All About Greenville SC Real Estate

How to Choose the Right Neighborhood When Buying a Home

There are many factors to consider when buying a home. Not only are you looking for one within your price range, but you also want to find one with the features that you need inside, like the right number of bedrooms. However, the location of your home is just as important as these items and should be carefully researched and considered before making an offer. Here are a few things to look for when shopping for a home.

School District

Choosing the right school district is imperative if you have children. Compare the rankings of local schools online and look for homes that fall within their boundaries. Things like student-to-teacher ratio, graduation rate, and test scores are all factors to consider. Homes within prestigious districts will often have a higher market rate than those just a few miles away in a less popular district. 

Your Direct Neighbors

Look at the houses immediately surrounding the homes you tour. Are they well-maintained, or does it look like they haven’t cut their lawn in ages? Do they have children that are roughly the same age as yours? Are they full of college kids or recent graduates who might like to throw parties on the weekend that would keep you up? All of these are important elements that could make or break not only your home value but also the experience you have while living there. Go by at different times of the day and on weekends to see if you can determine the types of neighbors you’re likely to have and don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with one if you see them out in their yard. You might gain some useful information about the house or the neighborhood that you wouldn’t have otherwise known!

Traffic Flow

Like it or not, traffic can determine a lot about how our day goes. Even if your new home is located closer to your office, it may mean that you have to take a more congested route on your commute, leaving you sitting in your car for longer than you’d like. In addition, if your house is located at the beginning of your neighborhood or on a busy street, you’ll have to deal with cars rushing by all day and bright headlights potentially shining into your windows at night. Take all of these factors into consideration, and if you value your privacy and solitude, try to target homes on a dead-end or a cul-de-sac to avoid traffic in your area.

Although it’s easy to get swept up in all of the great features a home has to offer, the location of that home can be just as critical as how it looks. Do your research beforehand to ensure you don’t wind up with any unexpected surprises after you sign on the dotted line.