6 Tips For Choosing A Neighbourhood To Live In

What is important to you when choosing a neighbourhood to live in?

It’s easy to say but is it really that easy to achieve. When trying to choose a new place to call home, one of the many factors that you have to keep in mind is neighbourhood. I may be biased, but I have lived in Kerrisdale, South Granville, Commercial Drive, Downtown (Yaletown and Westend), North Vancouver and now Port Moody.

I have to say when it comes to my lifestyle and personality, the North Shore of the Tri-Cities, Port Moody has everything I need. Being so close to the trails and mountains for hiking, trail running, swimming, paddle boarding, breweries, boating and so much more is what I love. The market is still reasonable too, I mean it’s crazy if you are to compare it to other cities across Canada but when it comes to Greater Vancouver Port Moody has amazing upside in its pricing. But is it within the confines of what’s important to you?

That’s what really matters. What is important to you when choosing a neighbourhood to live in?

Here are 6 tips to consider:

1. Do you have kids or are you planning to have kids? If so, then maybe the first thing to do when looking at a neighbourhood is to research the school system. Even if you’re single, living in an area with a much sought-after school system raises your property value. If you have kids, you’ll also want to live close to parks and community centres.

2. This is always Important but what type of home are you wanting? Are you interested in a single-family detached home or an attached apartment, townhouse or co-op? Be sure to keep up to date and read about the different types of homes.
3. Are you willing to commute? It’s less of an issue in the Greater Vancouver area. But you should know if you plan to drive, walk or take transit to work? Do you have a car or would you be willing to get one, is there a car sharing program nearby?
4. What is the community like? Have you always wanted to live on the waterfront, put that at the top of your list. If you’re a coffee junkie, having a Starbucks down the street may be a dream come true. Even having a local Starbucks will add value to your property, believe it…It shows that your area is going to be around and growing for some time. For those on the West Coast, it’s nice to have a good sushi spot nearby.
5. Is going places by foot important? Would you like to be within walking distance of grocery stores, restaurants and pubs? Or would you be willing to drive to nearby businesses?
6. Think about what you don’t want in a neighbourhood, too. If you can’t stand late-night noise, you’ll probably want to steer clear of the college areas or an area with a lively bar scene like downtown Vancouver.