How To Choose the Best Neighborhood

Maybe you’re shopping for your first home in the town or city where you’ve lived for years, or perhaps you’re moving to a new area. Either way, it’s easy to forget that the neighborhood you choose might be even more important than the specific home. You can fix up a home to fit your taste, but you can’t remodel the entire neighborhood. While some of these things you may know to consider, others may have not crossed your mind.

We’ve put together a list of things to keep in mind during your search for the best neighborhood for you.

1. Walkability

Is it important to be able to walk to your gym, your children’s school, a coffee shop? Is there a park nearby where you can take kids or dogs? Don’t just look at what is provided on the home’s listing … go to the neighborhood and stroll around. Or, if you can’t get to the area, google maps will be your best friend.

2. School district

If kids are or will be in the picture, find out everything you can about the school district, from kindergarten through high school. There are multiple sources for this information and they can be conflicting, so be thorough in your research and talk to people (including your agent) rather than relying solely on websites. Even if you don’t have kids, pay attention to school districts when you’re searching for a home. They can impact home value and resell value.

3. Commute time

If you commute to and from work, know how much time you’re willing to spend in the car or on public transportation. Is it easy to get to highways? Consider the route you’ll go on, and if rush hour will delay your drive to and from work.

4. Rental ratio

Find out how many nearby homes are owner-occupied. It’s not necessarily a deal-breaker if a property is surrounded by rentals, but turnover happens: one renter may be the perfect neighbor, but can quickly be replaced.

5. Vibe

When you look around, do homes look like they’re well maintained? Even if some appear careworn, neatly kept lawns are a good sign that attention is being paid. Take a look at the neighborhood after dark, too. Does it feel safe and well-lit? Visiting both day and night, weekday and weekend, will provide a good idea about the noise level as well.

6. Curb appeal

Think about the look and condition of the street itself. Is there curb appeal to not just the house you’re interested in, but also to nearby residences? Are there sidewalks and trees? Even if a street isn’t a main thoroughfare, find out if drivers use it as an alternate to avoid traffic – look for traffic circles and speed bumps. This might not be a deal-breaker, but it’s worth considering, especially if you have small children or dogs that get lose time-to-time.

7. Neighborliness

Do you see people out and about on the streets, talking to one another? Find out if there’s a neighborhood community group or watch organization, both of which can provide a heightened sense of security and belonging. If you can, drive around the neighborhood at random times of the day and on different days. This can help you get a sense of what the neighborhood is like.

8. Crime data

Nobody wants to think about crime statistics, but it’s important to be informed before you choose to buy in a certain neighborhood. This website can help you look at the different types of data for any given neighborhood. 

As you can tell, you may find the best home on the block, but if the neighborhood isn’t the best, it might be a deal-breaker. Consider these 8 things the next time your shopping around for a house.