Buying a new home is undoubtedly a stressful undertaking, despite all the excitement that comes with figuring out where you’ll be settling down – either as a first-time homeowner, or as someone looking forward to growing their family. The burden of picking the right home for you is big enough, without considering all the logistical and financial hoops it is necessary for you to jump through.
In amongst all the things that make buying a home so stressful, you’ll find a particularly pernicious, niggling doubt: whether the homes you’re choosing between are really in the right location for you. ‘Location, location, location’ is oft-touted for a reason, and one overlooked part of that reason is ‘niceness’ – and all that comes with it. A house might tick all the right boxes, but still leave you with some placeless worry; how, then, do you ascertain whether your new home is in a nice area?
Online Research
Just as the answer to what makes a good home is ‘location, location, location’, the answer to our present question is ‘research, research, research’. There are several ways to approach researching the location of your home, and the internet is your best friend for pretty much all of them.
First, start with local government websites, Google Maps and its built-in Street View function. The former can give you a key idea of amenities and council structure, and the latter two can let you get a feel for the area without having to take a day out. Online community forums can be a great font of knowledge as to the societal makeup of the area, and learning your way around the police’s ‘compare your area’ website can let you get a more detailed picture of your prospective homes’ local crime statistics.
Safety Infrastructure
Having these resources to hand is all well and good, but you won’t be getting much use from them if you’re not sure what exactly to be on the lookout for. A good start for your research would be the proximity of safety infrastructure to your potential new neighbourhood; fire stations, police stations, hospitals, and GP practices would be your primary ports of call here.
If you’re looking at new houses built as part of modern urban developments, you’re more likely to see a little more distance between the development and urban safety infrastructure. That said, these developments are often situated by A-roads, making the time of travel for emergencies relatively low in comparison to cramped, warren-like city-centre neighbourhoods.
Schools, Services and Local Life
As well as short-term emergencies, you need to be thinking about the amenities and services you’ll be availing of in the long term. If you have or intend to have children, schools will be the top of your list; Ofsted is a great resource for helping you pick out ideal schools, or learn the reputation of schools local to your shortlisted homes.
Leisure is just as, if not more important to your enjoyment of your new neighbourhood. Research which parks and leisure centres are near to your home, and look into the vibrancy of your local high street; even a handful of craft beer bars can make a world of difference to the ‘feel’ of a location!
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
