What Kind of Home Does a Bee Colony Need?

The blended family concept is nowadays already commonplace and there is nothing extraordinary about it when the existing living arrangements no longer suit the families upon their merger and a completely new home must be found, whose planning would take into account the interests and needs of all family members.

In my work, I often encounter blended families who at some point need to sell their previous home and search for a new one that takes into account the family's growth over a very short period. Very often, the matter is not as simple as just buying a larger apartment or house. A blended family is not an ordinary large family, but rather a place where different families come together with their own habits and needs.

Below, I highlight seven important points that are worth thinking about and discussing within the family circle before making a significant financial commitment to purchasing a new home.

House or apartment?

Some people are completely house-minded and others prefer apartments. When a blended family is formed, the advantages and disadvantages of houses and apartments should be written down very specifically.

It is no secret that a house is something that always requires attention. The idea that children can play in their own yard may not outweigh the extra energy you will need to maintain the house. An apartment, on the other hand, does not allow you to open the door and let your child play in the backyard. At the same time, we also have very beautiful family apartments with well-developed living environments, where it has been considered that a child would have a place to play and spend their time outside the four walls of the apartment.

So, a large family does not automatically mean taking a step only in the direction of houses.

How much living space is needed?

With the permission of my good colleague, I bring an example where when buying a home and with the plan to find a suitable solution for all family members, a terraced house was purchased, which initially was indeed a very good idea, but after living there for a few years, it became clear that the family still needed somewhat different solutions. Putting multiple families under one roof is not simply acquiring a larger number of rooms, but different worlds come together. In the end, two different living spaces turned out to be the suitable solution.

This does not necessarily have to be the way. Most blended families are still those where everyone becomes unified and live as one family in a large living space. Also, the solution can be an apartment or a house in which different zones can be created for multiple families' children.

Does everyone need their own room?

This question certainly deserves attention. Every family member must have their own "nest," but whether it has to be a separate room is a matter of discussion. Experience shows that there is no right or wrong answer here.

Thinking rationally, not everyone needs to have their own room, but a home is a refuge where everyone must have their own place and where it feels good to be. Therefore, when considering spatial solutions, it would be worth discussing with all parties, including children, what everyone's expectations are. It is worth thinking about how much and when those rooms are used.

Could a room have multiple functions?

In blended families, it is not uncommon for a child to live for a while with their mother and then their father, which in turn may mean that the room intended for the child is unused for part of the time. Although this is naturally the child's own room, the space can have multiple purposes. For example, it could be a home office in the meantime.

It is also worth considering sharing rooms between children. For example, if in one month one child's room would be empty for two weeks, why not try a variant where one room is divided between two children. There are many design options that provide a very functional and also visually beautiful solution for dividing rooms into multiple spaces.

Who and for how long will live here?

Often children in blended families are of different ages. It should be kept in mind whether the oldest children will not soon be moving out of the home. There have been cases where a house specifically built for more space turned out to be too large when completed, because someone was about to move out and live independently shortly thereafter.

Therefore, it is extremely important to think through what the family's needs will be in a few years' time. Real estate is always purchased for a longer period, and it is good if it meets the family's needs throughout that time.

Location

There is no getting around the location. When families merge, it is very important to take into account where the other family members are located, whether to buy a new home closer to their children's other parents or perhaps to a different part of Estonia.

This is an important consideration especially if all parents plan to actively participate in their children's lives. It should not be forgotten that if one part of the family's living arrangement is that children spend part of their time with one parent and part with the other, then it is not reasonable to buy real estate too far from each other. It is very important that children can move from one parent's home to the other's as stress-free as possible.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is one of the most important nuances in any real estate purchase. Discuss how children can move to school, home, their other home, etc., and this also by using public transport.

In conclusion

A blended family is not an ordinary large family. In this family, multiple families come together, where habits and worldviews can be very different.

So when choosing a new home for a blended family, it is particularly important to carefully take into account everyone's wishes, consider spatial plans, how frequently they are used, and of course the total area.

Also, logistics must be dealt with, as a blended family moves between different homes. The closer you are to each other, the less stress and the more peaceful and worry-free family life is.

Article author: Ketlin Jundas, professional real estate agent at Kinnisvarabüroo Uus Maa Maakri office