The House Hunting Guide for Parents of Children With Autism

When your child has autism, you are trying to look out for their best interests in a world that doesn’t always accommodate their needs.

Here are 7 tips to help with the home buying process…

Moving is always an exhausting endeavor, and if you’re the parent of a child with autism, going through the moving process can be especially overwhelming. Not only do you have to look for home features that will allow your child to feel truly secure and relaxed, but you also have to prepare your child for the transition from one familiar environment to a new, unfamiliar place.

But you can put your child’s needs first as a homebuyer and find a property that is a great fit for every member of your family. And thanks to organizations like Agent Marketing Essentials, today’s real estate agents are learning more about how to support families who have highly specific needs as homebuyers. Here’s how to approach home buying if you’re raising a child with autism.

Work With a Great Agent

First, you’ll want to connect with a real estate agent who has a deep understanding of what your family is looking for.

If you know any other parents in your area who have children with autism and have recently bought homes, reach out to them to see if they can refer you to the real estate agents they used.

Credit Karma states that you should choose someone who has extensive knowledge of your local market, and preferably, you’ll want to work with a veteran agent.

Real Estate Agents with more designations may have a longer track record of assisting families with a wide variety of needs, so they can answer all of your pressing questions.

Home Features to Look For

Chances are, you’ll need to invest in a few minor modifications to the home that you eventually purchase, as most homes on the market are not designed to be accessible for people with disabilities.

But to avoid spending money on major modifications, you’ll want to look for a home that already has certain important features that your child will need.

For instance, to make it easier for your child to move around your home, you may want to choose a property with an open floor plan.

Solving Autism recommends seeking a home with an extra room that you could dedicate to your child’s interests.

For children with autism, having a safe, quiet space where they can enjoy their favorite activities is key.

Choose the Right Movers

To make sure that you’ll be able to supervise your child on moving day, you will want to hire movers. But how can you choose the right movers?

Again, it never hurts to ask other families you know for their recommendations, especially if they have children with disabilities.

Furthermore, you can seek out movers who provide age-appropriate activity packs for kids. Overall, you’ll want to ensure that the movers you hire have a good reputation when it comes to helping homebuyers with children.

Plan Ahead for Moving Day

Before moving day arrives, it’s important to make a plan.

For instance, you might want to ask a relative to come to your home and help keep your child occupied, or you could hire a babysitter for the day.

Make sure that you pack your child’s most important belongings last, and store them in a box that is clearly labeled.

You will want to unpack these items as soon as possible after you arrive.

Hire Cleaners After Arriving

Making sure that your home environment is clean after you settle in is key.

Your child will feel more comfortable and less stressed in a clean home. From sweeping and vacuuming your floors to wiping down surfaces, you can take care of many basic cleaning tasks within one or two days of arrival.

What if you need to take care of more intensive cleaning processes?

For example, you may have noticed some stains on your furniture after you started unpacking, and even though you’ve used your strongest cleaning products to get rid of it, your efforts have not been successful.

To remove the stain for good, you’ll need to hire an upholstery cleaner. Check out reviews of several upholstery cleaning companies online by searching for furniture cleaner near me before making a final decision on who to work with.

After you’ve found a few reputable companies, ask them for referrals from happy customers.

You’ll also want to explain your specific needs and get price quotes.

You’ll want to refrain from working with upholstery cleaners who utilize all-in-one cleaning tools, as this approach may not be as effective.

Develop Organizational Systems to Avoid Clutter

Staying tidy and organized at home is crucial when you have a child with autism.

You do not want your child to access items that might be dangerous, such as kitchen utensils.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to establish organizational systems for every room as you unpack.

This can include safely storing sharp objects in your kitchen, keeping your child’s toys in boxes that can close securely, and making sure that any prescription medications, cleaning solutions, or other hygiene products that would be dangerous for your child to ingest are kept out of their reach.

Install locks on cabinets, drawers, and doors as necessary for peace of mind.

Home Modifications

Finally, it’s time to focus on home modifications.

You may want to prioritize painting the walls in soothing colors or replacing hardwood floors with carpeting that makes it less likely for your child to slip.

You can also start reducing noise throughout your home and making an effort to soundproof your child’s bedroom, as many children with autism are highly sensitive to loud noises.

You could hire a contractor to install acoustic tiles on your walls, soundproof the windows and doors, and put up heavy curtains and drapes to absorb sound.

House Hunting Guide for Parents of Children With Autism – Final Thoughts

When your child has autism, you are trying to look out for their best interests in a world that doesn’t always accommodate their needs.

Despite the obstacles that your family has faced, you can find a dream home that everyone in your household will love.

Although you may be nervous about barriers to purchasing the ideal property, these tips will help you overcome the challenges you might deal with in this process.

Want to improve your real estate business to better help your clients? Agent Marketing Essentials can help you leverage the tools you need! Fill out the contact form on our website to connect.

This is a guest post by Jenny Wise, author of Special Home Educator. Photo via Pexels