9 Things need to Know When Moving to a New Neighborhood

Published on: 15 December 2017 Last Updated on: 24 February 2020

Moving to a new neighborhood can be daunting. Just because a neighborhood looks inviting does not necessarily mean peace of mind. Ever gone phone shopping without knowing the specifications and how it will meet your needs? Shopping blind means you may go home with something less than ideal for your needs.

The same goes for looking for a new neighborhood to move in. You can’t call your agent after moving in a couple of days to say you do not like the place. Before you sign a lease or mortgage do your homework first.

Thanks to the internet, you don’t have to worry about how to find a job based on your geolocation. I mean, online Ghanaian job postings for employers have facilitated the search for jobs.

Nevertheless, searching for the neighborhood of your dreams means you have to consider a lot of other things. For instance, you might want to consider safety, amenities, architectural style, just to name a few.

These are some questions to ask yourself before moving to a new neighborhood. These questions will help you to streamline your search in finding the perfect neighborhood with your specifications.

Question 1

Does the neighborhood have sidewalks?

Reason

A lot of people do not think of sidewalks when searching for a new neighborhood. Sidewalks actually say a lot about the neighborhood. Sidewalks suggest an active presence of your neighbors. It means amenities are easily accessible either by walking or jogging.

Sidewalks also mean the neighborhood is safer. This is because you are less likely to get hit by a car when taking a stroll. The safety of sidewalks makes it extremely desirable especially if you have children and pets.

Question 2

Do you have to take care of taxes and other expenses?

Reason

Most often than not, we focus on buying a home but forget additional expenses. These costs should be an important factor in your decision to move to a new neighborhood. For instance, you may be responsible for your pricey home owner’s association fees when moving to a condo or country club. Some of these fees come with rules so you need to understand these before making a decision. If the association forbids parking of motorcycles in driveways and you happen to own one, it is time to consider.

Property taxes are another important cost people overlook particularly if you escrow and pay as part of your mortgage payment. Property taxes are taxed based on the value of your home. Therefore, they can increase if you escrow which changes your monthly payment. Prepare yourself to make sure your budget can handle such increment.

On the other hand, if you decide to move to a declining housing market, your taxes may decrease. It has its own perks as well. Moving to such a neighborhood means less access to good public services.

Question 3

Does the neighborhood have amenities for you and/or your family to indulge in activities?

Reason

This is a pretty obvious question. Whether you’re single, have a family with children or is retired with your spouse pretty much sums up what you should look out for in a neighborhood. You will want a new neighborhood that has everything to suit your lifestyle.

For families with children, they might be interested in communities with parks, a swimming pool, libraries, and others. A young single person with a dog might want a neighborhood with a dog park or bike trails. If you enjoy a good movie at the cinema and you have to drive a long distance to access one from the new neighborhood you might want to reconsider.

On the other hand, a new neighborhood may not have some amenities. You will have to compromise in some situations. Make sure the necessary basic amenities are within your reach.

Question 4

Does the neighborhood provide you with convenience?

Reason

Convenience is walking to a shopping center nearby and accomplishing several errands within a very short period. Convenience is getting easy access to stores you frequently visit. The biggest convenience is the ease to commute to work daily.

In other words, the more convenient your neighborhood is, the more it affects your happiness. Moving to a neighborhood that has your favorite stores within reach is a plus. Not only do you save money on gas, but you also get to patronize these services at your own time.

Ask yourself this, do I have to double my commute trip to work or to school if I move to this neighborhood? Is it really worth that trouble?

Question 5

What are your plans for the future?

Reason

The neighborhood may look great in the present but may be liable to change in the future. In a neighborhood you move into, living in the here and now may be a good outlook on life. However, it does not necessarily mean a good neighbourhood.

Check with your local planning office about future developments in your area. It is because you may not want to purchase a new home only to find out it’s in the middle of a new community college. Visiting the planning office and inform you of any future construction project that will affect the neighborhood.

So you like the quiet private nature of the neighborhood with mature trees lined up along each side. Probably in the future, these trees will be cut down to build another subdivision. So even if your lot is not directly affected, it may impact the serene environment you’ve come to love. All this may affect your decision of moving to the neighborhood.

Question 6

Is the neighborhood situated in a noisy place or has a bad smell?

Reason

Your well being and health is one important factor when choosing a neighborhood to move into. Visiting the neighborhood several times during the day is extremely important. On paper, the place might be a perfect fit for you, but visiting the place will reveal its secrets.

The perfectly lined trees behind the house may be hiding a major road. Train tracks, restaurants, clubs and all that create noise that may be a menace. These bothersome noises will never go away. So while you may get used to them is a gamble.

In addition, in the eventuality that you want to move from the place, it is usually harder to sell a place with so much noise. While you are listening, you may want to get a good whiff of the air in the neighborhood. A stagnant lake, sewage problems, and even a corner BBQ joint can create some odors that do not go away.

Question 7

What is the crime rate in the neighborhood?

Reason

This is for your own sake and safety. You do not want your new home to feel like you are trapped in a war zone. It is also easier to know the crime rate of the neighborhood as they are many websites available for that.

This makes it especially easier for you to decide if you are stuck between two neighborhood choices. If you find a neighborhood you love and to your dismay, you find it has a questionable crime rat, you should speak to your local police office for more details. It could be just a small area away from your new home acting as a crime magnet.

Question 8

Are they good schools?

Reason

This is a very important question to ask if you have children. The presence of public and private schools from kindergarten to high schools affect the value of a home. If you do not have children, it is very important to understand that the quality of the school system in that area will affect the resale of your home.

Also, good schools may add unnecessary costs to your rent if you do not have children. If you do have children, research about the school by seeking advice from fellow parents in the neighborliness. Most schools give tours as well, so might want to take advantage of this. Also, inquire about school activities and extra-curricular activities the school permits.

Question 9

What is the neighborhood culture?

Reason

So you’ve found a neighborhood that fits your budget, has low crime rates, great reviews and all that, what of the culture? Your dream neighbourhood isn’t about statistics and information, is about how the place makes you feel.

If you are used to a hip urban neighborhood, you may not be happy in a quiet, family-oriented neighborhood. Doing so means you have to compromise on some things if that’s your wish. The bottom line is, you won’t be happy moving to a neighborhood that does not fit your lifestyle.

Make sure the neighborhood you choose has the right culture, then other pieces may fall into place.

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5 Other Uses for Your Garage

Traditionally, the garage is used for parking your cars. However, even though it can definitely be great for shielding your vehicles from the elements, there are plenty of other things that you can do with this part of your home as well. These are a few ideas that you can try. Read also: Will Self-Driving Cars Replace Human Error? 1. Use it as a Workshop One great use for your garage is to use it as a workshop. If you like woodworking, for example, your garage can provide you with the perfect space to keep your tools tidy and organized and to work on your projects. This makes it easy for you to work indoors without having to drag the mess into your actual house. 2. Create a Game Room Has your family always wanted a game room? You don't have to build an addition to your home to make this happen; instead, you can use your garage for this purpose instead. Your garage probably has ample space for a pool table or for other types of game tables, such as for air hockey or Foosball. You can also hang up a dartboard, install a stereo system and otherwise turn the area into a comfortable place for hanging out with family and friends. 3. Make a Play Area for Your Kids If your kids have a lack of space for playing, you can turn your garage into a safe place for them to do so. You will probably need to take some steps first, however, to ensure that it isn't dangerous. For example, you'll probably want to disable the garage door so that it cannot be opened, remove any dangerous tools, and put down rubber mats to help cushion any falls. If you take these steps, however, the garage can actually make for a nice, spacious play area for your children, and it can allow you to store books and toys outdoors so that they aren't cluttering up your home. Plus, your little ones can play to their hearts' content, and you won't have to worry about their messes being on display inside your home for everyone to see. 4. Store Out-of-Season and Rarely-Used Items If you are like a lot of people, your home might be cluttered with out-of-season and rarely-used items. You might not want to get rid of these items, since you might need them later, but you probably don't want them in the way inside your home. Luckily, your garage can be perfect for storing stuff. For example, you can store your suitcases and other items that you only use when you travel, or you can pack up seasonal clothing like coats and sweaters and only bring them into the house when it's seasonally appropriate to do so. Additionally, you can store holiday decorations, outdoor items and other things that you only need to use every now and then. Then, these items will be out of the way but will be easy to access when you need them. 5. Create a Craft Room If you're really into crafting, you might wish that you had a dedicated space for your crafts. Luckily, your garage can function perfectly for this purpose. You can set up a nice craft table that you can use for making things, and you'll have more than enough space to stash fabric, ribbons, glue guns and anything else that you might need for crafting purposes. As you can see, there are tons of uses that you can use your garage for rather than just using it to park your vehicles. If you'd like to maximize the space that is available for you and your family and would like to customize your home so that it properly suits your family's needs, following these tips can help.

8 Steps to Move in Your New House

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What These People Did Wrong in Using Pesticides

Pesticides serve a very important purpose in our world, but they must be used safely and by people and organizations who know what they are, how to use them safely, and with care. The Pest Company and other businesses have the expert knowledge to use pesticides how and for what they were intended without harming the environment or other people who might not have the same knowledge of these chemicals. Novice users of pesticides often make serious mistakes when applying and using pesticides in general, causing great harm. Here are a few of the worst cases of people incorrectly using pesticides. What These People Did Wrong in Using Pesticides: 1. Spray System: How a person sets up a system for spraying pesticides can be the difference between them being effective and them unevenly protecting the areas they're supposed to protect. Careful setup of something like a crop sprayer is vital if the pesticides are going to do their job. Farmers and other people who use such systems need to carefully decide whether they are capable of doing the job themselves or whether they should call a company that can do it for them. 2. The Wrong Pest: Pesticides only work if you use the proper pesticide for the proper pest. The initial trouble is often determining what pest is interfering with your property. If you misidentify, you can completely fail to control the pests that might be destroying crops or other growing things. Make sure to identify the pest before heading to the store for a pesticide. Read more: DIY Ways To Control Pests In Your Garden 3. The Wrong Mix: Pesticides often have to be mixed, and if you get an improper quantity of mixture, things can become very ugly very quickly, damaging crops or even causing harm to the person who is doing the mixing. These are extremely powerful chemicals, and they can cause harm to the human body when you don't follow the directions for mixing them with other substances. The best way to get the write mixture is to ask a professional to do the job for you. This can save crops and other living things from destruction and even save a person from being injured. 4. When It's Too Late: There is a certain time when it's right to apply a pesticide. Sometimes people may wait until it's too late for the pesticide to do any good. Things like weeds can sometimes grow so much that a pesticide isn't going to do a lot of good at that stage, or you may need a stronger pesticide to cope with the problems. Professionals know exactly what stage of growth a particular crop is at and just when a certain pesticide will be useful or useless. 5. Misjudging The Environment: Temperature counts on certain pesticides, as well as other environmental conditions that you might not be aware of. There's nothing more frustrating than putting a lot of money toward a certain pesticide and finding out that it's ineffective because the rainfall was too great or the temperature in your area was too hot. Temperature and rain affect the effectiveness of pesticides, so it's important to read the labels and know exactly what conditions will make that specific pesticide useful. If you don't, you might waste a lot of time, money, and effort spraying a completely useless pesticide. 6. Dirty Spray Systems: When spray systems sit, they often become the victim of environmental residue, dirt, and other debris that can get in the tanks. This debris may even harm crops or other living things that you're trying to protect, so it's vital to make sure that you have a clean spray system before you start spraying your pesticides. Professionals are the people to call when you need your spray system cleaned spotlessly. People make these mistakes about pesticides every day. The majority of folks don't know a heck of a lot about pesticides, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's for this reason that pesticide companies are so useful to the world. They make sure that spray systems are clean, pesticides are used properly and on the right pests, and used safely so that no harm comes to the environment or the people who might be exposed to the pesticides. If you're not sure how to use pesticides, call a pro. Read Also: What You Should Expect From A Pest Control Visit 10 Pest Control Tips To Keep Pests Away This Summer 9 Signs You Have A Pest Infestation In Your House (And What To Do About It)

9 Things need to Know When Moving to a New Neighborhood

Question 1

Does the neighborhood have sidewalks?

Reason

Question 2

Do you have to take care of taxes and other expenses?

Reason

Question 3

Does the neighborhood have amenities for you and/or your family to indulge in activities?

Reason

Question 4

Does the neighborhood provide you with convenience?

Reason

Question 5

What are your plans for the future?

Reason

Question 6

Is the neighborhood situated in a noisy place or has a bad smell?

Reason

Question 7

What is the crime rate in the neighborhood?

Reason

Question 8

Are they good schools?

Reason

Question 9

What is the neighborhood culture?

Reason

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