If you’re thinking about moving into a new home to start a family, you’ll have a lot of factors to consider. There’s more to a neighborhood than just safety, as your future children and pets will agree.

In this article, we’ll talk about some signs that a neighborhood is a good place for a family. We’ll also offer some advice on weighing those factors to find a place that fits both your lifestyle and your budget.

1. Safety

One of the most important factors in your hunt will be safety. However, there’s more to the safety of a neighborhood than just crime statistics. If you have children or pets, safety includes living on a street that doesn’t have high-speed traffic and blind corners.

You’ll want to be able to take your dog for a walk, let your cat roam the neighborhood, and go for a bike ride with your children without having to worry about the dangers of road traffic.

Another factor in safety is how well-maintained the neighborhood is. Oftentimes, neighborhoods run by homeowners associations tend to see to things like potholes, litter, and other things that could put you and your family at risk.

To get an idea of whether or not a neighborhood is a good fit, it’s a good idea to tour the surrounding streets on foot.

2. Community

Many of us can remember a time when everyone on the street knew each other. However, as we’ve gotten more digitally connected and have vehicles to travel across town, many suburban and urban neighborhoods have lost some of their sense of neighborhood community.

For a young family, knowing and getting along with your neighbors can be a big advantage. Having other kids in the neighborhood that your children can play with will be good fun for your children and it will make your life easier when it comes to play dates and keeping track of your kids.

To get a sense of the local community, ask to be introduced to some neighbors or say “hello” as you walk down the street.

3. Proximity to important services

The obvious amenities you want in the area are good schools, grocery stores, and parks to bring your kids to. However, there are some lesser known services you’ll want to keep in mind. Access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet will be valuable to both you and your children, especially since much of their homework will likely be online.

4. Scout the traffic

If you’re going to be getting your child on the bus every day and then driving to work, it’s a good idea to know what to expect in the mornings and when you come home. Visit the neighborhood during rush hour and take a test drive to your work to see if there are any unexpected delays.

5. Public services

There’s more to a good town than the lack of potholes. Check out the local library, post offices, police, and fire departments as well. Ask someone you know who lives in the town or join the town’s Facebook group to gauge whether the public services are on par with what you and your future family would want.

Despite the fact that children are injured each year by hazards inside their home, you can safety proof your home and keep your children unharmed. Talk to your children about dangers of playing with certain products or items in your home. For example, you could tell your children not to touch the stove, stick objects in electrical outlets or play near or on steps.Creating a safe home environment is fairly simpleTo protect toddlers and young children from falling down steps, install safety gates at the tops of steps. Ensure that the gates are properly installed and don’t give way when leaned against. Also, install safety locks or latches on kitchen and bathroom cabinets that store harmful household cooking utensils, chemicals like bleaches, grill lighter fluid and heavy skillets and pans that could fall on your child.Again, test the latches to ensure that they are properly installed. Additional steps that you can take to child safety proof your kitchen include putting anti-scald covers on stove eyes and remaining in the kitchen while the stove is on.Keep pots and pans on back eyes, if possible, while the stove is on to help prevent children from accidentally bumping into pots and pans, causing hot liquids and foods to splash on them. If stoves, refrigerators and other appliances are uneven, install pads beneath them to make them even.Anchors, similar to those used in hotel rooms, can also be installed on furniture to keep furniture from toppling over should children climb atop the furniture. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission also shares that edge bumpers can keep children from being injured should they fall against furniture.Alarms that should be in every homeTo protect your child from electrical shocks, place hard-to-remove covers over electrical outlets. Also, make sure that all electrical outlets have a standard plate on them. Engage in fire safety by installing fire alarms throughout your home. It’s also a good idea to store a fire extinguisher in a safe room in your house.Another type of alarm that you can install is a carbon monoxide alarm. Inspect both alarms regularly and replace the alarm batteries no less than once a year. As a family, practice fire and other safety exit drills. This can let you know if older children need more instruction on what to do in the event of natural disasters or a human created emergency.Outdoors child safety proof measures include putting locks on the garage door and placing garage door openers high enough so that young children cannot reach them. Make sure that electric garage door openers are functioning properly. Rakes, shovels, gravel, hammers and other heavy or hazardous objects should be kept out of the reach of young children.Because no child safety proof measures may work all the time, particularly if your child is determined to explore an area or object, educating your child about the dangers of playing with certain items is important. So too is making sure that you and your older children practice safety such as removing toys from the bottom of steps, keeping cords and plastic out of the reach of children and removing water from tubs when they are not in use.

One of the easiest ways to improve the value of your house is to de-clutter your home. A clutter free home adds living space to your residence. It also reveals carpet,wood flooring and wall space that needs repair.

Watch a tiny house television show and you’ll learn how much you can do with a few hundred square feet of housing. But, you can’t maximize your living space if boxes,clothes, shoes and household goods are cluttering your home.

Gain more living space in your current home

Picking unused goods off the floor is the first step. Chairs and end tables that you only use when company visits can be stored in the basement, garage or attic. Consider selling furniture that you don’t use on websites like eBay and Letgo. Who knows? Earning the extra money could inspire you to rid your home of more unused items.

To maximize the space at your home, take these 10 easy steps. Make it easy on yourself.Give yourself two weeks to de-clutter.

• Place five large moving boxes in the room that you are going to de-clutter.
• Approach the process as if you were moving and each unused and unnecessary item cost you $20 if you kept it.
• Drop items that you are going to donate to charity into one moving box.
• Place items that you are going to sell online or at a yard sale in another moving box.
• Use sturdy plastic containers to store books in.Libraries, churches, schools and community youth organizations might be looking for the types of books that you are ready to shed.
• Pick seasonings, cans and food boxes off of kitchen counters. It might surprise you how much counter space you actually have after you move goods into cabinets.
• Store large kitchen utensils in large, bottom cabinets, leaving more room to store smaller utensils on top shelves.
• Stack videotapes, family photo albums and journals in cabinets at the bottom of entertainment centers.
• Add good lighting to rooms. Also, open blinds and drapes to invite more natural light inside your home.
• Set a goal to leave lots of open floor space in each room.
• Move coffee and end tables close to chairs and sofas.
• Walk through your home each month and toss out items that you know you are not going to use.

Take small steps if you must

Living in a clutter free home starts with your expectations. If the home you grew up in was filled with furniture, knick knacks, decorations, end tables and photographs,you might think that, in order for your home to feel warm and loving, it needs to be filled. You may feel like you’re missing something or not being a good homeowner when you spot large amounts of empty space.

If this is the case, take small steps to de-clutter your home. Empty unnecessary furniture and knick knacks out of one room at a time. You could even start with your garage, basement or attic. Painting a room, installing blinds, drapes or another window treatment could ease the transition from a jammed packed room to a room that gives you more space to live in.

Nothing beats the warm, inviting feeling that you get when you enter your kitchen. However, failure to keep your kitchen clean can impact the quality of your kitchen. This ultimately can make a big difference in how homebuyers perceive your kitchen, along with whether they decide to submit an offer for your home.Fortunately, there are many simple ways to keep your kitchen looking great day after day, including:1. Use baking soda to clean your tile floors.Your tile floors were beautiful after they were installed. But since that time, they’ve become dirty, grimy and tough to clean.But we have a surefire solution to help you revamp your kitchen’s tile floor – baking soda and water.The combination of baking soda and water serves as a wonderful tile floor cleaner that is easy to apply with a mop. And within minutes of using it, you may notice that your kitchen’s tile floor looks as good as new.2. Eliminate wall splatters.Over the years, you’ve prepared a wide range of meals in your kitchen – everything from spaghetti and meatballs to sloppy joes. Unfortunately, not every dish has been an instant success. And as such, there have been many splashes of various ingredients that have landed on your kitchen’s ceiling, floors and walls.Eliminating wall splatters may seem impossible at first. Luckily, there are numerous viable options to help you remove them without delay.For stains on painted walls, you may want to use a wet cloth or paper towel. The combination of a wet cloth or paper towel and tough scrubbing will allow you to eliminate stains on painted walls immediately.Comparatively, oily stains may require water and dishwashing soap. This mix is powerful and will ensure that you can remove cooking grease and other oily stains.3. Disinfect the garbage disposal.Your kitchen’s garbage disposal has served you well, but bad garbage disposal odors may persist if you’re not careful. On the other hand, home sellers who focus on keeping their kitchen’s garbage disposal clean can avoid such odors altogether.Looking for a great way to clean your kitchen’s garbage disposal? Using a mix of vinegar, water and ice cubes can help you clean and deodorize your kitchen’s garbage disposal quickly and effortlessly.Dedicate the necessary time and resources to disinfect your kitchen’s garbage disposal, and you can guarantee that this disposal remains clean and performs consistently.4. Wipe out the refrigerator.In many cases, home sellers may include a refrigerator in a home sale. As such, you’ll want to keep this refrigerator looking and performing great.Wiping out your refrigerator and removing expired items regularly is essential. By doing so, you can remove the risk of bad odors from escalating in your kitchen.Of course, don’t forget to keep an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator, too. This box should be changed periodically and will provide a fresh scent any time you open your refrigerator door.Keep your kitchen clean, and by doing so, you may be able to boost your chances of a quick home sale.