Do you remember the famous Disney movie of the 1980s, "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids", in which a scientist shrunk his teenage children? Yeah, it happens in movies, but it doesn't work in real life. In real life, when kids start growing up, they really have to be given more space, which can mean moving. It's no longer possible, as when they were little, to put them together in the same bedroom or in the same bed, or to make them share their wardrobes. Kids grow up, accumulate a lot of things, and if the house doesn't keep up with the changes in growth, it can be a problem.
The kids want more privacy, we want more security for them. Kids want more autonomy, we want to stay close. Kids take more time in the bathroom, we want them to hurry up. Kids want more and more friends at home, we want them to get organized. The truth is that when kids grow up, they really need more space and the solution may be to buy a bigger house. A house with a garden, and especially in the right location, can be the best instruction manual for a happy and trouble-free family life. And where the freedom that children inevitably gain does not mean our loss of peace.
There are several factors to consider when deciding to buy a house or to buy an apartment after the family has increased - in number of members or in the age of those members. In an ideal setting, the house should always have two more bedrooms than the number of the couple's children. Thus, if you have three children, the ideal is to buy a 5-bedroom apartment. If you have two children, you will need a 4-bedroom apartment. If you only have one child, a 3-bedroom apartment will be enough. Having an extra room at home is not an eccentricity, it is a necessity. Of course it is not compulsory, but it is a great comfort. And since buying a house is not buying an ephemeral or disposable good, it is important that the property you choose meets a number of requirements - present and future, daily and occasional.
It's not just about the welfare of children, it's about the welfare of the whole family. An extra room can always be transformed into a hybrid room that serves as a guest room but also as an office room. It can be the grandparents’ second home. It can be the room of a child who is yet to come. It can be a storage room, a library. It can be many things, one extra room is never too much.
But it's not only the number of bedrooms that matters when the family grows, it's also the number of bathrooms. In a family with more than three members, having just one full bathroom is impractical. This is particularly evident during the school year, and especially in a house where there are boys and girls, because the two genders have completely different dynamics. But if everyone has to leave the house at the same time, having several bathrooms is really helpful.
The family grows first in number of elements, then in the age of those elements and finally in the number of friends of those elements. It's like a tree that grows and branches into the relationships that each of us builds. The difference is that adults rarely take friends to sleep at home and, on the contrary, this sharing is an integral part of the healthy development of children. Since it is not possible to expand the house as people grow and make new friendships, it is essential to choose a house that easily adapts to the needs that inevitably change over time.
We've already talked about the number of bedrooms and the number of bathrooms. We've already talked about the importance of having a house with a garden or, at least, with a nice outdoor space. We still need to talk about another aspect that is as or more significant than those and which is the place where we want to live. In this sense, it's important to decide whether it's more relevant to live close to the children's school or closer to the parents' job. Closer to the city centre or further away. In any case, there are two essential aspects: safety and proximity to public transport, which the kids will use sooner or later. This decision will also determine the choice of a villa or an apartment.
LUXIMOS Christie's International Real Estate has these options well present in the harmony of family life and therefore can advise you to choose. A house in a residential area of a city like Porto implies different costs compared to a house further away from the centre. But, depending on what each family wants, the available area can compensate. On the other hand, a more distant home can benefit from more peace of mind and more public green spaces.
If the idea is to buy an apartment, there are several developments in new condominiums close to schools and public transport, which allow the kids to cultivate their autonomy without neglecting security. Before you decide, you should ask yourself two questions: do you plan to enlarge the family? If so, it may make sense to consider looking for a villa. Will your children be leaving home in the next five years? In that case, a good apartment might make more sense. Always remember that, however unpredictable life may be, investment in a home should always be considered in the medium to long term. And having a real estate agency to help you think about it can make all the difference to your satisfaction.
