Becoming a parent can be one of the most rewarding of life’s experiences, but it also requires quite a bit of planning! If you’re expecting your first child, or your family house is already bursting at the seams, it may take a touch of renovation to make room for the new baby. Renovating can be a lot less taxing, quicker and cheaper than moving. You’ll also get to stay in the home you know and love, knowing it’s personalised to your changing needs.
These 5 home renovation tips will help turn your place into the perfect family home.
Create a dedicated nursery
Whether you build an extension or renovate an existing room, dedicating a space to be the nursery is one of the most important changes you can make to your home. Even if the baby sleeps with you most of the time, having a customised space built to help you focus on feeding, clothing and changing them makes a world of difference. The bonus is that as baby grows, the room can change to suit their needs, eventually becoming their dedicated private space.
Set aside a space for play
If you have the space, set aside a dedicated room for play-time with baby. It’s a great place for existing children to bond with baby too, and will help contain the necessary messes that playful learning creates. It’s another room that will grow as your children do — accommodating age-appropriate activities and eventually, homework and study. An experienced renovating team would be able to advise you on how best to maximise the use of available space, or explore the possibilities of creating a multipurpose area to accommodate this developmental essential.
Babyproof your home
Ensuring your home is safe for baby is a little more complex than covering your plugs and tying down the bookcase or TV. Give your home a “safety exam” and consider life from your baby’s perspective, bearing in mind how quickly they grow! You may want to invest in some structural changes to your home with renovation work that will improve your quality of life even long after baby has grown up. Think about a kitchen renovation that places all dangerous objects out of a child’s reach, or creating enough room downstairs to lower the risk of falling down stairs by lessening the need to climb a staircase as a nursing parent or as a young child.
Reimagine your kitchen space
Now is the time to make room in your kitchen for the routine of baby care. When updating this area, consider counter space for sterilisers, bottle racks, baby food makers and the like. It’s also a good time to consider either making space in your existing fridge, or building in space for a bar fridge to hold formula and prepared baby food. Finally, earmark a few draws to store pumps and pacifiers out of the way — eventually becoming the place for sippy cups, and baby bowls and cutlery. A reputable renovating team will gladly advise you on the most convenient configuration of your space.
Have renovations handled by the experts
While there may be a lot you could usually tackle with a healthy dose of DIY, when you’re expecting may not be the time to do so. You’ll be wanting to spend your time preparing in other ways, like tying things up at work or spending quality time with your partner. If you’re the expectant mother, it may simply be impractical to do the job yourself. Get the experts in! Not only will it be safer, it will also be guaranteed work done faster.
Choosing the right renovators is key — after all, you’re trusting them with your precious home. Choosing experienced, accredited renovators ensures your renovations will not only give you exactly the room you need, but with the least disruption possible. Increase your living area, and make space for the whole, growing family with Modern Home Improvers. We’ve been ensuring quality home renovations in Perth for more than 40 years. Contact us for a no-obligation quote, or just to chat about your needs.
If you’re still unsure about whether renovating or moving would be better for your growing family, check out our Renovate or Move Quiz. With a few short questions, we’ll help you shed light on which choice best suits your needs.