Your kids could even camp out in a tent in a private, safe backyard.
You Have Freedom To Build A Room Addition
Having your own home means you can do what you want with the property. If you need to add on a new bedroom to accommodate a growing family, you may be able to do that without having to move. You can convert your garage into a recreation room, you can add a screen room, and change your home however you see fit as the years go by. This allows you to have a permanent home without having to move every time you want something new for your place.
You Can Have As Many Pets As You Want
Unless you move into a single family home in an HOA community, you have freedom with the type and amounts of pets your kids can have. Many condos limit pets to small dogs and cats and may only let you have one or two. Your family may have a variety of pets as your kids grow and it's nice to choose pets you love rather than being limited in breed and number.
Your Family Can Grow A Garden
Growing food for your family is fun and educational. It's also a great way to save money on food and still be able to feed your family organic produce. You can grow a certain amount of food in containers on a condo patio, but it's nothing compared to what you can do when you have some land to spread things out. You may find you have a green thumb and you can make a family hobby of growing vegetables and flowers. You can plant trees when the kids are young and they can watch them grow as they mature into adulthood.
The main drawback to moving into a single family home is that you're the one responsible for all the upkeep of the property and home. It's nice just to pay a monthly condo fee and let the condo association take care of the grounds and building maintenance, but then you miss out on the experience of taking care of a home that you can share with your kids, which gives them valuable life lessons. Each family is different and you may prefer the condo life, but if you want your family to have space, land, and more freedom, then a single family home is the way to go.
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