(ThyBlackMan.com) No neighbourhood is right for everybody. People aren’t all the same. Both practically and emotionally, they have differing needs.
For example, easy access to public transport is a big practical factor for the increasing number of people who don’t have cars. On the level of pure preference, some people prefer peace, and some like the bustle of a lively city neighbourhood.
Practicalities
If you are working, you obviously need to live within commuting distance of your workplace. You should find out exactly how much it will cost you to buy a season ticket, or drive to work and park your car for the day. That’s money that could be saved if you lived closer in to your place of work. So there’s a calculation to be made about higher commuting costs versus lower housing costs from living outside the city. Do your sums.
If you work from home or you’re retired, then you’re freer to choose where to live, but you will still need to be able to access the necessities of life, so look at transport links carefully. For growing families, schools will always be a high priority, and you want the daily school-run to be as pain-free as possible, ideally one that can
be made on foot.
Above all of course, there’s affordability. There are only certain neighbourhoods where you can afford to buy a place that fits your needs.
So you can narrow down your search first of all, on the basis of practical considerations, like price and distance from work and schools, maybe with the help of a suitable estate agent like Hamptons.
Preferences
Once you’ve looked at which areas with properties that fulfil your practical requirements, you’re ready for the more subjective task of finding a neighbourhood where you’ll feel at home.
Try to find time to really look around your short-listed localities. Drop into a pub, café or one of these breweries kansas city has to offer, and experience the atmosphere. Having nearby leisure activities can be beneficial and help you ease into a new location. You can also ask around about what it’s like living in the area by speaking with locals in these places.
You could try joining a local social network site like Streetlife.com from your present address, and then look at the postings from people in the different neighbourhoods that you’re interested in. You could post there yourself to say that you’re thinking of moving to the area, and find out what people enjoy and dislike about living there. You can also get a feel for the local populace and ask any questions you may have about local businesses and services, all of which make it a useful resource.
Suburbs Aren’t All Bad
When you start looking, you may have ideas about the sort of neighbourhood you want to live in based on past experiences or prejudices that maybe don’t fit with your present reality. For example, you may have a negative feeling about living in the suburbs. It’s been fashionable for decades to regard them as boring places to live, without the advantages of either town or country. Yet the reasons they were once popular still apply.
Suburbs are often leafy and pleasant, and the houses are likely to have decent outdoor space. Suburban houses are usually designed specifically with modern family life in mind, which means that they tend to be practical for families to live in. If you have children, or plan to, then suburban life may work well, as long as you are close to good transport links.
The thing that’s often said to be missing in suburbs is a sense of community. But that isn’t always the case. Some have a really village feel. There’s really no substitute for having a nose around the place, and speaking to local people.
Rent First
Wherever you’re thinking of moving, be it city, suburb or country, it’s always a good idea to try renting there first if you can. By spending a few months in the area you will get a real feel for it, and find out whether your preconceptions are borne out by reality.
Can your nerves really stand that commute? Will the suburban evening quiet feel oppressive or peaceful? It’s all a matter of personal feelings, and you need to take the time to find out what yours really are. It’s easy to be influenced by the prejudices of other people or a feeling that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
You are looking for somewhere you’ll be happy, not somewhere to make your friends envious. Those may be very different things.
Staff Writer; Brad Garland
