5 things you should find out about the area you’re buying in

5 things you should find out about the area you’re buying in

November, 2018

When it comes to buying a home, location is always somewhere at the top of our list. You can fix and change things about your house numerous time after you move in, but you can’t change its location, so it’s worth spending the time to research the area before you make the purchase.

To save you time, we’ve found a few websites that will provide all the information you need to know on the location of your property, and highlight the five most important things you should find out before committing to purchase!

 

Research crime levels in the area

So, you’ve found the house you like, you love the price, but is the area reputable? It’s only natural for you to want to know if you are about to move into an area with a high crime rate, but where to start?

You can easily conduct thorough research on the type and number of crimes in and around your area using Police.uk or Crime Statistics. All you have to do is type your postcode in and scan through the information, and if there is nothing too worrisome you can move on to the next item on the search check list.

 

Property price trends

You know the price of the property you are interested in, but do you know how it compares to the others on the street or the neighbourhood. Are the prices going up or down or they have stood the same for the past five-ten years? Finding this out might be useful, especially if you decide to sell your house in the future.

Mouse Price gives you very detailed information about the street’s sales history with the properties that have been sold, the dates of the sale and the actual price paid, rather than the advertised prices. Also has a map and street view options for those of you who have visual memory.

Net house Prices and Zoopla are also good options to see the sales history and property values in your area.

 

Pollution

Air and noise pollution are not just topics on the news which don’t apply to you. In fact, they can have a very strong effect on your life in the long run. So, it’s worth spending five minutes to check out these pollution hotspots which the BBC has identified in order to making sure you won’t end up on a street where opening a window won’t be a source of fresh air, but quite the opposite - plus the nerve racking traffic noise.

 

Building work plans

Visit the government’s Planning Portal to find out if someone around you is planning to build something.

After all, it would be such a shame to find out that the park you and especially your children liked so much is going to be replaced by a car park, two months after you’ve moved in. 

  

Schools

Are there any schools nearby? Are they any good? What is their catchment and other admission criteria? These are all very good questions you might have to find answers to, if you have kids.

192, locrating and school guide can give you lots of information about schools’ ratings, admissions and any other questions you might have.

 

Round up

Although the websites above provide lots of detailed and targeted information, if you’re looking for a more general picture, then check out the below.

Check my file and check my street have information about different aspects you might want to find more about all in one place.