Deciding between what house to buy

HI there :)

I could use some thoughts and advice from the experienced ladies here.
We have just (conditionally) sold our house, and are looking at 2 houses we'd like to move to, and I'm going to start up a home daycare.
I simply cannot imagine what house will work better!

Both houses need their basements finished (this will be for the daycare).
House F ("F" for it's street name) has a walk-out to the backyard from the basement, and House B does not.
*** Would you have your parents and kids walk around the side of the house down a hill (yay for tobogganing!), to the walk-out? It snows quite a bit here (although last few winters have been pretty dry), I'll have to shovel and salt often. Or is it too risky, and you'd have them enter the front door? (I'd like to keep most daycare stuff in basement and outdoors... want to separate business from family life where I can)***

House B does not have a walk-out, but it has above grade, large windows.
House B has a 2nd living room on the main floor that I would use for the daycare, for the morning drop off and evening pick up times. House F does not have that, we'd have to use oru family living room.

Thank you for your thoughts! :flower:

oh, and either house.... in the basement, carpet for cozy and warm, or laminate for easy clean up?

I'd be inclined to take the house with walk out basement. The reason being....I've just moved into a townhouse. Originally, the daycare was to go into the basement once renovated. I changed my mind and have dedicated the main floor to the business. All the people I interviewed said how much they loved the brightness of having it on the main floor....they all said it was so inviting. With your walk out, I'm betting you've got oodles of natural light coming in, making it seem much less like a basement, yes? I don't have an issue with using the basement for the business, that's just the feedback I've gotten so far. My daycare was in the basement at my old house.

For flooring I'd go laminate with a nice shaggy area rug in cozy area (books, tv...if you have one) and a flatter area rug in main play area (blocks, etc) and nothing in lunch space. Area rugs are nice, movable for reconfiguring, easily replaced when stained....fairly non-committal.

I would probably have the parents bring the kids to the front door for exactly the reasons you mentioned. There's a really nice cabinet I bought at Ikea that I'm using for cubbies and it really doesn't look daycareish. It has empty squares for shelves and I've put fabric baskets in each. A nice lamp and stainless steel decorative bowl to hold journals, etc and it's a nice addition without looking like a kid's thing.
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Good luck! What a nice decision to have to make :)

Hmmm....I would do House B. Separate play place from your living quarters. Large windows!

Oh, and I would do Laminate ALL THE WAY! As much as carpet sounds nice, just imagine those kids that poop smear, have the runs, puke, etc. :) just sayin! lol

House B is our dream house. Well, REALISTIC dream house ;) We want this to be our forever home, and House B feels like it. It's totally done (except the basement) and is gorgeous! I just looooove it. House F is cute, but doesn't have that 2nd liv room, and needs updating (whole new kitchen and new flooring all upstairs). But it has the walkout. And tobogganing hill. haha.

Yes, I thought laminate for the clean factor! Did NOT think about POOP SMEARS though! Oh my! hahahahaaaaaaa.

I like that idea about the cubbies with pretty baskets inside for each of the kids. And the organization for folders and stuff up top! Functional, yet not too childish or in-your-face-daycare on the weekends when you have adult company over.

Cares, I think you're mentally set on House B. Just go with it!!!! And good luck!

I was going to go with house B too in the sense that while the walk out is great by the time it snows a lot in the winter you will have to walk around to dig out anyways in order to use the door potentially in the other house.

Having two daycare place options in house B means you can move in and start daycare right away in a room you can close up at the end of the day and you will have access to your whole house all day too as compared to being in the basement. Then if you do finish the basement you can think about other uses such as making it just for gross motor with room for games and active play or a smaller area for the daycare and more area for other family needs.

I think I like the idea of House B for the daycare better too. The walk out is nice, but if I'm not going to have parents walk around the house (especially in winter), I'm certainly not going to drag kids shoes and coats through the house to the basement just so we can use the walk out. And House B has large windows anyways. And it just feels like the right house. Thank you! Hopefully we actually get it!