How To Choose A Location To Buy a House

Before you choose the right property, you need to find the right area to live in, or you might end up having to move again far sooner than you think. Remember, you can always change the property you live in, but you can’t change where it is.

• What Can You Afford?

There are a few things to work out when looking at where you can afford to buy a property:

• How much are the house prices in the area you want to live?
• How much deposit do you have?
• How much mortgage can you get?
• Given all other costs such as utilities, can you afford the monthly repayments?

Once you have all of this information, you will know whether you can afford the area and properties of your choice or will have to widen your search.

Are You Buying a Home or a Property to Rent Out?

Choosing an area to live in can be different from choosing an area to rent out a property in. You may be more prepared to look further afield in an area where properties may be cheaper or have better yield when looking for a buy-to-let but may wish to live close to family and friends if the house will be your home. For example, the North tends to be cheaper to buy than the South in England.

What Kind of Property are You Interested In?

Certain locations can have more of a certain type of property. For example, if you want an apartment, it may be that you look closer to the city centre and if you want a large garden, further towards the countryside might be more suitable.

One tip when looking in a particular area is to use the keyword feature on Rightmove. For example, you can run a search in Manchester and then limit the keyword to ‘garage’, meaning only properties with a garage will be filtered.

What Makes an Area Desirable?

• Desirable Amenities

It may be that walking to the shops or a local cafe is high on your list of requirements. Or you may be happy to drive to local amenities. It is wise to look at distances to:

• Supermarkets
• Cafes, Pubs, and Restaurants
• Chemists
• Post Offices
• Garages
• Libraries
• Gyms
• Doctors
• Dentists
• Petrol Stations
• Shops
• Local Entertainment

Is the area vibrant, with lots going on in terms of entertainment and perhaps community groups? Check out the local:

• Cafes
• Art Galleries
• Theatres
• Pubs
• Cinemas
• Restaurants
• Transport Links

Knowing how long it will take you to get to key places such as work and to see family and friends can be the deciding factor in knowing whether a house is for you. Look at different transport links and time distances on:

• Bus Routes
• Motorway Networks
• Tubes
• Trams
• Trains

One tip is to time distances at different times of day to pick up on changes during rush hours.

What Other Things Make an Area Desirable?

You may also want to think about things that may not be important to you now but might be in the future, including:

• School Catchment Area
• Parks and local attractions
• Proximity to busy or major roads
• Employment opportunities in the area

For example, you may not have kids now but may want to have them in the next few years, in which child-friendly areas with good schools and where lots of families live, might appeal.

What Features Indicate an Up and Coming Area?

If you cannot afford a more expensive area, you could choose an up-and-coming area, which might come with a lower house price. Lots of up-and-coming areas can be areas close to popular areas, which undergo growth due to people not being able to afford the expensive areas any longer. A good value area, with decent transport connections, is usually a safe bet.

One tip to check on proposed future development in an area is to look online at the Local Authority Development plans.

One way to know if an area is popular is to look at how long properties stay on the market in the area. You could look online for this or approach a local estate agent.

Indicators of up-and-coming areas include:

• New Major Road or Rail Links
• Interest from Property Developers
• New and Exciting Food Chains
• New Estate Agents
• Regeneration Projects by Local Councils

Things that make an area less desirable:

• Electricity Pylons
• Chemical Plants
• Busy Rail Routes
• Main Flight Paths
• Waste Treatment Works
• High Flood Risk Areas
• High crime rates

Remember, you are likely to be buying somewhere to live for the long term, so the key to choosing the right home location is to spend some time there. Visit local pubs, restaurants, and parks, walk around the area, and get a feel for it. Visit at different times of day, are there kids playing, is there much traffic? Depending on your personal circumstance, you may wish to consider renting there for a while so you are sure if it’s for you to buy a home in.

Contact Propertyable

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Propertyable today.