Choosing a location for your new home

Location, Location, Location

You often hear about the importance of ‘location, location, location’ when choosing a property – and it’s true. But it can be a challenge to find the right property in the right place at the right price, and you may find yourself repeatedly thinking, ‘If only this house was in that location – or £100,000 cheaper.’ 

Most buyers move only three to five miles from their current location – if you’re not going far, you probably have a good idea of where you want to live. If you can’t afford what you want in that area, though, don’t give up – if you’re willing to make small compromises you may discover it’s easier to find a location that fits the bill. 

If you had hoped to walk to work, for example, would you be willing to live a little further away and commute via cycle instead? 

If it was the nightlife that attracted you to an area, consider how often you’ll be hitting the town and compare the cost of transport, including taxis, with the lower costs of buying and living further away. You may find you can have the lifestyle you wanted and save thousands of pounds at the same time. 

Styles of property 

If you’re not sure where you would like to live, but have your heart set on a particular style of property, for example a Victorian terrace, find out where such buildings are common. London or Manchester will have plenty of terraces to choose from, but that property preference would cross a new town such as Milton Keynes off the list. 

Ask yourself what locations you need to reach regularly, how you plan to travel there and how long the journey will take: for example, to visit family (by car) or get to work (by train) and school (on foot). Find out about the nearest public transport options and get maps and timetables to help. 

Your top locations 

Make a shortlist of your preferred locations (10 to 15), then narrow it down by looking at the facilities you want, such as whether there's a busy city centre or whether it’s a rural village with a shop and a pub. Once you have about five areas that fit your criteria, visit them, staying overnight and trying out travelling times to work, schools and other places you visit regularly. 

Check out local pubs and restaurants and chat to locals and estate/lettings agents. They can tell you which places command the highest prices and why, plus which areas to avoid. 

Pick up a copy of the local newspaper and examine the planning and letters sections to find out what really goes on there. 

Get a feel for an area 

Be sure to visit the locations you're considering at different times of the day and the week, so you can get a real feel for living there. 

Some places can also change drastically depending on the time of year – imagine living near Glastonbury when the festival is in full swing or in Cornwall during July and August when thousands of teenagers descend on your quiet village. 

Once you’ve moved in, it may not be so easy to get out – and it could be the real reason why the last owner wanted to leave.

For more information on choosing a location, buy Buy, Sell and Move House by Kate Faulkner.