House hunters often know exactly what their dream home looks like, from the type of siding to the square footage and ideal kitchen counters. However, the area around a house can impact your quality of life nearly as much as the home itself, so it’s important to find a property you love in the best location possible. Understanding how location affects your property value and satisfaction will help ensure you make the right choice.

How to Make Sure a Location Is Right for You

Once you’ve found a house you love, take a look around the neighborhood, especially the condition of nearby houses and businesses. In general, you don’t want to buy the most attractive or expensive house in the area, since the property values will be limited by the state of nearby homes. You should also visit the area several times, at various parts of the day and different parts of the week, to see how the neighborhood changes. Whether an area is quiet at night, or what your neighbors are like, can be an important factor determining how happy you’ll be in a home.

Do Some Research

Some of the most important features of a neighborhood may not be obvious even after several visits, so you might have to do some investigating. For instance, test-driving the commute from the neighborhood to your work a few times will give you an idea of what traffic patterns are like. Safety is always a priority for most families, so you should also do some research to find out how the crime rates in the area you’re considering compare to other areas. Gathering as much information as possible and talking to a Realtor® before making an offer will help you avoid unpleasant surprises later.

For nearly 20 years, hopeful house hunters throughout Denton, Lake Dallas, Frisco, Flower Mound, Argyle, McKinney, and Corinth, TX  have relied on Lauri Bauman - Big Journey Homes at Keller Williams Realty for help finding their dream homes. She knows these neighborhoods better than anyone, including the areas with the best schools, highest property values, and homes suited to your need. Visit her website to start browsing homes for sale today, follow her on Facebook for more house-buying tips, call (940) 321-5111 or send a text to (214) 566-1088 to start your real estate adventure today.