How to prepare your home for a growing family – Growing Family

Collaborative post

Is your family about to grow? Whether there’s a new baby on the way, an elderly relative moving in, or a temporary guest coming to stay, there are plenty of things you can do to prepare your home.

With more people in your home, you are going to want to prioritise space and create a calming environment that works for everyone. Here are some simple ways to prepare your home for a growing family.

Declutter

A declutter has never been a better idea than before your family expands.

Go through each room in your home and decide if there is anything that you no longer use and can get rid of. This will make your home feel larger, and provides more space for new things that will inevitably come with your new arrival.

Whilst decluttering you may find unwanted items that you can sell to make some extra cash, or donate to a charity shop. Many charities now offer a pickup service for large furniture items, so there’s no excuse to leave furniture out of your decluttering session.

Storage

No matter how much you manage to get rid of, you are of course going to be left with possessions that you wish to keep.

Some of these items you may not use frequently, but still want to keep and be able to access easily. Adding in additional storage such as fitted wardrobes or a storage window seat is a really effective way to increase storage space without compromising too much on room space.

Be sure to get some boxes to keep these new storage spaces efficiently organised, so that everything is easy to access and clearly visible.

Safety

If your growing family involves a new baby or an elderly family member, then there may be elements of your home that require safety proofing to accommodate their needs.

Walk through your home and assess what needs to be added or moved to make it as safe as possible. This could include installing stair gates or additional handrails, covering plug sockets, and removing potential trip hazards.

Functionality

As your family grows, the way you use your home is likely to change. This may mean that you need to adapt certain areas of your home to make them more functional.

This could be anything from moving furniture around, to completely changing the function of rooms. Try to envisage how you are likely to use your home differently once your family grows, and make the required changes. For example, if you are going to be using your bath far more frequently, make sure your bathroom is set up for this. If you plan on cooking at home more, then take time to organise your kitchen for optimal efficiency.

With any family change there are likely to be some teething problems, but try not to worry. Instead, take comfort that you can continue to implement changes along the way as you get a better feel for how your home needs to work for your new family dynamic.

Have you had to prepare your home for a growing family? Share your tips in the comments.