On your house hunt, you're not only buying a home, you're buying a piece of a neighborhood. It's vitally important that you find a neighborhood that will make you happy with all the amenities you'll need for the next 5 to 7 years.
Make a List of Important Amenities
Sit down with your children and make a list of the amenities that matter to you as a family. If you're single, consider the places that you'd like to visit near your home like cafes, bars or coffee shops. Is there a park nearby where kids can play and ride their bikes? Are there other amenities you would consider vital to your family like a local shopping center or museums? These points should all make it onto the list.
The Commute for Work
Commuting to work can dictate the neighborhood you live in as much as whether it has beautiful parks for your family. Moving into one of the many well-made homes often are close to public transportation systems, which allow for an easier commute. If you and your spouse will need to commute to work, will you need to be close to the train station? The drive to work on busy highways can take hours if you live too far from your company. Major cities have tons of traffic as many people live in the suburbs and drive to work.
Consider how much travel time you can handle. Two hours back and forth to work might be too long of a commute. Make sure that you test the commute to ensure you know exactly how long it will take. It might be longer than you expect. That's not information you want to find out after you've purchased a home.
Lifestyle Considerations for Your Neighborhood
If you ride a bike everywhere you go, will you need to be in a safe neighborhood? You might want to live closer to downtown where you can participate in local nightlife too. If you have a large family, you could need access to a big grocery store and discount retailers.
Your lifestyle can dictate your neighborhood as much as the housing prices. A writer might want to be within walking distance of local cafes and coffee shops that have space for them to write. If you are recovering from addiction you will want to make sure the area is calm and away from any temptations. A single mother with one child might want a public library within walking distance. A family with children will need to consider the school district when checking out neighborhoods. You will also want to check local dentists at Macleod Trail Dental and doctors.
Visit the Neighborhood or City
If you're moving for work, it might be slightly difficult to check out the city before a move, but otherwise, you should try to get to the town for a visit. Walk around the neighborhoods you're considering. Take the children for a ride through the town. Window shop on the main street of the city. Have lunch in one of the cafes.
Varied Times of Day
During a bustling Saturday afternoon, you'll get a sense of the downtown area on weekends, but unless you visit at night, you won't know what the town is like. Try to visit at night during the week to see how quiet the neighborhood is. It might be serene during the day, but during rush hour, it could be hectic and loud.
Once you've found the perfect neighborhood, you can start thinking about the houses that are available. If you don't see many houses available for sale in the area, consider talking to a home builder to see if a home could be built on a local plot of land. A perfect neighborhood can be hard to find, so when you luck into one, you should do everything you can to move there.
