One of the most crucial yet rewarding decisions you will make in life is buying the perfect home. Before envisioning how large the house will be or what kind of interior design will suit best, you should first decide on where to place your dream home. Whether you want to buy a property for investment purposes or a lifestyle upgrade, your home’s location helps determine not only the value of your home in the succeeding years but the quality of your life in the present.
It’s not just about “where” you live, but “how” you live. The location of your home has to keep up with your family’s daily routines and lifestyle. If you are currently browsing and home-hunting, here are some factors to consider in selecting the perfect location.
- City, countryside, or suburban?
Which area would best suit your lifestyle, taste, and comfort; in a vibrant urban community surrounded by bright lights, tall buildings, and light buzz of traffic noises or in a serene and quiet refuge dominated by lush grass and trees? Or perhaps you want a place where you can have the best of both? Wherever that is, it is important to keep in mind that the world outdoors, such as scenic landscapes and relaxing ambient sounds, are essential elements that can either make or break a home.
- Proximity to work and school
As a working adult living in a fast-paced society, you tend to spend more time at work than at home. With this, you need a location that can support your daily routine. Examine the place and calculate its distance from your workplace. The principle also applies to the school districts your children will go to.
How long will it take for you to get from your home to your work or school via private car or public transportation? Are there bus or subway stations nearby? How bad is the traffic condition? If you find the answers favorable, then maybe you have found a great location to move in.
- Proximity to friends and relatives
Who needs a large and beautiful house placed in a picturesque location when you cannot keep in touch with your friends and relatives? Reunions as well as simple gatherings, which create a lasting bond among family members and friends, are easier to initiate if the locations are accessible.
- Safety and Security
Above all, the safety of the household should be placed on top of your list of priorities. The first thing to look for is the crime rate of the area. No one would want to settle in a place where there is a high risk of theft, murder, and drug session incidents.
Your family should be able to roam around the neighborhood or sleep at night without the fear of potential mishaps. With this, it is crucial to choose a location where there is a strict implementation of security measures. Security guards and police authorities roving around the area help secure the peace and order of the neighborhood.
- Climate and weather
In choosing where you build your dream home, regional climate and weather patterns are two of the most important elements to consider. No matter how beautiful the structure is, it might lose its stunning character if the temperature and ventilation are of poor quality. It is also important to ensure the stability and safety of the home from natural disasters such as flooding, landslide, earthquakes, high winds, and bush fires.
- Access to commercial establishments and facilities
Whether you prefer it to lean more on the countryside or city, a convenient location will always be the ideal one. Shopping centers, supermarkets, restaurants, petrol stations, gyms and other amenities should be near your home for your necessities and leisure activities. Hospitals, police stations, and fire stations should also be accessible in case of emergency situations.
- Neigborhood and nearby areas
After listing down the areas you want to get near to, maybe try to also think of the places you don’t want to get near to. Aside from homes dwelled by foul-mouthed neighbors, some of the places you don’t want your home to be close to are piggeries and factories. These establishments pollute the air with their unpleasant smell and harmful gasses you and your family may emit. Before falling in love with a location, make sure the residence is far from these undesirable neighbors.
Author Bio:
Mina is a writer who finds her happy place in a small and cozy house on a hill, surrounded by trees and chirping birds. She devotes her time writing for Pilcher Real Estate, a growing agency of six real estate professionals based in Australia to share her insights about real estate, home improvement, and interior design
June 14, 2016