Home Improvements To Make As Parents

Before you have children, a house is just a home. It’s a place to crash at the end of a long day and to cook (or heat up) your meals. But, once you have kids for yourself, you have to worry about small things such as a sturdy deck, safe building materials used, and even things like the edges of kitchen countertops. Small things that you would never even think about before. You worry about everything that you could possibly ever worry about. Safety, accessibility, space, and more. A lot of the time, I see new parents searching for a new home because they didn’t realize how kid-friendly a home really has to be. There is another option, though! Why not just renovate and make home improvements to make your home more suitable for having your children? That sounds like a winner in my book because buying a home takes way too much time and effort. Instead, you could just hire a great design-build company in Atlanta, such as Arbor Ridge, but more on that in a minute.

Here are a few essential home projects that you need to think about and do when you have kids:

Countertops + Cabinets

You 110% need easy to maintain countertops (and cabinets, while we are at it!) if you do not already have them. If you're going to deal with much sanding and grinding, chances are you'll need a cordless oscillating tool. Kids are rough on items - they slam cabinets and they are extremely messy, as well. I want my kids to be comfortable in our home, instead of feeling like they have to walk on eggshells. I’ve seen quite a few moms who tell their children that they cannot do certain arts and crafts, or activities around the house because of the mess that it will make, but if you have easy to clean countertops and are prepared, you should not have to worry about it too much. If you are looking to improve your countertops, I recommend considering quartz because it is easy to maintain and also very durable. They are resistant to scratches, cracks, and other damages, as well. They are also easy to clean, which is extremely essential when it comes to living with kids! 

A Basement

Let me just say this - kids are crazy and have so much energy. They need a space, in addition to a yard, where they are able to run around like maniacs and release that energy. A basement is perfect because it gives them a space to do so. Of course, you want your kids to go outside, but it has been extremely hot in Atlanta recently, so a basement is perfect for “not so great” weather days. A basement adds so much room to a house and it is so useful when it is finished (honestly unfinished is great too!). In addition to making your basement a kid space, you can also add an extra bedroom to the basement, create an office, make a movie room, a workout room, or have a room for storage. It is beneficial in many ways! 

A Great Laundry Room 

Once you have kids, there is automatically more work to be done. As we already discussed, kids are messy and wild, so you are going to need a great laundry room to clean their messes in. Maybe even consider creating a laundry and mud room together - that honestly sounds ideal to me! This could be a space to keep everything (school bags, shoes, etc.) organized, and everything clean, as well. You could also add a dog bath station, which has always seemed so cool to me. A great big laundry room is essential to me as a parent.

A Safe Deck

Last but not least, if you have a deck, you need to make sure it is safe. I love sitting on top of the deck, watching my kids play in the backyard, but like we discussed in the beginning of this article, you need to make sure that you have a safe and sound structure. That’s why I recommended Arbor Ridge Design-Build Company. They are Atlanta’s #1 choice for professional design and build contracting. They specialize in custom design, stone work, masonry, carpentry, and landscaping out of Metro-Atlanta. Their many years of experience and a wide range of expert skills allows them to offer an array of home remodeling services. They say, “Many Atlanta contractors may do some designing here and there, but most do not offer a full, professional design-build service. With Arbor Ridge, you get everything! We are the best professional design-build company based in Atlanta Georgia. We can handle any Atlanta home renovation project, large or small. When interviewing an Atlanta home remodeling company, you may find that there are many variations in their approaches to the design-build process. Our process is simple. We listen to your ideas and needs, conceptualize, design and build while keeping the costs of construction down.”