Our Top Tips for Designing a Home with Young Kids

Designing and building a new home is one of the most exciting journeys you’ll take — but let’s be honest, when you’ve got young kids in the mix, it’s also a whole lot of decisions. And some of those decisions you only realise were important once you’re living in the house… usually at 2am, with a kid awake, the hallway lights blazing, and you wondering why you didn’t think of this earlier.

As business owners of a building company, we’ve built a lot of homes over the years — and we’ve lived in a lot of them too. We’ve also done the young-family stage ourselves, and these tips are based on real life, not just what looks good in a brochure. So, if you’re building with little ones (or planning to), here are a few of our go-to tips to help make everyday living easier— now and in the years ahead.

1. Put in a ventilation system

A good ventilation system is one of the best things you can do for the wellbeing of your family. It helps keep your home dry, warm, and healthy — and it seriously cuts down on condensation and those “crying windows” in winter. If you’ve ever wiped down glass every morning while juggling breakfast and getting kids out the door, you’ll know what we mean. If the budget can stretch, we’d highly recommend pairing it with a ducted heat pump for year-round comfort.

2. Think about visibility (it’ll save your sanity)

If you’re building with young kids, visibility is huge. Let’s be honest — you’re busy. You’ve got dinner on, washing going, and you don’t get to play with the kids every second of the day. Being able to see them outside from your main living areas makes playtime way less stressful (and helps you keep your sanity).

It’s also worth thinking about safe, well-fenced outdoor spaces from the start. A secure backyard that’s easy to supervise means the kids can roam a bit — and you can breathe a bit. It’s one of those things you’ll be grateful for every single day.

3. Skip the comfort-height toilet in the family bathroom

Comfort-height toilets are great… unless you’re trying to toilet train a toddler. When they’re learning, the quicker they can hop on and off by themselves, the better. For little legs, a standard-height toilet makes that a whole lot easier. Most of the step ladders and training seats you can buy are designed for regular-height toilets too — they don’t sit properly on comfort height, which just makes the whole process harder than it needs to be. It’s a small detail, but one you’ll appreciate every single day during that stage.

4. Add hallway sensor lights

Hallway sensor lights are one of those “small detail, big impact” features. They’re perfect for late-night feeds, toilet runs, and little wanderers — and they mean you’re not fumbling for light switches half asleep. Soft light is the key here. You want enough to see, but not enough to fully wake the household.

5. Built-in desks and joinery (future you will thank you)

We’re big fans of built-in joinery — it’s one of those things that grows with your family. A built-in desk can be a colouring-in station now, a homework spot later, and a handy spot for all the day-to-day clutter in between. It gives everything a home, which means less mess floating around the house. And anything that keeps toys off the floor (and saves you stepping on Lego) is a win in our books.

6. Include a bath

If you’ve got little ones, including a bath is usually a no-brainer. One of our favourite practical tips is adding a tiled edge — somewhere to put all those toys, contain the splashes, and (let’s be honest) hold your wine.

7. No carpet under the kitchen island (or dining table)

This one might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often it comes up. If you’ve got young kids, avoid carpet under the kitchen island and dining table. It makes cleaning up after meals so much easier — because no one wants spag-bol stains on their brand new carpet.

8. Consider a second lounge (or at least a separate kids’ zone)

A second lounge is a game changer for young families. It gives the kids somewhere to play, watch TV, and keep their toys out of the main living area — and it helps the whole house feel calmer. Even better, if it’s a space you can close the door on at the end of the day, you can tuck away the mess (and all their little “creations”) without having to pack everything down. The kids stay happy, and you don’t have to stare at it all night — everyone wins. If you can, include plenty of storage in that space too (like under the TV or a window seat). Storage is everything.

9. Choose wool carpet (yes, we said it)

This might be controversial… but we love wool carpet. It’s 100% natural, stain resistant, hypoallergenic, and not to mention warm and comfy for little toes. If your kids are spending half their lives on the floor, it’s a good choice.

Final thoughts

Building a home with young children isn’t about making everything “kid-proof” — it’s about making your home work for real life. The best family homes are the ones where the layout, materials, and small details make everyday life easier. And the good news is, most of these tips aren’t big-ticket items — they’re just smart decisions made early.

If you’re planning a new build and want to chat through what works (and what really doesn’t), flick us a message. We’ve built plenty of homes, and we’ve lived the family stage ourselves.

We’ve got this.