Do These Things Before Buying A Home Next To A School
Posted on: 8 November 2017
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Buying a home in a school neighborhood is generally thought of as a great idea because such properties tend to increase in value over time. However, this doesn't mean that you should grab the next property you find near a school. There are still a few checks and balances you need to make; for example, you should do these three things first:
Visit the Area at Different Times of the Day
Living next to a school can be great if you have school-going children, but it may not be good for your peace and tranquility. Here are some of the things that may disturb your peace if you are living next to a school:
- Traffic as parents pick up and drop their children (or as the children drive to and from school, if they are older)
- Sounds from the playground
- Noises from sporting events
- Bright lights from field lights
Visit the area at different times of the day to confirm whether such things will make it difficult for you to live in the neighborhood.
Check Vandalism Statistics
School neighborhoods tend to be safe; in fact, patrolling police officers tend to frequent such areas. However, the safety of school neighborhoods usually applies only to serious crimes. If the school in question is a middle or high school, then the area around it may experience an above average rate of teenage crime, such as vandalism. Check the crime statistics of the area to confirm the kinds of crimes you are likely to face in the neighborhood.
Confirm the Quality of the School
One of the reasons people buy homes near schools is to find a school for their children. If that is one of your reasons for moving, then you should confirm the quality of the school before making the purchase. You don't want to buy a home only to realize that the actual school your kids should attend are nowhere near your home and that the nearest one isn't that great. Note that you will have to confirm the quality of the school independently of the real estate agent since that would be discriminative; the agents are supposed to follow equal-treatment and anti-discrimination laws.
This is one of the reasons you should use a real estate agent for all your property transactions; the agent will ensure that you don't assume anything during the purchase process. The agent can even help you with the search process.