It's not easy to choose the perfect neighbourhood for you or your family. Let's face it, your neighbourhood is just as important

as your house. If you are not happy with your neighbourhood it will eventually lead to you not being satisfied with your home.

Do your research to determine what a neighbourhood has to offer you. The greatest areas for families with children is not

always the best place for a single person or empty nesters. This article will explain the things that you should be looking

at in a neighbourhood during the buying process.

Location

Location is everything. Imagine living in an amazing area, but you work over 20km away. This will not leave you with much time to enjoy everything that your neighbourhood has to offer considering you will be spending most of your time commuting to work. Even though there may be a great neighbourhood available 20km away from work, that does not mean you need to consider that home unless you are able to work from home. Commuting can be overwhelming and will create a dissatisfaction to the home you purchased.

Location plays a huge factor when it comes to the community and its amenities. If you live in a rural area, you will most likely not find any gyms, retail stores, or things to do. However, if you enjoy the seclusiveness of a rural area, this may work for you. Drive around the surrounding area to see everything that is in proximity. 

PRO TIP: Drive or walk around the areas you are researching.  Make sure to take note of distances and time that it takes to get to some of the places you may be going to often.

Interview The Locals

Asking the locals in an area is a great way to see if you would enjoy it there. Locals will know the area best and can make you

aware of the perks and issues. Most people love chatting about their neighbourhood and where they live.

How can you get involved without physically going to every business or community center?  

Facebook.

Join The local Facebook Community group to get a vibe of the neighbourhood.  You can even ask questions to get real feedback.

Asking questions like:

1) I am moving to the area and was curious to hear what some of you love about living here?
2) I am curious to hear what some of the changes you are hoping for in the near future?                              
3) What is something that you would only know if you lived here?

PRO TIP: You can also Google: How is living in (Neighborhood).  This will reveal many other forums or blogs that give local insight. 

Here is the link to the Mount Gravatt Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mountgravatt/

Schools

If you have kids in your home then schools may be the most important factor in your neighbourhood. Some people are looking for

a school nearby for their kids to walk to school and some are seeking schools for children with special needs. The best advice we

could give is to decide on the schools you enjoy first, then begin looking for the neighbourhoods around the school. 

PRO TIP: There are many online resources such as http://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/maps/edmap/ or https://bettereducation.com.au 

where you can look up the school catchments in your area and their ratings. Once you have decided on a school that you believe will

be best for your family, visit the school.

Property Values

The value of a property plays a huge role in choosing a neighbourhood. If your desired neighbourhood has high value homes

this means higher rates to provide services in the area. If a home has a declining property value it can directly impact the value

of the entire neighbourhood. An area that once was a great looking place to live can slowly turn into a run down location in need

of some tender, love, and care.  

In terms of choosing a home in each respective neighbourhood I recommend to subscribe to the old adage of not choosing the

most expensive home in the neighborhood.  

PRO TIP: Don't go for the most expensive home in the neighborhood if the home value is above the average it

may appreciate slower or take longer to sell than those closer in value to the average.

Council Rates

Rates will vary by neighbourhoods, so you should definitely consider them when buying a home. Like we stated above with

property values, areas that are appreciating in value are also going to have higher rates. Many cities have specific times of the

year where they reassess home values to ensure the local government is getting the proper amount of rate revenue to provide

the city with services. Purchasing at the top of your budget can make the excitement of purchasing a home become a nightmare

when all your other expenses roll in.

This is why it is important to make sure you consider all the expenses that come with owning a home. We can always help you

with any questions you have, so do not be scared to give us a call. 

PRO TIP:  Don't purchase a home at the top of your price range if you are buying in a neighbourhood with increasing values because

the rates you pay will go up in cost as well.