Moving House | Checking The Area (1)

Read our Moving House Tips to help spot Neighbours From Hell!

Checking out the area

If you are moving to a new area, start your research using the internet. Check out the council website in your proposed area to get a feel for the community and what is important to the council.
Up My Street has lots of information on everything from schools to shops, and even crime rates.

Check local school league tables. These can be particularly relevant and may indicate if an area has children or young people out on the street or indoors.
Buy local newspapers. Do a lot of the burglaries and car crimes seem to happen in just one or two areas?
Once you've done the preliminaries, it's time to check out the area in person.
Check the area at different times during the day and night (this is very important!).
Areas that seem quiet during the day could be very different in the evenings and at weekends. Are there pubs, clubs nearby? They may be noisy at closing time.
A road that seems quiet during the day could become a hotspot for car racers at night.
Roads near schools can become clogged at 'school run' times. This can cause a nightmare for local parking/access.
Ask the locals! The local residents will have the best knowledge of the area. Pop into the local pub or café and get chatting, don't be shy!
Look at local shops - are there gangs of children/young people or adults congregating outside the local shops? (Especially at weekends and school holidays). If this is the case, it may be quite intimidating.
Are there any communal playground areas, public seating, parks or designated 'activity' areas? These could cause you nuisance, noise or other troublesome activities if near your potential home.

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