Here at Peninsula Homes, we build homes for families, including their children who, in many cases, will stay at home well past their teenage years. So what do our teenagers want in a home these days and how can we, as custom home builders, build a home which supports and adapts to teenagers and their needs as they grow older? Every home we build we take into account the family who lives there, including the children’s needs and wants, to ensure we make their house a home.

We have asked Peninsula Homes Co-Founder Paul Ackling’s teenage daughter to get the inside scoop on what teenagers really want from their family home.

Hi, I’m Ayla, Paul’s Daughter, and yesterday as we sat down for dinner, dad asked me “If we were building a new family home, what do you, as a teenager, want in it?”. I took a moment to think and reflect on the needs, wants, and wishes for a home. 

These are the things, speaking on behalf of my fellow teenagers, that we would most value in our family home.

As a teenager, I do appreciate the details and things like nice tapware and having a good oven, but I care more about the type of space that is created so it’s not just a house but a home. As adolescents, the world is very loud and consuming, so coming home to a warm space where I can feel at ease and relaxed is highly important. 

As school and work continue to be a major part of life, both socially, physically and mentally, coming home should be easy. Still, designing a house with design wants and needs is important, but also taking into account the fact that we don’t just want a house, we want a home, is something that makes coming back at the end of a big day special.

Sounds a bit typical and like an antsy teenager thing, but space is something that adolescents really value and need in our family home as we continue to get older. Creating spaces in the home, whether that be in our bedroom or a family room, where we can relax and feel at ease by ourselves, allows for us to rest and relax without pressure.

My own space allows for more freedom as I continue to grow into an adult living at my family home, and can relieve tension as there become more adults living in the home. Giving teenagers our own space also allows for the family spaces to be special and gives them more value, as this is the time for families to be together and share in good times.

For teenagers, the future of the environment and the world in which we live needs to be kept at the forefront. This is our only future, so building a home that is environmentally friendly is a priority. 

The importance of building a sustainable home using renewable and local resources is important to us and our future. Using materials like solar panels to get renewable energy, using timber that is locally sourced or second-hand to avoid shipping and waste can make all the difference. A home that is built to take into account the location, and then environmentally planned and thought through, is something that is really valued.

Yes, yes I know, wifi connection is something that is super important to us teenagers. A constant and reliable connection allows for us to be connected with friends online, to do school work and research and just relax watching our favourite streaming services.

It honestly is something that we do prioritise and the focus on a stable connection has been even more prevalent during lockdown when we had to homeschool and talk to our friends via FaceTime. An effective wifi setup can also allow for many other features to all work at once, such as a Google Home, streaming services, gaming stations and doorbell cams.

Yep, we are tech-focused but don’t judge us! We are growing up in the 21st century with all these amazing technologies at the centre of our lives!