What Parents Should Look for in an Apartment

Finding the perfect apartment for your family is tough. There are so many things to pay attention to when searching for your new home. So, we at Apartment List decided to make things simple for you. We compiled a list of things that are important to watch out for when searching for your perfect family apartment.

1. Safety first

Before you set foot in any given building, make sure to investigate the area around it, to make sure it's family-friendly. Check out FBI crime rate statistics for the city or read our Best Cities for Families 2019 report. If you’re still curious to learn more, check in with local resources, such as the neighborhood police station. You want your child to be safe not just inside your potential home, but on their walk to school and at the park, too. If the area is not safe, you can probably cross it off your list.

2. Keep your eye out for the perfect dining area

For a lot of families, food is a point of unity. A kitchen or a dinning room bring everyone together, which means you want to have enough space there to fit the entire household. Surprisingly, children might be the ones that need more space than others. With baby stools, and toys, and baby walkers, there are a lot of things that you might need to be able to fit in the kitchen in order for your baby to eat with the rest of the family.

As your child gets older, they might do their homework in the kitchen or use the dining table for big school projects. Make sure there is enough space for a kitchen island or a table to sit the family around and fit a poster board on.

A pantry is also a nice feature to have, as it will help you store a week’s worth of dry groceries. If there is no pantry, an ideal kitchen should compensate for it with extra cabinet space. Make sure it has enough higher cupboard space, away from where your child can reach.

2. Quantity of bedrooms is not all that important

It’s a pitfall to think that you need as many bedrooms as you have kids, plus one more for yourself. You might be surprised to learn that you can do well with fewer bedrooms than family members. Children can benefit from sharing a room with their siblings, especially at a younger age.

Nevertheless, if you children want some private space while sharing a room, you can try splitting it in two with a bookshelf or another piece of furniture that acts as a divider.

3. Find a bathroom with a bathtub

A shower is not a convenient way to bathe an infant or even a toddler. Look for an apartment that has a bathtub to make bathing easier and safer for you and your child.

4. Look for elevators, laundry, dishwashers, and storage

When you’re a parent, you look for ways to speed up and simplify cleaning, grocery shopping, and other chores. An elevator, laundry unit, dishwashers, and extra storage space are all aspects that need to be considered. In-unit washer and dryer are on top of many people’s lists, especially parents, since toddlers go through multiple outfits daily. You also don’t want to run up and down the staircase with a stroller or bags full of groceries, so an elevator may end up being a necessity. Basically, the more technologically evolved a unit is, the easier it will make your day-to-day life.

5. Outdoor space

The weather or lack of time might not always allow for a long walk in the park or a playground outing, so it may be good to have a backyard attached to your home. It can be a small community park, or your private patio, but anywhere your child can get some fresh air, without you having to really leave the house when the day gets busy, is a great option to consider.

6.Check out nearby parks, schools, and medical services

Speaking of outdoor space, don’t forget to check on the nearby child-friendly amenities, schools, and local hospitals. A nearby great school can make your life easier in many ways.

Another thing to make sure of is that the hospitals in your area are stellar. You want your family medical center to be close by and provide the best care to your family.

Last, but not least check for parks and playgrounds in your neighborhood. Note if there are other child-friendly amenities, such as a swimming pool or a library. You can read more about things to look for in the neighborhood as a parent in our article on the subject.

Have other tips on choosing the most family-friendly apartment? Let us know at by tagging us @ApartmentList onTwitter or Instagram.