If you love the feeling of a home full of life, fun, and friendship, your next home should be ideal for entertaining. If you are looking to buy a new home and have entertainment on the mind, don’t settle for anything less than a home that meets your needs. With the right agent, your dream entertainment venue is just around the corner.

Search for Square Footage

Start your search on your favorite real estate app with a look at square footage. Typically homes with higher square footage compared to the number of rooms means larger rooms all around. Large rooms are ideal for large gatherings of guests.

Larger square footage could indicate larger bedrooms as well, which is nice for lounging about but not as much for guests. However, bigger square footage is often great for hosting guests.

Filter on Homes with More Bathrooms and Fewer Bedrooms

The number of bedrooms and bathrooms tends to move in tandem. As homes get bigger and add more bedrooms, they usually add more bathrooms in the form of a second master or a shared bathroom. But when there are more bathrooms, especially half-baths, added and fewer bedrooms, it could indicate a dedicated entertainment area.

Particularly in large homes, dining rooms and living areas can have their own bathroom. Of course, if you are searching online you may have trouble deciphering the layout looking at photos alone. That is why working with a great agent is so important.

Don’t Forget Outdoor Space

If you live in a warm weather climate like South Florida or Southern California, you can count on using a backyard, deck, or patio year-round. Even in colder climates, you often have use of outdoor spaces during spring, summer, and fall months.

At my home in California, our backyard is the best space we have for hosting guests. We leave the sliding door open so guests can float in and out between the kitchen, dining room, and backyard as if it were one, unified space. It’s perfect for anything from a kid’s party to an adult gathering.

Look for Special Features

Everyone can’t purchase a giant home with a dedicated party room, so look for special features and options that you can use to enhance your entertainment options. For example, an open floor plan where living areas, dining areas, and the kitchen are connected allows you to hold more guests without feeling crowded or claustrophobic.

Most real estate apps give you the option to enter keywords and custom search terms when looking for the best property for your needs. Also consider looking for a home in an area with a shared clubhouse or neighborhood pool. In those cases, you can get the guests out of the house and into other nearby venues at a reasonable cost.

Finally, particularly if you live in a nice climate, you may want to find a home near a park. Neighborhood parks are great for bringing friends and family together and often do not require a permit. If your nearest park is a public city park, you may need to pay a small fee to guarantee a space or bring in alcoholic beverages.

Ask an Expert Agent

Don’t waste too much time if you struggle finding the right home for your needs. While Zillow, Trulia, RedFin, and other search tools give great insights into properties and real estate prices, they are not always the best option to find homes with special features, like great spaces for entertaining.

That’s when a quality real estate agent comes into play. Bringing a trusted, experienced agent onto your team will save you time and frustration finding the perfect home. Between broker open houses, pocket listings, and connections to other local agents, they may find the perfect home for your needs before it is available online or anywhere else. And, when they are listed, your agent can quickly get you in the door so you can lock in an offer before anyone else.

Once you get your perfect home, you can get back to doing what you love most, welcoming friends and family into your home.

If you are buying or selling a house and are looking to hire a successful real estate agent to help you through the process, take a look at AgentHarvest's list of top-ranking local Realtors in your area. We found these agents by examining their sales track records, awards, rankings, client testimonials and by conducting personal interviews.