The House Is Great, But Is the Location Right? 8 Things to Check Before You Buy

You can change paint.

You can replace countertops.

You can renovate a bathroom, refinish floors, add landscaping, and eventually redo the entire kitchen.

You know what you can't change?

Where the house is.

It's surprisingly easy to become so distracted by a beautiful kitchen or dreamy backyard that you forget to evaluate what life will actually feel like once you move in.

So before making an offer, here are eight things I encourage buyers to investigate.

1. Drive Your Actual Commute

A house can look conveniently located on a map and feel completely different at 8:15 on a Tuesday morning.

This is especially important for buyers relocating to the Triangle.

Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Morrisville and Research Triangle Park are interconnected, but your experience can vary dramatically depending on exactly where you work.

Put the employer's actual address into your GPS and test the drive during the hours you'll actually commute.

2. Visit at Different Times of Day

A neighborhood at 11 a.m. Wednesday isn't necessarily the same neighborhood at 6 p.m. Friday.

Drive through:

• Early morning
• Rush hour
• Evening
• Weekend

Listen for traffic. Look at parking. Pay attention to lighting and general activity.

You're not just buying a house. You're buying the experience of living there 365 days a year.

3. Check What's Being Built Nearby

That beautiful wooded area behind the neighborhood?

Find out who owns it.

Vacant land isn't guaranteed to remain vacant forever.

Buyers can research zoning, approved developments and planning information through local government resources.

4. Test Your Everyday Routine

I love doing this exercise with relocation buyers.

Pretend you already live there.

Where would you:

Get groceries?

Go to the gym?

Grab coffee?

Walk your dog?

Go out to dinner?

Get to the airport?

Spend Saturday morning?

The answers tell you far more about whether a location fits you than simply saying, "It's 20 minutes from downtown."

5. Research Flood Risk

Don't assume a property isn't in or near a flood-prone area simply because there's no obvious body of water behind it.

FEMA provides an online Flood Map Service Center where buyers can research flood hazard information.

Your insurance provider and closing professionals can also help determine whether additional coverage may be necessary.

6. Think About Resale Before You Buy

Even if you believe this is your forever home, life has a funny way of changing plans.

Jobs change.

Families grow.

Relationships change.

People relocate.

That's why I encourage buyers to consider characteristics future buyers may care about too.

Is the home close to a major road?

Does the lot have an unusual feature?

Is there something about the location that could limit your future buyer pool?

You don't have to buy the most universally appealing house in America. But you should understand what you're buying.

7. Understand the HOA

If the property has a homeowners association, review the documents.

Understand:

• Dues
• Amenities
• Architectural restrictions
• Parking rules
• Rental restrictions
• Maintenance responsibilities

Some buyers love HOA communities. Others absolutely do not.

Neither is wrong.

You simply want to know what you're signing up for.

8. Ask Yourself the Most Important Question

Forget resale for a second.

Does this location actually make your life better?

Maybe you'd rather have a smaller house that's five minutes from everything you love.

Maybe you want an acre and don't care if dinner is 25 minutes away.

Maybe proximity to RDU is extremely important because you travel every week.

Maybe you work from home and couldn't care less about commuting.

There is no universally "best" location.

There is only the location that fits your life.

Final Thoughts

One of the biggest mistakes buyers make is choosing a house first and a lifestyle second.

Flip that.

Determine how you want your everyday life to look, then find the home that supports it.

The prettiest kitchen in the world gets old quickly if you hate where you live.

Sources

FEMA Flood Map Service Center

U.S. Census Bureau Housing Data

National Association of REALTORS® Research

Moving to the Triangle?

Living NC Real Estate helps buyers look beyond bedrooms and bathrooms to find the location that actually fits their lifestyle.

Rebecca Ellis
Living NC Real Estate
Relocation Specialist | Raleigh & the Triangle
Call or Text: 252-945-5741
Email: rebecca@livingnc.com
www.livingnc.com