REPOST: How to Find the Perfect Neighborhood for You

House and apartment hunting is often a daunting task for newbies. Kelly Bradley of Rent.com outlines the basics of neighborhood selection, one of the fundamental aspects of finding a new place to live.

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Apartment hunting means a whole lot more than finding the ideal unit. You must look beyond the apartment and really examine the surrounding neighborhood to determine whether or not it’s right for you and your lifestyle.

Here are a few tips to help guide you to the perfect neighborhood:

Think About the Future 

What are you looking to get out of your neighborhood? In order to answer this question, you must think a few years ahead (which I realize can be scary).

For instance, do you plan on settling down and having children anytime soon? If so, you’ll have to find a neighborhood with nearby schools and parks in which your little ones can play. If a family isn’t in your future, what about a new career path? You will want to see what companies are in the area to make sure that your line of work is nearby.

Know What You Want 

It’s going to be hard to narrow down a neighborhood if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. Come up with a list of amenities that you know you need to have in your neighborhood, like a school, a coffee house, a bar or a nearby hospital. It’s also a good idea to write down things that you’ll want to stay away from, like noisy streets or a college-y area.

Check Out Your Commute 

You might love the neighborhood and apartment that you’ve found. However, if it’s an hour commute each day, you might want to think about relocating closer to your job. Before you sign the lease, check out how lengthy your commute will be—you’ll be glad you did this later on.

Consult User Reviews 

You wouldn’t hire someone you know nothing about, so why would you choose a neighborhood without doing a little research first? By going online to sites like StreetAdvisor, you’ll be able to get real reviews of each neighborhood that you’re thinking about moving into. People rate various neighborhoods and answer important questions like “Are there any nearby school systems for my kids?” You’ll feel better about choosing a neighborhood when you’ve talked to someone who has experienced living there.

Look to Local Attractions 

An easy way to check out what type of local attractions your neighborhood has is by heading to the online site, TripAdvisor. You can easily navigate through reviews of hotels, restaurants, theaters and other attractions. This site will come in handy when you want to explore your neighborhood.

Actually Visit Each Neighborhood 

You can look online all you want, but you won’t get a good grasp of each neighborhood if you don’t go and check them out for yourself. Visit the neighborhoods you’re interested during both day and night to get a good idea of what it might be like to live there. When you’re in the community, don’t hesitate to talk to residents and find out what they love and don’t love about living in that particular area.

NuRock Companies manages several beautiful communities across Texas, Georgia, and Florida. For more on the company’s developments, visit this website.