How To Research a Neighborhood Before You Move There

You know what they say about buying or renting a home: location, location, location. Your neighborhood matters a lot when it comes to how satisfied you are in your house or apartment, and it can be a real dealbreaker (or deal-maker) when you’re on the search. And while it’s hard to really know a place until you live there, taking the time to research a neighborhood before you move can help ensure that you don’t accidentally end up with a big case of buyer’s or renter’s remorse later on.

Digging into the details of a neighborhood before committing to living there can save you a lot of headaches later on. With that in mind, here are six ways to research a neighborhood so you know what you’re getting into before you take the leap.

Check Out the Walkability Score

Go Walk It Yourself

Talk to People Who Live There

Give Your Commute a Test Run

Look At Property Value Trends

View Crime Rates

Putting It All Together

All of the steps above will help you research a neighborhood effectively, but only you know what’s most important to you. Do your research with your most pressing concerns and preferences in mind, and remember as you go that every neighborhood is likely to have both benefits and drawbacks. With a good foundation of information though, you should be able to put together a pretty clear picture of whether you’d be happy taking up residency or not.