4 Things To Do Before Moving To a New Neighborhood

Moving to a new neighborhood can be an exciting and overwhelming experience.  How do you know which neighborhood is going to be a good fit?

I’m breaking down a few things to do your homework on before moving to a new neighborhood so you don’t regret your decision.

𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙

Research the area you want to move to by checking out local amenities, schools, safety records, and cost of living.  Googling “city of _____” to find the city’s official website will give you much of the information you’re looking for.

Same with schools, simply google the district website and snoop around. You may find this list of questions helpful if you plan to interview school principals.

10 School Principal Interview Questions

When it comes to crime rates, your Realtor isn’t ethically allowed to give you much information but you can use Neighborhood Scout to find that information.

My favorite website to find cost of living information is BestPlaces.com.

𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡

Park your car and take a walk through the neighborhood during the week, on the weekend, and at different times of the day to see what the activity level is. 

Be sure to spend time in the neighborhood after dark as well. The activity or feeling you get could be drastically different and you want to feel safe in your new neighborhood.

𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙨

Ask around or join local community groups to make connections and learn more about the area.  Joining Neighborhood Facebook Groups can be a really great way to get a feel for your potential new neighborhood.

You’ll be able to ask candid questions to actual residents, and it’s typically a great place to understand what the overall activity like crime, noise, and general disturbances.

If your neighborhood has a Facebook Group at all it’s a green flag in my opinion. A tight knit community is always such a blessing.

𝙏𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙩𝙚

Don’t forget to take the time to test the commute from the neighborhood to all your frequented places (gym, daycare, church, grocery stores, shopping, gas stations, etc).

Loving your house is great and all but if it makes living your life more difficult you may eventually regret your decision.  

I hope this information was helpful – it’s always my intention to educate and empower you to make the best real estate decisions for you.

If you’re ready to start your home search, reach out! I can set up your home search in minutes. 

Have a home to sell?  Start here & I’ll email you a free home valuation. 

You can find more helpful information on my YouTube Channel At Home in Saint Paul.