When designing homes for families, homebuilders and architects are increasingly getting ideas and suggestions from children on what they want in their homes. In fact, children have been found to contribute significant ideas towards making homes more kid-friendly. Many of these ideas are not only imaginative, but also practical and help enhance the design and value of homes.

To demonstrate the point, Pardee Homes, a Los Angeles based builder, designed a unique ?family home? that it showcased at the 2004 International Builders Show. This home's design incorporated ideas gleaned from focus groups of children under the age of 12. Children in this age group consistently requested two features, which included:

1. Secret underground passageways
2. Spaces to get away from annoying siblings

To address the issue of ?secret underground passageways,? Pardee Homes created a 6-foot high bed that had the bedspreads and blankets draped strategically to enable several secret spaces. The girl's room was equipped with an adjacent secret room with decorations that had an ?Alice in Wonderland? type mirror for a door.

To address the desire for ?spaces to get away from annoying siblings,? Pardee Homes created a crow's nest that popped through the roof, which was attractively designed with windows and views on all four sides.

Not surprisingly, these two features were a hit among children. Although many of the ideas the children offered were not practical, the two above could be easily incorporated into a home's design. Some researchers suggest that these types of design features can help ignite a child's imagination and fuel their curiosity.

If you are considering buying a home, condo or any other type of real estate and want these types of features in your home, then let your real estate agent know exactly what you are looking for. Your agent should be able to contact local homebuilders and find out which companies can incorporate your unique design requests into a home.