How to decide where to live: 10 things to check –
Introduction 👋
Finding somewhere new to live has got to be one of the most exciting and hectic experiences!
But how do you actually decide which area is best?
Today we’re going to explain 10 things you should check when researching places to live, to help you to decide. 👣
Disclaimer: This website provides information for guidance and educational purposes only. The Grown-Up School does not provide regulated financial advice. You can seek independent financial advice from a suitably qualified and regulated professional advisor. Check out our disclaimer policy for more information.
1. Prices💸
Whether you’re renting a home or buying a home – prices are really important.
How much you can pay, helps you to decide which homes you can live in.✨
It’s important to make sure that you consider areas that:
- you can comfortably afford
- give you spare money for emergencies
- don’t put you at risk of falling into a debt spiral where you owe lots of money (How to avoid debt problems 🌪️)
2. What’s nearby? 🗺️
Every location will have a mixture of different services and businesses nearby that will make your life more convenient. 😎
This could include things like:
- Supermarkets/food shops 🛒
- Parks 🏞️
- Doctor’s surgeries/hospitals 🏥
- Dentists 🦷
- Vets 🐶
- Hairdressers ✂️
- Gyms 🏋️
- Shopping centres 🛍️
- Schools 🏫
- Restaurants 🍜
- Beaches 🏖️
- Woodlands 🌲
- Hiking places 🥾
- Entertainment e.g. bowling, cinemas, watersports 🎳
You might not be able to get everything you want close by, so make a list of what is the most important to you! 📃
If you have children, you might also want to check:
- How good the schools are 🏫
- What extra activities there are nearby – e.g. kids clubs, sports teams 🏓
- If there is a good community nearby where your child can make friends 🚸
- If the local area is safe for children 👶
3. Transport links🚉
Whether it’s:
- getting to work 💼
- going on holiday 🏖️
- travelling to events 💃
- visiting friends/family 👪
it’s important to be able to get where you need to from your home! 🗺️
This means that it’s really important to keep an eye out for the nearest:
- Train stations 🚉
- Trams 🚃
- Taxis 🚕
- Buses 🚏
- Main roads/motorways for driving 🛣️
- Airports 🛫
- Parking spaces for cars 🚗
when deciding on a place to live.
4. Nearby workplaces 💼
If you’ve got a job, it’s great to live near your workplace, to make work travel a bit easier.
But also –
The chances are that you’re not going to stay in the same job forever. 👷♀️
So – when you’re picking a place to live, it’s important to think about nearby places you might want to work in the future. 🔮
The more workplace options there are, the less likely it’ll be that you have to move house when you’re looking for a different job.
Your dream home should ideally be near lots of places you might want to work! 🗺️
5. Green spaces🌴
Green spaces have a hugely positive impact on our wellbeing – but some areas don’t have many nearby. 🌳
When choosing somewhere to live you should look out for nearby:
- Parks 🏞️
- Sports pitches
- Woodland 🌲
- Lakes
- Ponds 🐸
- Beaches
- Allotments/community gardens
- Fields 🌽
- Hiking paths
- Nature reserves 🐿️
- Wetlands
- Outdoor activity centres 🧗♀️
6. Natural disasters 💦
Natural disasters happen, and it can turn the best home into a nightmare! 😟
When considering places to live, it might be worth looking at how likely natural disasters are for that area like:
- Flooding – is the home at the bottom of a hill? Are there rivers nearby? 🌊
- Tornadoes/severe storms 🌪️
- Trees falling down 🪵
- Wildfires 🔥
- Earthquakes 🗻
- Land that sinks (subsidence) ⬇️
- Droughts ☀️
7. Crime 🦹♀️
It’s really important to feel safe and comfortable where you live. 🔒
Checking the crime statistics, and types of crimes common in the areas your considering, might help you to decide where you’d prefer to live.
Choosing an area to live in with low rates doesn’t guarantee that you won’t be a victim of crime – but it might help for you to feel more safe.
You could also check things like:
- Is there enough street lighting at night 💡
- Are there police services nearby 👮♀️
- Is there a neighbourhood watch in the area 🕵️♀️
- How friendly are the neighbours – could you trust them to help you? 🧑🤝🧑
8. Closeness to your family/friends 👪
You might find the perfect home, but if it’s far away from the people you love- you might not love it for very long. 😟
It’s important to consider who from your friends/family will be close by, particularly for things like:
- Social events 💃
- Emergencies 🚑
- Help with pet care 🐕
- Home sitting whilst you’re away 🏡
- Help with childcare 👶
9. Air quality 🍃
Bad air quality can make your home feel less welcoming, and also impact your health! 😒
Areas with bad air quality might have nearby things like:
- Busy nearby roads with lots of traffic, cars, and trucks 🚗
- Factories 🏭
- Dust 😷
- Mold spores 🍄
- Volcanoes 🌋
- Wildfires 🔥
10. Environment 🏞️
If the area you live in isn’t looked after, it could soon become an unpleasant place to live. 😟
When looking for places to live you should look at the environment and check for things like:
- Potholes in the road 🛣️
- Sewage 💩
- Rubbish 🗑️
- Street lighting – (Is there enough lighting at night? Does it work?)
- Tourists or crowded areas full of people🧑🤝🧑
- Loud noise 🔊
- Abandoned homes 🏚️
- Unpleasant neighbours 😡
Conclusion 👍
So that’s it!
When looking for a home it’s important to check:
- Prices💸
- What’s nearby? 🗺️
- Transport links🚉
- Nearby workplaces 💼
- Green spaces🌴
- Natural disasters 💦
- Crime 🦹♀️
- Closeness to your family/friends 👪
- Air quality 🍃
- Environment 🏞️
If you know any friends or family members who might benefit from learning about what to check when deciding where to live, share this post with them!
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