After the wedding when the romanticism of the day fades away, it dawns that real world decisions must be made. You start to wonder about important and serious things like the future. There are two choices regarding where a newly wed couple will live. The first choice is moving in to one house. Often this is only temporary. The other option is finding a place for both you before or right after the wedding. Below are some important concerns about renting for newlyweds.

  1. Conversation

A bog part of the future conversation is where you and your family will live. It is about how you will manage expansions of the family as time goes by. This conversation should be handled with common sense and realistically. The couple should be sober about this decision. You might say that if you make a bad decision you could always move. But, it is going to be harder to move a family than it was moving as a single person. There is a lot more cost, a lot more things and lot more logistical issues to contend with.

Finding a house for a couple is going to be significantly harder than finding one as a single person. You are two individuals whose voices are equally important. Therefore, before moving any further a couple should talk.

  • Take Time

This is not a decision to rush into lightly. This is regardless of what decision you make about residence. Have you decide to buy? Have you decided to rent for a while? There are many options for home ownership now like rent-to-own options. Whatever the decision, it is important to take enough time to let the idea marinate. If you decide to rent, take your time house hunting for a place that will be to both your liking. As this is a new family, residence will be one of the most important decisions you ever make as a couple.

  • Think Ahead

It is important to see into the future. Considering that life does not throw you any curveballs, where do you think the family will be five years into the future? Do you think the house you have decided on will support that dream? How many children do you think you will have? Which neighborhood do you think will be best suited for your young family? You do not have to move into that three bedroom house now if your financial situation will be strained. You could find a financially appropriate abode. This will get you accustomed to life in that neighborhood. It is important not to be so focused on the dream that you forget to exist in the reality.

  • Joint Decision

The new home should be convenient for both of you. It would be unfair for one of you to have a longer more tedious commute. It would bring imbalance to the family. Therefore, find a way to make the commute similarly wearisome for both of you. You should develop a list of common priorities. The bottom line is, it should be a home for both of you. It should not favor one over the other.

  • Expense

If you move to an entirely new neighborhood, you should consider that the new neighborhood could be on a different level in terms of cost of living. It could be higher or lower, either way the budget will need to be readjusted. Both of you should think about the possibility of supporting your life in the new neighborhood. You should also think about the possibility of a percentage increase in the future when kids start to set in. Obviously household expenses will go up. It might not be significant at first but over time it will be.

You should also figure out what the baseline rent for the aspired neighborhood is. You might move into a one or two bedroom now. However, in the future when you need to move to a bigger house how much will it cost you? What is the relative expected rent in the event of expansion?

  • Agent

This is one of those situations where an agent will come in handy. If you set out to house hunt by yourself, you will find hat you never truly find a place that has everything from both your lists. You should invest in a good agent. You will just hand him your consolidated list of requirements then they will narrow down the choices for you. This way, you do not have to look for days while getting all irritated with each other.

Careful not to pick an agent who will scam you or lie that what you need is not on the market. The Kenyan real estate market is extensive and vast. There will always be something fitting your exact specifications or something exceptionally close to what you want. That said, both of you should agree on what to compromise on.

  • Consult

If you are having trouble then by all means consult your closest friends. Do not consult with the aim of proving that the other’s rental requirements are unnecessary. Consult with the aim of learning how to appreciate your difference of opinion and accommodate each other as much as possible. If you cannot decide on which house to rent then you have a bigger problem than just housing. You should also seek professional consultation on when to get a permanent residence either by buying or building.

This could be a very important learning experience for both of you. Finding a place to rent as a couple will not be easy. However, you will enjoy the company as you house hunt. Only the right house can be made into a home. Happy new life!