When you are looking to buy a house, there are a lot of things you will consider. Along with the number of bedrooms and floor plans, there are things outside of the walls that need attention. You can change the home you live in, but you cannot change the area around it. Safety is number one while the actual house is secondary.
The area around your home allows the house to become more valuable over time as well. The current state and future plans are an important thing to consider when scoping out neighborhoods. You have to remember that while you don’t care about parks, shopping venues, or even schools the people that come after you may.
This is a quick list of things you may want to look for, whether you will use them or not.
Everyone has to eat but most do not enjoy a long drive to the grocery store, especially when it is to get one key ingredient. Knowing the details of the nearest grocery store is vital.
While you cannot anticipate this exactly, knowing how long it takes to get to major parts of a city is handy.
If you are looking at areas with HOAs, check out what comes along with it. Some have amenities such as pools or playgrounds. You will be paying dues either way, so if there is nothing attached it then it’s just wasted cash. Also, without anything tied to fees, your home value won’t go up.
HOA or no HOA, the most desired amenity is a gym. You may not want to work out there, but it is a huge draw when it is time to sell.
If you have children or plan to, these things can be major incentives. Being in the right neighborhood to give your kids a good education is what parents plan for. If you don’t have kids or plan to have kids, the school will help on resale but may hinder your lifestyle. School traffic can cramp your style if you have things to do and don’t like waiting behind buses. It is just something to think about.
Beyond groceries, people want to see stores that promise future growth. Seeing brands that you are familiar with is a good indicator of what is to come.
Regardless of how close things are to your house, you will likely want to get out of town at some point. Your future home buyer will have that same desire so you want to be conveniently located near travel outlets.
Builders are catching on to what people want now and are building neighborhoods to suit those needs. If you get into a neighborhood that is still working on an identity and can help to shape it, you will see a better sale price.
Sync Brokerage Inc.
Woodland Hills Real Estate Firm
SyncBrokerage.com
(818) 770-3660
22020 Clarendon St suite 200, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Provides services in English, Spanish, Hebrew, Farsi, Arabic, Germany and more.
