If there’s something other than the house that you should be scrutinizing while looking to buy a house in Halifax, it’s the neighborhood. But here’s a quick question: Which is more important while hunting for a house – the house, or the neighborhood? Of course, the house, is what you would say. But there’s no doubt that the neighborhood too deserves attention while house-hunting.
Often, house hunters forget that even if the house that they’re looking to buy is great, a bad neighborhood can have a catastrophic effect on the value of the house and also your life. Not everybody understands the gravity of the decision at first, but how will you keep up if the guy next door turns out to be annoying? And while it is easy to seek advises before inspecting your new house, very few are well aware of the importance of evaluating a neighborhood. Here are a few things to consider before buying a house in a new neighborhood.
Check out your ‘new’ neighbors
A good neighborhood is a lot, if not all, about having good neighbors. Even though you don’t get to pick your neighbors or control when they leave and someone else moves in, the Internet can help you take a look at the people you are going to be living with in the neighborhood. There are numerous websites that let you perform a very basic background check on the people living around the address that you searched for. It is also important to check for history of criminal activities in the neighborhood, covering everything from thefts to homicides. Moreover, you can also look up for other offenders in a specific locality through the Internet or talk to the local law enforcement unit if you find anything suspicious.
Compare the home’s valuations
Comparing your home’s valuation with other similar properties nearby can tell you a lot about the house as well as the neighborhood. If you find other houses in the neighborhood being significantly lower on value, that could be a serious red flag. You can hire a quality Halifax Realtor, or visit a few websites on the Internet to know about general property rates in a neighborhood. Since you don’t wish to own the most expensive house in the neighborhood, it is advisable to keep an eye on property value of other homes in the neighborhood as well.
In case you’re working with a good Halifax Realtor, he should definitely provide you with all such information if you’re serious about buying the house. Real estate agents in Halifax suggest that a comparison should be made between the per square foot cost of different neighborhoods under consideration before making a deal. If you find a $200 per square foot property in a neighborhood while the average cost there is $250, you might have found yourself a fairly handsome deal. But if the property under consideration costs substantially higher, try and learn about why the property is priced differently.