Searching for a new house to move to? Whether you’re renting or buying you need to think about what you’re really looking for in a new neighborhood.
Choosing a neighborhood to move to usually depend on the need of the family or the individual. Couples and singles who will be working downtown might prefer living close to work, but a family will have different needs.
Remember, you’ll probably have to make compromises, so put the “must-haves” at the top and the “would-like-to-haves” at the bottom.
If you are on a budget, then “Affordability” is the most important word to keep in mind if you are looking to move to a new neighborhood, but this doesn’t mean you have to let go of all of your dreams of the place you want to live in.
And remember the wrong neighborhood could also mean fewer amenities, the more costs you can’t afford and less time spent doing the things you love because of the long commute.
The First step is to determine what you need, is answering these questions:
What kind of property do you want? What budget do you have? How many rooms do you need, which floor? Do you need a building with extra benefits or just any ordinary one? Do you want to buy in a normal street or do you want to buy something inside a compound?
After you do that, you can proceed to the next step of choosing the place where to buy the house you want, so to understand what you really need from the neighborhood you are living in; you need to answer these top 4 questions to pick the right neighborhood.
Quiet streets, or active areas?
Living on a busy street will probably mean that you have easy access to desirable amenities like restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, entertainment venues, and convenience stores on the other hand very quiet streets can be a bit far but yet quiet and enjoyable.
An old neighborhood, or a new development?
Are you looking for a place that looks very modern with fancy things around, or do you just seek an ordinary building to satisfy your needs?
Older neighborhoods usually have a special scent, but often require lots of repair work. Meanwhile, newer buildings have more modern features but are sometimes far away from the city center.
How far is it from your work?
Do you have a private car? How far do you prefer to work away from home? Does the car make your daily commute any easier?
Do you want to be able to go places on foot?
Would you like to be within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and pharmacies? or you be willing to drive to be able to go to places?
Do you have children or plan to have children soon?
Having children, or planning to have ones in the near future makes you committed to choosing a place with good schools, kid’s areas, and things that your children will need.
After answering these questions, now you have got a clear picture of what you are going to need in the neighborhood you want to live in.
Follow those steps further
1- Ask About prices to make sure it matches your budget.
2- Drive around your area: drive around the neighborhood you chose and be 100% sure about it.
3- Check public transportation, and see where you can go from your area with public transportation (even if you have a car because some days you can’t drive, or you don’t want to, then you have an alternative.)
4-Observe the neighborhood at different times of the day. Don’t just inspect the neighborhood at a certain time of the day, check it in the morning, at night and different timings can make you 100% sure of everything around.
5-Local Business & Shopping. Check out if there are near shops near you to bring the house needs and stuff that all your family especially food and wear.
6-Future Development. If you are going to buy an apartment, search the area and know if it has future development plans, because if yes, then within years you will get a future return of investment if you decide to sell.
7-Ask the neighbors in aqarmap website, if you have any questions that need answering.
In the end, know that values change as we grow older. When we’re young, we want to live in the vibrant city centers; near friends, public transportation, and hanging out lifestyle. Add a spouse and children to the mix and suddenly we want a safe neighborhood, to own your own place, good schools, other children in the neighborhood, and like-minded neighbors raising kids of their own.
There is no point of falling in love for a place to buy or rent in an area that you don’t stand to live in, because unlike anything you buy you can’t replace a house that you bought in the 14 days grace period, once you signed the contract you can’t bring it back so you should do your homework before you buy or rent as it would be too late.