How do I check on the area before buying?

Baby_A

Hi

We are looking at buying a house and have a few areas in mind, how do I find out what the road/area is like before viewing or buying.

My aunt bought a house a few years back and there was nothing but problems where they lived and were forced to sell and move, was a beautiful house though.

Any help appreciated!

Muddybloke_2

upmystreet.co.uk can give a rough idea.

Lots of drive/walkthroughs at varying times and days can also be useful for getting a feel of a place.

Number_6_3

Theres some useful information on https://www.findaproperty.co.uk from people who live in a area.

upmystreet is good for statistical info. Nothing beats a walkaround.

R

flea72

ive always found speaking to people is the best way

or posting on chat forums, usually theres someone who lives in that area, and can tell you where to avoid, etc. (parenting ones are usually good for the lowdown on housing)

also driving around the area at different times of the day - best time is about 4pm on a summer evening, as you then get a good idea on how many kids are around, how noisy they are, and where they tend to congregate

again 7pm is another good time, as then most people are home from work, and you can see how bad the parking is around the area

hth flea

Lady_E

Another idea would be to contact the local council and the local Police. The local council to speak to the Environmental Health Officer who deals with noise nuisance . You would be able to get an idea if there were any problem houses/pubs in the vicinity and how many times they were called out to deal . With the local Police , ask to speak to the local Home Beat Officer or Permanent Beat Officer to find out if he has dealt with any problems in the area. If there are local shops , go and have a word with the newsagent - fountain of knowledge in my experience. Estate Agents will just try and flog the area , int the hope of a sale , so they are not the best source of info . HTH x

Barter

Another useful site is http://www.homecheck.co.uk - where you can see info. on flooding, subsidence, pollution, landfill sites, schools, crime rates and planning information in the neighbourhood.