How do you find the optimum place to live?

Towser

I think if you have bad neighbours that is just it you have bad neighbours. Terrible.

There are always going to be unpredictable elements which have as much bearing on an individual's experience after purchase as those which can be quantified.

true

So why do you want to move in that case?

We are in our current area for work but looking for a retirement spot as we will have alot of equity built up in our house. We want to move up the property ladder but downsize for retirement if that makes sense. So that we can use the equity in our house for our pension pot.

That's the thing though - as Dave says - its the things that you don't know about that can have quite an impact as well on how you feel about living in a place.

I agree but my question is still whether it is possible to being one step closer by using "big data statistics" analysis to finding the optimum place to live. There must be someone a "statistics whizz" who could produce such information. Or am I thinking way too far outside of the box?

I emailed the National Statistics Office with the same question.
answer "Unfortunately, the Office for National Statistics does not produce data on the information you requested. I would suggest you contact the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) who may be able to help with your enquiry" I don't think that would cover it Nationally but I shall try.

The banks are always releasing statements for the best place to live but I want to see the statistics. I think they call it "big data" these days. So that I can make up my mind. Can anybody do it or shall I spend the next few years working on it myself. LOL.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

It depends on your definition of "deprivation". Is that something to do with numbers of kids getting free school meals? Average salary? Type of job? Number of Waitroses? Regularity of Police Incident signs outside the local station? What about in London where very scruffy areas are right next door to very posh areas, and are often in the same postcode or Borough?

Most people's "optimum" criteria centre on an equation involving size, location and price as the variants.

Towser

definition of "deprivation".

The ones as described on the national statistics website.

Most people's "optimum" criteria centre on an equation involving size, location and price as the variants.

Yes but I don't want those variants.

My question using house prices and the National Statistics office deprivation figures as variants is still whether it is possible to being one step closer by using "big data statistics" analysis to finding the optimum place to live. There must be someone a "statistics whizz" who could produce such information.

I don't think I am making myself clear. It's hard. I will try and explain it later.

libf

Towser wrote: »

The ones as described on the national statistics website.



Yes but I don't want those variants.

My question using house prices and the National Statistics office deprivation figures as variants is still whether it is possible to being one step closer by using "big data statistics" analysis to finding the optimum place to live. There must be someone a "statistics whizz" who could produce such information.

I don't think I am making myself clear. It's hard. I will try and explain it later.

It's not that you aren't making yourself clear, it's that you're asking for something that only you want. So no-one else is going to go to the effort of doing it for you when you're the only person who will use it. Not unless you pay them, at least.

chris_m

The only "statistics" I've used in my impending move to the Lake District have been;
1) Travelling distance/time to where I want to go when I've moved, i.e. how long it will take me when I want to get out walking on any particular fell.
2) Convenience for getting elsewhere in the country when I want.

Those two narrowed it down to South Lakeland, to be followed by;
3) House prices in areas within that.
4) What's available in my price range and has the most suitable configuration (rooms, garden, etc) for my requirements.

No need for any "big data" analysis to come up with that.

dirty_magic

We just looked for somewhere that seemed a nice area. We liked the estate our house is on and the crime statistics were low. I haven't seen any houses in our price range in an area I like as much as this one, but we could have had a bigger house if we'd bought elsewhere. We picked location over size because there's only the two of us.

The illustreets website ranks areas by deprivation on a red, amber and green scale of that's what you're looking for, but I'm not sure how accurate it is.

marksoton

Towser wrote: »

How do you find the optimum place to live?

It involved a first class ticket, Gatwick and the caribbean.

And the place i have in mind would probably fail most statistical analysis.

ManuelG

I walked round, I thought 'can I live here?'

Towser

Either you know how to do it the statistical way or you don't.

I am guessing the people who have replied are more expressive or dominant rather than analytical.

ManuelG

Towser wrote: »

Either you know how to do it the statistical way or you don't.

I am guessing the people who have replied are more expressive or dominant rather than analytical.

Done a fair amount of analysing for a career, but I also know you can't boil such a decision down to just a quantitative analysis.

There are many factors beyond the two you mention, so you'd have to cross-reference a damned site more for it to be valid.

And even then, you're imposing the 'objective' on what is subjective.