When buying a new home, it’s important to consider if the layout and features are suited to everyone in the family… including your four-legged friend! Whether you’re moving with dogs or considering owning a pooch in the near future, a Kirkwood home offers a wealth of features, accommodating the needs of both the humans and canines living within them.
To inspire you in your search for the perfect new house, we have identified 10 features of our homes that are ideal for dog owners and their fluffy companions - with a little help from Kirkwood’s resident dog Milo and a few of his friends…
1. Private rear gardens
Having a private garden sits firmly at the top of the new home wish list for dog owners. Gone are the days where you had to trek up and down flights of stairs to let your dog out, or argue over who has to do the drizzly morning walk - a garden helps to take this stress away.
A private garden allows your dog to play outside throughout all seasons - whether they enjoy basking in the summer sun or playing in the winter snow. It is the perfect place for ‘zoomies’, chasing their ball, and getting their daily exercise in when you don’t have time to take them for a walk. It also makes toilet training so much easier if you’re getting a puppy!
All of our gardens have secure fencing too, making your private rear garden a fun yet safe place for your dog to play.
2. French Doors
Each Kirkwood home has stylish French doors leading out to the back garden, typically from the open-plan kitchen, dining and family area, which is absolutely ideal for dog owners.
In spring and summer, you can leave the doors open so your dog can keep themselves entertained and wander in and out as they please. In the colder months, these glass doors make it very easy to keep an eye on your pooch while they’re outside, without letting the cold in - so you can make sure they aren’t up to no good, or digging your grass or flower beds!
These doors can also provide a source of entertainment too, as they can sit and look outside all day long - watching the birds, or keeping a close eye out for the neighbour’s cat!
3. Dedicated home offices
With the rise in home and hybrid working over the past two years, dedicated home offices have risen sharply on the new home wish list - and this is even more prevalent for dog owners.
Having the ability to comfortably and easily work from home means you can spend even more time with your dog - whether it’s having cuddles between Zoom or Teams meetings or heading out for a lunchtime walk and taking some much needed fresh air away from your desk. Just be wary of them barking at the postman when you’re in a virtual meeting!
4. Spacious open-plan areas
Dogs need ample space to play both indoors as well as outdoors, and Kirkwood’s homes have been designed to maximise space - especially within the kitchen, dining and family areas.
Ample open-plan spaces allow your dog to run around freely, play with their toys, and live life to the full, without having to curb their excitement or energy, due to a lack of space.
This is also the heart of the home - a social hub where the whole family can spend time together, even if they’re busy doing separate activities. You could be cooking dinner in the kitchen, your kids watching TV in the family area or doing their homework at the dining table, and your dog can be running around, playing and spending time with you all simultaneously. Essentially, this space enhances family life.
5. Utility rooms
Utility rooms that are separate from the kitchen, dining and family area are absolutely perfect for dog owners. They provide the ideal space to clean your pup’s muddy paws after a walk, feed them and store their food, treats and toys, away from your beautifully-designed interiors. Some of our customers have dedicated their utility rooms to their dogs - setting up their crate or bed, and making this their own, private space away from the hustle and bustle of the family home.
This room also gives you direct access to the garden, which is ideal when it’s wet outside, as you won’t have muddy paw prints through the house!
6. Ample storage space
Even though dogs come in all different shapes and sizes, one thing is certain - they have a lot of things! From big bags of foods and treats, to multiple boxes of toys, games, accessories and so much more.
Our homes have been designed with storage space in mind, as we know this is key for modern living. For dog owners in particular, this comes in very handy as you can easily find room for your dog’s belongings, without compromising on storage space for yourself.
7. Spacious living rooms
Having a spacious, formal lounge is a must in a family home - as it provides a haven away from busy family life. This can be a relaxing, calming space to unwind after a long day - and having a dog makes this room even better. It’s so nice cuddling up on the sofa with your dog, or seeing them snuggled up in their bed or on the rug while you are relaxing and watching TV.
8. Large master bedrooms
With around a third of our lives spent in our bedrooms, it’s no surprise that this room is so important to home buyers, especially those looking to upsize. We prioritise space in the design of our homes, not just downstairs but also upstairs in relation to the bedrooms, to enhance the lives of our customers throughout every part of their day.
With many dog owners choosing to let their pups sleep in their bedrooms (often after many failed attempts at getting them to sleep downstairs!), the master bedroom becomes even more of a priority. You want to have ample space at either side of your bed, but also plenty of room for them to wander around before they settle down and go to sleep.
9. Big windows
It’s no secret that dogs are passionate people watchers, and the large windows we have throughout our homes are ideal for them to gaze at passers-by (or growl at the cats that stroll past!).
In each of our homes, we strive to let in as much natural light as possible, as a bright and airy space encourages wellbeing - and our large windows and French doors allow us to achieve this. For dog owners, this creates the perfect environment, especially if you’re out at work or they’re left alone for a few hours. It keeps them entertained until you return!
10. Winding staircases
Stairs are an often overlooked feature in a home, but our staircases are often cited by Kirkwood residents as a favourite part. The design of our stairs can add to that ‘homely’ feeling, or create an impact as soon as you walk in the front door - and if you’re moving from a flat, they are such a welcome feature to your home.
From a dog’s perspective, staircases are so much fun - whether they want to race you to the bottom or run down excitedly to greet the guest at the door, or if they have mastered pushing their ball down the stairs to play fetch on their own. Who knew something as simple as stairs could bring so much joy!
