More Than Bricks And Mortar: What Else to Consider When Choosing a Home?

**In Collaboration** 

Searching for a new home is incredibly exciting, it’s easy to get lost for hours amongst pages of house listings, imagining how your life would look in each one. There’s a lot to consider, how many bedrooms do you need? What about garden space? Will you take on a renovation or prefer a home that’s move- in ready? With so many boxes we need to be ticked, it’s tempting to get so focused on the houses themselves that we end up overlooking some of the additional details. When you buy a property, it might be the bricks and mortar that you’re paying for- but you’re investing in living in the area surrounding the home. The house itself might be perfect, but if everything else is wrong then you’re not going to have the best experience. Here are some additional things to look at before signing on the dotted line. 

The neighbours

Admittedly, it can be difficult to know if there are any neighbourly issues before you move into a place. But if possible, knock on your would- be neighbours doors and have a chat. Ask them about the area, if there has been any kind of trouble with the people living nearby and generally get an idea of who it is you’ll be living next to. If you want a very peaceful life for example, finding out that the house next door is a student let might be enough to put you off. 

The street 

Have a look at the street where you’re going to be living. Your property might be beautiful, but if lots of the gardens are uncared for, there’s litter and graffiti everywhere and big groups of youths hanging around, again it could be enough to put you off. 

The general area

The surroundings of the property will be where you will be spending a lot of your time, so find out what’s nearby. From kids schools to parks and play areas, doctors, dentists, shops and other amenities. If you work with an estate agent like williampitt.com, they will be able to give you some background knowledge of the area so you can go into your purchase with your eyes wide open. 

The transport links

None of us want to add additional time onto our commute, so think about the transport links by the house you want to buy. Is it close to a motorway network if you travel by car? Are there regular buses, trains or trams that are easy to get? It’s an easy thing to overlook but something you could regret if you cant move around like you want to. 

The crime rates

It’s easy to find the crime rate of an area, there are lots of postcode checkers online. Compare the crime rates to where you currently live so you can be sure you’re not accidentally downgrading or buying a home in a risky area.