Selecting the right space to raise your family is a deeply personal journey which goes far beyond neighbourhood and square footage. You need to find a place which meets the practical needs of every single family member right now, and is future-proofed to anticipate their later stages too.
And, particularly since the pandemic, family homes need to be multi-purpose spaces for work, rest, and play with great amenities for home entertainment and entertaining friends and family: To better understand the factors influencing family home choices, this guide to understanding the London property market offers valuable insights into the trends shaping today’s property landscape.
There is no more important room in a family house than the kitchen, which has firmly eclipsed the living room or dining room as the main communal space in most family homes. Modern kitchens offer space not simply to prepare food but to serve it and chill out afterwards. A great family kitchen will not only have state-of-the-art cooking facilities, but for dining, playing, and living. Easy access to the garden is a given to allow for an indoors/outdoors lifestyle when weather permits. And good light thanks to floor to ceiling windows and a range of skylights, will make a kitchen feel bright and welcoming. A utility room is a great idea so that noisy and unsightly appliances can be hidden from sight, and beautifully curated pantries have made a massive comeback as an alternative to basic cupboard storage. If you frequently entertain and would prefer to avoid your guests seeing piles of dirty pots and pans a catering kitchen could be the perfect answer.
Home offices were once seen as a bit of a novelty item – who really needs a dedicated space for household admin? That all changed thanks to COVID-19, as most of us were sent home from the office. Five years on, 16% of us WFH full time, according to Statista, while 25 per cent of people have a hybrid working pattern and will work from home for at least a few days per month. This means that a home office is a must in a family home – a desk tucked into a hallway or repurposed box room is simply not business-like enough. It needs to be light, quiet – the best are soundproofed to avoid distraction – and have plenty of storage space. Room for a sofa for power naps would be nice, and it goes without saying that Wi-Fi connection must be seamless.
London streets are so overcrowded that residents without the luxury of off-street parking can brace for a frustrating cruise around the block in search of a space every time they arrive home. Which is why, for many buyers, space to park a couple of cars is an absolute must in a family home, particularly when there are several children who need to be ferried around town.
For most families, a driveway is a perfect solution – garages are a faff to drive in and out of several times a day and end up being used for general storage. But if you are fortunate enough to own a rare or valuable motor, then you may prefer to keep it hidden from prying eyes. At the very top end homes come with car lifts to convey you down to a basement level car park.
Family homes tend to be taken over by the kids, lounging on sofas with their friends, hogging the computers, playing loud music, and filling every inch of with their discarded possessions. For harried parents, the chance to escape into their own haven-at-home is an alluring prospect. Which is where the principal suite comes in. Grander than a simple bedroom, and ideally on a different floor or side of the house to the rest of the family rooms, a great principal suite should be spacious, calm, and grown-up with a neutral colour scheme and luxurious fabrics and materials. A dressing room keeps bedroom clutter to a minimum, and a well-designed bathroom, ideally with twin hand basins and showers as well as a bathtub, gives a bit of a home spa vibe.
With an ageing population and children staying under their parental roofs for longer, the idea
Elderly parents might move in while twenty-something children stay put, putting family homes under greater pressure than ever before. What most people want from their home is a sense of privacy, which means that some sort of self-contained space is a boon in a family home – a place where parents can live and still retain their independence, or older children can enjoy a taste of freedom.
Equally, a self-contained space is a great spot for a nanny or housekeeper. For those considering long-term options for their children’s future, this comprehensive guide to buying property for children offers practical advice on planning and investing with family needs in mind.
For a family home with wow factor, a few little extras are always a good selling point.
Outdoors, garden kitchens equipped with a barbecue and pizza oven, have become an increasingly popular way to entertain – a covered seating area and some heaters will allow you to get the best use out of this fashionable extra.
On a more practical note, many top-end homes come equipped with a dog shower, where pets can be hosed down (in warm water, naturally) after long, muddy walks.
A home cinema is a really family-friendly amenity for family movie nights, and can also be used for gaming in style. If you’re exploring upscale property options, this guide to new build homes and luxury developments in London provides insight into the latest trends and features shaping the market.
And with health and wellness being such huge lifestyle buzzwords, many families want to be able to work out without leaving their front doors, with home gyms, swimming pools, saunas, and yoga rooms all hugely popular. If you have masses of space, you might want to add a climbing wall or cold plunge pool or – for something a little more relaxing consider treatment rooms, a hair and nail salon, or meditation space. For more on the most valuable upgrades you can make to a prime property, check out this guide to the most profitable features to improve a prime property.
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