3.2.2) Check out the house and the neighbourhood (at different times of day!)
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This article is from the NewlyWed FAQ, by Vicky Larmour vicky@jifvik.org with numerous contributions by others.
3.2.2) Check out the house and the neighbourhood (at different times of day!)
>Househunt in daylight. Artificial light can be used to make
>"problems" disappear. Drive around the near neighborhood of an
>interesting house, block by block. Realtors know how to bring you
>"in" by a route that bypasses the uglies. Be aware of the location
>of institutions that bring in large numbers of people periodically...
>In the yard, look especially at trees. Big trees can be wonderful,
>but they can also create immense problems with foundations, pipes,
>roofs, and general messiness. Know what kind of tree you have and
>how much trouble it is currently causing (or likely to cause). Also
>check for neighbors' swimming pools -- both summer noise and diving
>boards that allow neighbors to peer over your fence. Ask the
>neighbors about special property tax assessments or neighborhood
>improvements plans; grab a copy of the neighborhood weekly newspaper
>if there is one. Sidewalk rehabilitation, sewer separation, removal
>of trees with water pipe-destroying roots, etc., may be scheduled
>and *you* may be assessed a whomping fee for "your share" shortly
>after you close on the house. I'd even look at the bulletin boards
>in nearby supermarkets to see if there are protest notices -- these
>assessments can be huge, and you don't want to be surprised by it.
-Wende A. Feller
>Those lush, beautful shrubs are very pretty during the day, but at
>night they can be gloomy security breaches. The elegant condo down
>the street may force its occupants to take up all street parking at
>night. High schools and junior highs can be iffy -- some kids
>consider playing hookey in your back yard to be a cool thing to do.
>Even being less than a couple blocks from a major shopping center
>can be an invitation for weirdness from shoplifters and truants.
>Other reasons to wander past at different times: College kids
>partying all weekend? Bands practicing in the basement? Little kids
>in general when you don't *like* little kids? Older/really personally
>conservative/weird schedule neighbors when you know you'll have
>people over on summer evenings?
>Location, location, location - I wouldn't recommend moving into a
>neighborhood in which you wouldn't be comfortable, but sometimes
>just moving a few blocks brings you into a different suburb or town
>with a signficantly lower tax rate, making your monthly expenses
>that much lower, enabling you to buy more house. Even in the same
>town or city, check out a variety of neighborhoods. You can see that
>some areas have really old, huge houses, and some areas are just
>ranch style, and some are cute tiny bungalows. Look around and
>figure out what you really like v. could live with v. hate, and go
>from there.
-T
>Look for kids playing outside, parents *watching* their children, the
>locations of schools, the closeness of shopping areas (food!), the
>upkeep of sidewalks, etc.
-Kate the Short
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