How to choose the location of your home (so you find the right place when buying)

When you are planning to buy your home, how do you choose the location? In this episode, we discuss questions you should ask when determining location and some tips to help you pick the right place for your new home. We also review how to choose locations related to quadrant, community, street, lot, and house.

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Transcription:

Karl Yeh:

Hi, everyone, and welcome to another edition of Homebuyer’s School.

Today I’m joined by Eddy D’Ambrosio, real estate agent with Remax Elite.

Today, the question we’re going to answer is,

What advice would you have in choosing the location and community of your home?

Eddy D’Ambrosio:

That’s a good question, too.

They say, “location, location, location.” Right? [00:00:30]

Location’s such an important thing because where your property is determines how you live your life.

Convenience, and then, just the day to day.

I think most people will really focus on a certain quadrant of the city, whether they want to live north or whether they want to live south, and then maybe give thought to where you work.

How close are different communities to [00:01:00] your work?

How close are they to your family?

One great piece of advice for choosing a good location is drive through some different communities and get a feel for how that community feels to you.

Karl Yeh:

One of the things I think may be, be it a first time or a second time, or however many home purchases you’ve had, is maybe from that community that you’re looking at, drive [00:01:30] out.

Like you were saying, drive out to your work, maybe drive out to your family, or drive out to places that you would visit the most, amenities, parks, or so on, just to see even just the drive distance.

How long it takes, right? Things like that?

Eddy D’Ambrosio:

Yeah, absolutely. Do those test runs. Drive in, and just see how it would work for you.

Karl Yeh:

Awesome. Well, thank you very much, Eddie. Thank you very much, everyone, for joining us, and we’ll catch you next time.

After the interview, Eddy also had additional tips to share when choosing home location:

When it comes to purchasing a home, there is one thing you need to consider above all else: location, location, location, location and location.

It seems cliché, yet so few buyers take the time to consider it comprehensively. Like all strategic approaches, consideration of location should be done in stages:

How to choose quadrant location

Once you know which city you want to live in, focus on its quadrants to determine which one best suits your lifestyle. Consider things like:

• distance to work,
• availability of schools,
• access to major roadways and
• proximity to preferred amenities, friends and family.

How to choose community location

Communities within a quadrant can vary, so drive through them and see what types of properties are common.

• What styles of houses are popular?
• Are the garages detached?
• Do back alleys exist?
• Does it cater to young families or mature homes?
• What type of budgets are required to purchase in each?

Even within a few miles, communities can offer significant differences.

Choosing street location

It may seem a little strange to consider the actual street within a community, but there are lots of ways they differ.

• Parking availability
• width of streets
• cul-de-sac versus busy road
• proximity to entrances and exits
• lights
• traffic signs
• sidewalks

The street itself will dictate a lot about how the buyer can enjoy their home, and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Choosing lot location

Don’t be oblivious to the effect the direction a house faces. It can have on utility costs, upkeep and the ability to enjoy the backyard.

Where the sun hits the windows, roof and yard will have a dramatic effect on a variety of lifestyle needs (just ask a someone with south-facing windows and no A/C).

Good, considerate neighbours are worth their weight in gold and should be considered in the same breath as future development; as both will directly affect a buyer’s long-term peace of mind.

Choosing house location

“Where’s the house at” isn’t so much about location as it is about condition.

As a rule of thumb, when it comes to upkeep and maintenance, the best-looking exteriors protect the most impressive interiors.

Without turning it into an official property inspection, check out the roof, the paint job, the lawn and the overall curb appeal.

It will always be easier to maintain an existing style and condition then it will be to fix something up or start from scratch.

Inside the house

Once you are satisfied the location suits all your needs, the rest is easy.

Remember to try to have fun; this isn’t something most people do very often, so take your time and embrace the process.

Treat each home like it’s yours, get comfortable, open drawers, get in the tub and flush the toilets.

Above all else, they should go with their gut — because home is where the heart is, and when it’s right, they should feel it.

Your turn:

Let us know if you have additional home buying questions that we can answer by submitting them in the comments section below.

Homebuyer’s School publishes new content weekly so subscribe or check back regularly for the latest information, strategies and tips from homebuying experts.

About Eddy D’Ambrosio:

My experience in the real estate industry started in 2010 selling homes for one of Edmonton’s largest new home builders. With over 150 homes sold, I learned what it takes to sell homes in both a busy and a slow market. In all of my years selling homes I was a top producer and in 2014 I received the A.C Westman Award for both Top Sales and Customer Service Ranking which is the highest honour. The skills I learned working in the New home Industry transfer over to general real estate in a big way and make me a huge asset to have on both the selling side of a transaction and the buyers side.

My message to those looking to sell a home today is that my experience and expertise is in understanding the people I’m selling for and the people I’m selling to, understanding the product or property that I’m working with, and developing a creative and effective strategy that will get us top dollar for your home. I enjoy the unique challenge and opportunity that comes with each individual property and I don’t work with a one size fits all approach so contact me when you are ready to meet and work together to put together the best strategy for you and your home.

Originally published at stories.brookfieldresidential.com.