Finding a location

Amenities.

It is a good idea to make a list of the things you will need near your home, such as a shop, gym, or school, that way you can narrow your search.

But, you should also think of what potential buyers would look for when the time comes for you to sell up and move on.

If you don’t have children, your future buyers might, so take into consideration the schools in the area.

It would benefit you in the long term if your house was located within reach of good schools, so check out the performance tables at the Department for Education and Skills and Ofsted inspection reports.

If there is a university near by then enquire about the option of future rental income because this may attract more attention when you are selling.

Travel.

Good transport links make an area much more desirable, but if your not familiar with the details, don’t worry because they are easy to find out.

All you have to do is look at the area on a map and contact the local rail and coach companies for information about how to get to your destination. Many of them have websites that can help you with this, for example, Transport for London.

It makes sense to find out about transport links to the places you will be travelling to frequently, such as work, school or the nearest town centre.

New transport links suggest investment, so it would be beneficial to investigate the planned improvements for the roads with the Highways agency and for information about the local rail network, contact national rail enquiries.

The surrounding environment.

With environmental factors, such as flooding, affecting more and more areas, it is advisable to check that your property’s location won’t affect your health or your wealth when you come to sell up.

It might sound like a large job to get this information, but surprisingly it isn’t. Learning about the environment in your chosen area actually couldn’t be easier.

All you have to do is visit Homecheck , key in your postcode and you will find information on flooding, subsidence and landfill sites, as well as pollution levels.

But, away from risks of flooding etc, there are still factors that could affect your happiness when you eventually move into your new home.

An area that is peaceful in the day for example, can turn into a clubbers paradise by night, so it’s a very good idea to visit the area at different times of day both during the week and at the weekend.

Also try to get access to the property during the day and early evening, to make sure that the noise from the nearby roads or railways won’t disturb you.

Although, you should never buy a property if the street seems overly noisy, if there are lots of cars, people or in very close proximity to a railway line or factory.

Local Statistics.

Very few people want to move to an area with a high crime rate and the level of crime in an area can wide ranging affects, from making you uncomfortable walking the streets, extremely wary of who your kids make friends with, to being scared in your own home.

There are obvious telltale signs to look out for such as graffiti on walls and shopshutters, smashed windows, burnt out cars, but crime is not always so obvious to newcomers.

You can find out about the crime rate in any area by simply flicking through the local paper and asking around, but if you have little or no spare time, then simply visit upmystreet.

This site covers other aspects of an area that will be useful when you are choosing whether it is the right place for you, such as council tax costs.

You can also get a ‘profile’ of the area covering residents’ earnings, employment levels, preferred TV channels and newspapers, and even how people like to spend their spare time!

Everybody needs good neighbours.

There is no real way of knowing what your neighbours will be like before moving in, but the last thing you want is ‘neighbours from hell’.

The simple way to find a few things out is to ask the current homeowner what they are like, and even ask if you could be introduced to them, which is a good way to uncover a running feud.

First impressions.

When you are driving up the street for the first time to view what could potentially be your home, don’t forget to take note of your immediate surroundings.

See if you can spot any For Sale signs, a lot of them on a new development can be a bad sign so try and investigate why so many people are leaving the area.

Similarly, look closely at the state of local businesses. This could be your first step to discovering plans for development.

The best tip of all would be to have a drink in one or two of the local pubs to test the atmosphere and even try to get to know a few of the locals.