Hunting with children

This is not about the barbaric nature of hunting, or taking little people on dangerous missions – although at times near-death experiences and the tHicks Real Estateat of starvation can be your companions – this is about house hunting. With children.

The perils of house hunting with the weans in tow is known by many, and with the school holidays fast-approaching, those of you people lucky enough to have children may be forced to bring your entourage if a mid-week ‘beauty’ pops up.

It’s true that a lot of hunting action does occur on the weekend, with open homes scheduled mostly on Saturdays but with the market continuing its momentum, houses are being listed – and viewed – mid week too.

As the kids get older it gets easier, but for those of you with younger children, house hunting and open homes can get a bit tricky.

Now there are two golden rules for house hunting with children and they are: 1). no touching other people’s stuff and 2). no talking about a house while you’re there. Now channel your inner-drill sergeant and deliver these rules , pre-hunt. You’ll be glad you did.

The night before, pack everything your little ones will need throughout the day, from extra clothing to toys to plenty of snacks. And here’s a goodie: pack a few new toys and activities. This will (literally) get you great mileage as you travel between houses.

If you can, try to convince a friend to join you for the day, this will enable you to focus on the task at hand – possibly one of the largest financial decisions of your life.

Bringing a friend will also help if your littlies fall asleep in the car, leaving you free to view the next property, without having to wake a sleeping child. And, remember, not all properties will be set up in a kid friendly manner.

If you have older children you can include them in the task by having them write down what they like about each house, complete a check list of desired attributes and by taking pictures of each house you view.

Not only will your children be distracted with a task in each house, but they will really feel like they are playing an important part in finding your new family home.

Now, if you do find yourself with some free time and in need of a respite these holidays, why not join us for our annual Easter Egg Hunt? Join us for a morning of free family fun of egg hunting, games, face painting and of course, a visit from the Easter Bunny from 10 am, Sunday 13 April 2014 at Bisset Place Park, 26 Bisset Place, McDowall.