Location, Location, Location. You’ve heard of the importance of location if you want success in a business, it’s similar when you are going to buy a home. Obviously, you want to choose a neighborhood you’re going to like, but how do you choose if you don’t know or aren’t entirely sure exactly what you want? How do you know what to look for? When considering a neighborhood, you want to look at your own life and needs and find a neighborhood that matches with you, not the other way around.
Do you have children or are planning on having children in the near future?
If you are planning on having children or currently have them, you want to keep in mind the school system of the neighborhood or town that you are going to be moving into. Are there schools that you would be happy for your children to grow and learn in? This may not be a huge consideration for you if you don’t plan on having kids, but if you are – it is very important to think about.
Do you want to live on a busy road or a quiet one?
The differences are pretty large between living on a busy or a quiet road. On a busy road (one with a double yellow line) it likely is faster to get to places since it isn’t off the beaten path at all, but you’d also have to deal with the possibility of traffic and all that comes with it. On a quiet road, you don’t have to worry about traffic as much, but the commute might a bit longer.
Are you willing to pay more for a safe neighborhood?
Granted nobody wants to live in an unsafe neighborhood, but is it worth the extra cash to live in a neighborhood that is gated or incredible safe? You have to make this decision as well. Would you rather spend the extra money and move to a neighborhood where its very rare if something is reported or are you okay with taking your chances on a neighborhood where the crime rate isn’t near perfect, but you would save a lot of money?
How long do you want your commute to be?
When you’re on your way to work, do you want to be able to walk, drive a half hour, or somewhere in-between? How about to get to the grocery store or the movie theater? Maybe you have to choose between being closer to work or closer to the grocery story.
Answering these questions, in addition to ordering them in priority level, is necessary as it may be difficult to find everything you absolutely want. Once you find a neighborhood that you think you want, pay attention to your first impression of it. What made you drawn to it? Can you imagine yourself living in this space day in and day out? Paying attention to these little things is a great way to know what direction to go in.
