When buying a home one of the most important things to consider, that you might not have put as much thought into, is the homes location. Sure you know how many bedrooms and bathrooms your want. Or if you want a pool, three stall garage, full basement etc. Many buyers do consider location in terms of crime rate and proximity to work but perhaps you haven’t thought about the following things to consider.

What Are There Local Amenities?

If your home isn’t in a suburb you might have to consider how, when and how often you need to do things like grocery shopping. Downtown or rural living both create unique issues for simple things like buying groceries or visiting the pharmacy. You may need to store larger quantities if you live in rural areas where those amenities are 10–15 or more minutes away. The opposite is true for those in rural areas. Small apartments/condos in high rises don’t typically have the space for extra kitchen/pantry storage like you usually find in suburban homes.

You should also consider how far away other amenities are like gas stations, church, schools, big box stores and the logistics on how you get to them. Does your neighborhood have local night life that might interrupt your sleep. Are there nice restaurants nearby. How about high traffic areas?

What’s Your Neighborhood Style?

Most likely you haven’t thought much about this one. Does the house blend in with others around it? Is its a new construction in a mid century neighborhood? Put some serious consideration into looking at this when searching for your next home. Homes that don’t fit the standard for a neighborhood will be tough to price when you sell them. Appraisers will have difficult time finding comparables. As a Realtor I see them all the time. Big, newer two story homes in older neighborhoods. Just make sure you put some serious thought into this before pulling the trigger.

What Kind Of Recreation Is Nearby?

Even if you aren’t the kind of person to go take walks or early morning runs the kind of recreation available around you should be considered. Is there a park nearby, fishing holes, running trails, nightlife, or gyms? These are all things to consider as the more a neighborhood offers the less likely you are to have a high crime rate.