Buying a house is expensive, but the more thorough your checks on your chosen area, the more likely you are to find somewhere you love and won’t want to abandon.
Here are the top things to consider when deciding on an area, to ensure you have made a long-term, safe decision.
Schools
Buying a house is a long-term commitment. Whether you already have children or not, this is an important one. Consider catchment areas and Ofsted reports of local schools to make sure you are prepared.
Some schools have catchment boundaries that change from one year to the next, so always double check if you have your heart set on a specific school for your children.
If you do not have children, it is worth having a look at how close schools are to your potential home. This may make getting to and from your home a nightmare during rush-hour and affect parking space.
Transport Links
Do you commute to work? Do your children need to make their way to school on the bus?
Transport links can make or break a potential investment in a home. The last thing you want is to juggle dropping the kids off at school with the long drive to the nearest station. Make sure you research the nearest forms of transport and how easily you can get to work for that 9 AM start.
Crime Rates
When choosing a place to live, safety is one of the top priorities.
Make sure that you check the crime rate statistics of the neighbourhood and surrounding areas. Visit police.uk to view the crime maps and performances of the local police force.
Local Authority Planning
Shopping centres, parks or transport links could be in the works, which you might find appealing.
Alternatively, there may be plans for a new industrial project or a new main road which could produce fumes and noise. It is important to check your local authority’s website to see.
Flood Risks
Is the property in a place which has previously flooded? Building insurance for houses that have flooded before is expensive and may be difficult to find.
Even if your property doesn’t have water views, it can be worth checking whether your home could be at risk. Sometimes floodplains can extend miles inland. You can check the Environment Agency Government Website for houses in flood risk areas.
Internet speeds and mobile signal
This is something that is quite often overlooked. Most places in the UK have fibre broadband but if you are moving to a more remote area, then this can be an issue, particularly if you work from home.
Mobile signal can also be hugely frustrating so have a quick check on your phone when you’re looking around a property.
For more tips on making your house buying journey as stress-free as possible check out our guide to house buying page.
If your questions are not answered by our information, please feel to Tweet us at @esurv.