Potential homebuyers don’t spend nearly enough time thoroughly examining the neighborhood by getting out of their cars and talking to the neighbors, says Andrew Schiller, founder and CEO of NeighborhoodScout.
Your real estate agent is great resource for information about the town you in which you are interested in living and in helping you putting together an offer and many other areas. But if you really want some insight on the actual house you are thinking about buying, the neighbors are the best resource. That is if they will talk with you.
1. Ask about the house
Neighbors may know of hidden problems with the house that may not be easily detected. They may be able to tell you of any repairs they noticed the owner doing to the house that may be from a larger problem you should know about. Neighbors can also tell you about weather effects such as any damage done due to harsh conditions, wet basements etc.
Information learned from neighbors may help put you in a better bargaining position if you choose to make an offer.
2. Find out about the neighborhood vibe
Since this could potentially be your new neighborhood, you should find out as much about it as you can. This can be done a couple of ways, you can ask those same neighbors and get some good insight into their feelings about the area.
Ask how neighborly is the area, do people generally get a long? Ask is there a neighborhood committee, if there are regular gatherings like a block party or community get together or do neighbors generally stay to themselves with little socialization.
Driving around a neighborhood at different times of day and night can give you a sense of the ‘vibe’ of the area. It will also give you a good idea of the amenities in the area –the grocery stores, dry cleaners, medical personnel, parks and schools. Your future neighbors can also tell you which amenities are the best around or if they drive miles out of the way to something they feel is better.
You’re not just checking out the neighborhood, you are also checking out the neighbors. As you are talking with neighbors, think about how long you plan on living in that home, will you be comfortable living next door to them for a long time? Having good people as neighbors can be a wonderful thing, they can often become good friends, but you also run the risk of getting loud, aggressive or uncooperative neighbors that can make your life miserable.
3. Determine if the area is kid-friendly
If you have children or have plans to grow your family in the near future, you should find out if the neighborhood you are researching is kid-friendly. You can speak with your real estate agent about crime statistics and schools in the area, but neighbors will have personal experience in the area that can provide inside information. There can be mischievous activities that go on in a neighborhood that never make it on a police report. Neighbors with children can tell you of their experiences with the local schools such as which ones they liked or didn’t like. They can tell you if there are local clubs or activities for children as well.
It’s also important to se how your neighbors are with children as they will be around your children a lot if you move into the area.
4. Rate your experience
Do you feel you got a good or bad ‘vibe’ from meeting the neighbors and exploring the neighborhood? Do you feel you got enough information to make a decision about the house? Was your time spent in the neighborhood positive or negative? Also, ask yourself what kind of neighbor would you be living in that area? It is important to feel comfortable but also make others feel comfortable around you as well.
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