The quality of your neighborhood will play a major role in the degree to which you enjoy living in your new home. It will be near impossible to have a great time in your home if you can’t walk outside without shuddering at the surrounding area, so do your due diligence and find the best neighborhood for you.
Here are a few tips on finding the right neighborhood:
Design Your Perfect Neighborhood
Before you start analyzing different neighborhoods, you’ll first want to figure out what it is that you’re looking for. Some priorities will outweigh others, so it won’t be enough to have a vague idea of what you want- you’ll need to categorize your preferences as needs and wants.
Here are a few questions you’ll want to ask yourself before moving into a new neighborhood:
- Do I have children or am I planning to have children in the near future? If the answer is yes, you’ll want to make sure the public school system is up to par.
- What type of home do I want? Are you interested in a single-family home, an apartment, a townhouse, or a co-op?
- How far am I willing to commute?
- Do I want to be in a historic neighborhood or a new development?
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Do I want to be able to go places on foot, or will I be willing to dive to nearby businesses?
Zero in on the Area
After you’ve developed a list of priorities, you’ll want to make sure you know the areas you’re considering to a tee. If you’re moving to a new area within the same city, you’ll need to look at that neighborhood. If you’re considering a move to an entirely new city, you’ll want to look at the neighborhood itself as well as the surrounding area.
Physical Surroundings
Visiting the areas you’re considering in-person will be an important part of the process of finding your ideal neighborhood. When checking out a potential neighborhood, running through a mental checklist of sights, sounds and smells will be helpful.
Regarding sights, you’ll want to remember your first impression, visualize yourself in the neighborhood, observe the neighborhood at different times of day, and look for warning sights. You’ll also want to make sure the noise level is to your liking and that there aren’t any offensive smells.
Dig Deeper
Assuming you’ve found a high-quality neighborhood, you’ll want to start digging up information beyond what’s visible to the naked eye. Such factors worth looking into include school information, crime statistics, neighborhood associations, and the like.
Close the Case
Now that you’ve found the right neighborhood, nail down the right house by determining what you can afford, comparing loan options, and drawing up a vision of your home. Between staying at a nice home and being situated in the perfect neighborhood, you’ll find happiness is much easier to come by than you thought.
Source: HGTV