As you are searching for a new house, you probably have created a list of important criteria that everything needs to meet.
Three bedrooms? Check.
Master bedroom on the main level? Check.
Fenced in yard? Check.
Spacious garage? Check.
Short commute to work? Check.
But one more detail that you cannot ignore is the neighborhood. While you can always make updates to the house, the neighborhood is set in stone. To help you make the best decision for yourself and your family, following are a few important things to consider when picking a new neighborhood.
1. Do the neighbors take care of their homes?
Buying a home is a significant purchase, so you want to invest your money wisely. Ideally, you want to buy in a neighborhood where the home values continue to increase. If the neighbors do not seem to take care of their exterior home maintenance, there is a good chance that the interior is being neglected as well. In a perfect world, you want to look for a neighborhood where everyone takes great pride in keeping their homes looking nice and in great condition.
2. Does the neighborhood encourage a sense of community?
Not all neighborhoods are created equal when it comes to getting to know everyone and interacting with one another. In some neighborhoods, residents don’t even know each other’s names. In other neighborhoods, everyone loves getting together regularly, whether its playdates for the children or dinner for the adults. To get an idea of the atmosphere in a neighborhood, all you have to do is ask the people who already live there. Most people will readily let you know just how much or little the neighbors interact.
3. Is the neighborhood safe?
While incidents can occur in any neighborhood, you still want to do some investigating on the overall safety of a neighborhood before you decide to purchase a home. You can check out the neighborhood crime rates online, or you can simply call the local police department to find out if they have any concerns about the neighborhood.
If you have children, safety can also include how people drive through the neighborhood. To give yourself some peace of mind, drive through the neighborhood a few times, at different points in the day. This will allow you to see if people are speeding through the neighborhood streets in a way that would make you feel uneasy, or if everyone takes their time in the area.
