Accommodating a growing family

Accommodating a growing family

Last updated on November 20th, 2020 at 11:14 am

Expecting a new addition to the family? Congratulations! Welcoming a new baby is an incredibly exciting time, and we’re sure you are overjoyed.

The thing is, in addition to all the anticipation, you may have some worries on your mind – maternity leave, financial stresses, and maybe a hefty mortgage, to name just a few.

In this article, we’ll go through a few vital considerations to make when accommodating a growing family. With a little forethought and planning, you can achieve your family, financial, and property goals. Let’s get started.

Three key considerations when growing your family

Growing your family can be costly. Here are three vital considerations to make when expecting one or more new family members.

1. Earning capacity and maintaining expenses

During pregnancy and through the newborn stage, your earning capacity may be restricted. Depending on your occupation and your employers’ rules and regulations around maternity concessions, you may or may not be entitled to paid maternity leave.

Changes in your earning capacity can have a significant impact on your ability to keep up with regular expenses, including mortgage repayments. Before you begin growing your family, it could be worth considering a more affordable family home. New developments and house and land packages are fantastic, budget-friendly options to enable you to achieve your dream home without the hefty price tag.

2. Changes to your lifestyle and property requirements

Another person means you’ll need more space. Whether the baby is your first, second, or third child, you already know they’ll need a bedroom – or a shared bedroom – space to play, and ideally a backyard. This is why so many young families move to new properties in new areas when growing their family.

As your lifestyle changes, you may benefit from moving to a new estate or to an outer suburb. Generally, these neighbourhoods are more affordable, have plenty of green spaces and parks, a wonderful community feel and often larger homes with yards that are ideal for the growing family.

3. Ways you can minimise financial stress for peace of mind

You want to enjoy this precious time. That’s why it’s essential to minimise financial stress wherever possible. Here are a few ideas:

• Reduce your mortgage repayments by moving to a more affordable home
• Review your spending habits and minimise unnecessary spending
• Create a weekly budget and stick to it
• Cut back on subscription services – these can really add up
• Sell valuables that you no longer need, including furniture and old electronics

Always seek professional advice

Having a baby is a very exciting time. And that’s why you need to take every possible precaution to reduce or eliminate financial stress. Remember to always seek expert financial advice to help you assess your options. And most importantly, remember to enjoy every minute – it goes fast!