Pregnancy and home buying.
By Mark Nash
Many expectant mothers who were also home buyers said that being pregnant is a roll coaster, mentally and physically, but adding in the home buying process while pregnant was clearly something they wished they had some tips to help ease the stress. After working with dozens of expectant mothers over the years, hear are some field-tested ways to make your home search more positive when you're expecting a new addition to your family.
Buying before or after instead of during pregnancy. The over whelming majority of pregnant home buyers added that if they were planning a pregnancy, they would either buy before pregnancy or wait until after delivery to begin their quest for a new home. The unpredictable factors of how they would feel on any given day in each trimester to view homes, to write and negotiate a purchase offer, or preparing their household for moving, created undue stress. They felt they couldn't take a "time-out" when their body was asking for one.
Surprise pregnancies and first-time mothers. The typical pregnant first-time mother sometimes is also a first-time homebuyer. An impending first-born arrival is a wake-up call for space-starved parents-to-be, and a motivator unlike none other to put down roots in a new home. Visions of playpens, strollers and all the baby paraphernalia were enough for first-time parents to rush into home ownership. However, those surprise first-time parents and homebuyers that waited until after delivery, found that they over reacted to the spatial needs of a newborn. Most new mothers that waited added that they felt relaxed and enjoyed looking for a home, and felt no undue pressure to buy one after their new child was born. While those that purchased while pregnant, felt the ticking delivery clock, and every conversation about a potential home was back-tracked from their due date.
Pregnant and looking for a home. If you're pregnant and have to look for a home, experienced expectant mothers/home buyers have a couple of suggestions for you. Start your home search early in your pregnancy. Morning sickness and other side effects might be daunting, but you can't predict how you'll feel in later stages. Look only at 3-4 houses at a time, spread viewing appointments out over a couple of hours and factor in personal needs. If you know typically when your morning sickness is over, then plan on starting home tours an hour after. If you start to get hungry, take a snack break. And, if you don't feel up to any house hunting, cancel. You'll never accomplish anything useful when you’re looking at potential homes if you feel not up to speed. Use the Internet to take virtual tours; you'll be surprised how much touring you can do from the comfort of your current home. A good tip from one double first-timer was to hit the public open houses heavy, she said; if they started and she felt good, but felt different in an hour, they could good home and didn't feel like they inconvenienced anyone.
Close on a new home purchase at least 6 weeks before due date. One over-loaded and over-whelmed mother-to-be and home buyer-to-be called me frantically when against my advice she and her husband decided to purchase a home and move 2 weeks before her delivery date. She said she was so uncomfortable physically, couldn't help pack or move heavy items, and was most upset that the paint she had painstakingly picked out for the new nursery, sat unused because of the fumes. Plus, her husband was doing everything and she felt so bad because about it. The worst-case scenario is that you close on your new home six weeks before your most realistic due date.
Don't over-spend on your new home. No one has a crystal ball that features your future. If you're just starting out, as well as expecting your first child, plus don't know how many or any more children you might have, then buy enough space for at least the next 3-5 years. And forget project homes, those that need major work like new kitchens or baths, or both! You won't have the time, energy or flexibility for upheaval that major renovations require. Many first-time parents are sleep-deprived, mention household projects to them, and they roll their eyes and say "yeah, right!” Money matters can add unnecessary stress to new families, especially if the new mother or father might consider staying at home after maternity leave is depleted, instead of going back to work. Other options that could shave important income streams from new families is the decision, not uncommon, to only go back to work part-time, or pursue a new career. Factor in though, if you will be office from home and need a dedicated space to stele.
Top home features for new parents. One-level homes. Many new parents don't want accidents on stairs or stair spindles for the new addition to the family. Nursery spaces close to the master. The nighttime feeding and changes are made easier with nearby spaces used as nurseries. Large living or great rooms. All the equipment required by a young child takes up floor space, plan for it. Time-savers; dishwashers and microwaves. Who has the inclination or the time to hand wash everything? And the hottest home feature; in-unit laundry, hopefully extra-large capacity, washer and dryer, don't buy a home without the hook-ups and/or machines.
New parenting and home ownership are both exciting transitions in everyone's life. But, making the times exciting and not stressful takes some foresight and planning.
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