Get To Know The Neighbourhood Before Choosing A New Home
Category Advice
Prior to buying a new home, it is imperative to investigate potential neighbourhoods to see if they are a good fit for you and your family. Many homebuyers don’t spend enough time talking to the neighbours and researching the area, which can lead to disappointment further down the line. Fortunately, here are a few tips to help you get to know the neighbourhood before choosing your new home:
Talk to the neighbours
Take the opportunity to chat with some of the neighbours and ask about the house. Neighbours will have a good insight into the history of the home and its surroundings. This way, you can find out about the condition of the house and whether it has encountered any previous problems. While any previous problems were likely addressed and resolved, it can still be helpful to get a historical overview of the house. More so, asking the neighbours questions will help you gain some perspective on the type of people who live in that area. Neighbours can influence your life drastically, as some neighbours can be wonderful and can often become good friends. Whilst inconsiderate, aggressive or noisy neighbours can make your life miserable.
Ask about the vibe of the neighbourhood
Having a good knowledge of the neighbourhood’s attractions and amenities, from the perspective of its residents, can aid you in deciding whether the neighbourhood suits you or not. Ask questions about what people do for fun in the area, whether neighbours get along with each other and if there are any neighbourly activities or committees. Finding out about the health care facilities, hair stylists and other businesses in the area is also great way to learn more about what the neighbourhood has to offer.
Ease of commute
The daily commute to work is something most people have to deal with and the right neighbourhood could make this daily burden much easier. Drive through the neighbourhood and inspect the roads to determine if they are well maintained or not. Get a feel of the traffic flow and ask yourself if there is a lot of congestion on the roads. The amount of traffic in an area can directly impact your lifestyle as high amounts of traffic will extend your daily commute and can lead to stress.
Determine if the area is child-friendly
Whether you have children, or plan to have children in the future, it could be highly beneficial to get to know whether the neighbourhood is good fit for children. Do some research on the schools in the area, ask the neighbours if they have children and what their children enjoy doing for fun around the neighbourhood. This will help you understand whether there are activities to keep children occupied as well as if the neighbourhood would have a positive influence on a child.
Visit at different times of the day
In order to get a better sense of what's going on after hours in the neighbourhood, it would be advantageous to drive through the area on weekends and at night. This will allow you to determine whether the neighbourhood is noisy or calm at abnormal hours.
Read the local papers and blogs
Most neighbourhoods have their own local newspapers or online blogs and if there is one available for the area that you are considering, it would be insightful to read through it. Read local stories and news updates or perhaps there are events happening in the area that you may be interested in attending. In addition to this, Area Profiles are a great source of information as these will provide an insightful overview specific neighbourhoods.
Choosing a neighbourhood which suits you is crucial when finding a new home and the above guidelines may aid you in making an informed decision. Take the time to do your research and get a feel of the neighbourhood as this will help to ensure overall satisfaction with your decision.
Author: Dormehl Property Group
