Why finding the right location is important

You’ve heard it before – but why exactly is finding the right location so important?

When buying a home, it's important to make sure the money you’re investing has the best chance of growing over the years. A good location can help.

When deciding where you'd like to live, chances are, you’ll be trying to reach a balance between financial and lifestyle factors, as well as thinking about how these may change in the future.

How to find the best areas to buy in:

• Talk to family and friends about the areas they live in
• Look for areas where houses are selling well and prices are rising
• Look for an area with good facilities, such as transport, shops, schools, cafes, sporting venues and entertainment
• Also look for areas that are attractive – with views, established gardens, lots of trees, or attractive homes
• In older areas, look for locations where you can see places are being renovated and facilities look cared for
• In newer areas, look for locations where there’s a variety of home designs – and effort going into landscaping
• Areas with natural advantages such as parks and beaches
• Remember, most people like sun, shelter, privacy, views and flat land – areas that offer all this usually sell well!

Why buy the worst house in the best street?

Being in a good area rubs off on the value of your house. Then, you may make a further gain by improving your property to match others in the area. Before you go ahead though, have a good think about whether you’ll have the time or money to renovate. If not, it may be better to look for a place that doesn’t need much work.

What’s important to you about where you live?

Where you choose to live affects your lifestyle and your finances. For instance, living by the beach can be a wonderful lifestyle choice, but you may need to think about the time and cost of commuting to work. Or you might have other factors to think about, like choosing somewhere close to family, within a school zone… the list goes on! Try looking at lots of houses in different areas to get a feel for what you like, and can afford.

Here are some helpful things to consider when it comes to location and lifestyle:

• How close do you want to be to work, family and friends?
• Are you prepared to commute – and what will it cost?
• Do you like quiet or prefer to be in the heart of the action?
• If you have a family, what services will you need nearby?
• What schools are in your zone, and are they the type of schools you’d like to send your kids to?
• Are you planning to run a business from home – will the zoning allow it and what support services will you need?
• What sport and recreation facilities do you want near where you live?
• Do you like old or new homes? Newer homes are generally in areas further out.
• How much time and money will maintenance on the property be?

What could the area be like in the future?

While you’re investigating different areas you might like to live in, don’t forget to think ahead. What will the area be like in the future? You want to be sure it’ll still be a nice place to live down the track.

Zoning

It’s a good idea to check the zoning for the area you’re looking at with your local authority, especially around towns and cities. Zoning allows and restricts activities that can happen in an area, such as running factories or businesses. Ask if there are any changes planned – an area may seem quiet now, but if it’s zoned commercial you could find yourself surrounded by businesses later on.

Now that you've decided on your dream location, let's take a look at the type of home you want to buy. Check out our blog on this here.