How to you know if you are buying in a 'good' area or not?

[Redandyellowbits]

Hi,

I am buying my first house post-divorce, and have seen a house I really like, within budget, although it does need a lot of work doing, I think this is feasible over a long time. Anything else I have seen is just small for the price.

I took my dad and brother to the viewing - they were not keen on the property as its quite cramped (but they have not seen others with me). My sister is adamant it is a rough area, and she doesn't like it - her son's best friend lives on that road. But she has a tendency to think everything is not good unless she is part of it - eg other schools are rubbish, etc.

I have driven past the road late at night, it seemed to be very quiet, an average street. There is a busy main road about 5 mins walk away, but as I am in London, there are busy roads everywhere.

DDs would have a 20-ish min walk to school every morning (outstanding local school where my nephew attends), the tube is a bit of a pain as its 10/15 min walk to bus stop and then 10 mins to the tube (I live 5 mins from the tube currently), however as I mostly work from home, and DDs are all still in primary school this is not a major problem.

The house does seem to be at a low-is price considering the size. How do I know if its in a bad area?

I realise I sound quite pathetic - I am agonising over this, and I've never bought a house without my (ex)husbands' opinion and ideas to bounce against.

Any tips?

Get the postcode and compare home-insurance and car-insurance quotes (parked on street) to this new house and your current address.

Knock on doors and talk to the neighbours. (I've done that - it's always useful. You can say you're thinking of buying the house and wondered how they found living in that street.)

There's no real other way. Sadly I've found price is a reliable indicator of a good or a rough area. I had to buy in a rougher street than I wanted after my divorce - it's not awful, but I wouldn't do it again if I had my time over!

Do you have time to wait and find something else? Or can you compromise on space while your kids are still young?

You can look at crime by areas if you google. I can’t remember the site exactly.

I also use this deprivation map which is interesting and seems reliable.
vis.oobrien.com/booth/

And maybe tell us the road/area in case anyone knows it? Although ‘rough’ can be pretty subjective.

It's showing up as not very deprived on the deprivation map - thanks for linking me to that.

However - I checked car insurance and it's is nearly double on that road, I am not sure why. I live on a busy main road, cars tooting at night etc, and this house is on a much quieter road.

It's NW London, close to Harrow, but I don't want to out myself by linking to it.

There are houses at a similar price close to my sisters house - however they are 3 beds (very small 3rd bedroom) compared to this. All of the houses need work doing to them.

I do need to buy fairly quickly, as I need to be in catchment of a good secondary school for DD1, and applications will be in Sept/Oct. for this. We are in v cramped accommodation at the moment, and have been sharing a room for the past 3 years, so I do want a nice sized house for us to settle down in permanently.

Friend lives on nearby road and said she has found it safe, no real issues.

Where is it? I bought in a 'rough' area which is now very affluent a few years on but I have always loved it here so felt comfortable. My family were quite negative though!

I would visit a lot at different time of the day to get a feel for it. Sound like you know the area anyway? I would probably just go for it if you like the space. Buying in london is hard to get space so that would trump it for me

Harlesden? You’d get a bargain there, place on the up.

I price is the key indicator in London. If it's bigger than everything you've seen locally for the same price then the road, for whatever reason, is a less "good" area.

But good can relate to a number of things: proximity to amenities/local schools/public transport. Desirable architecture e.g period v new build. Safety of area. Business/noise

Here’s the crime by postcode link too.

Here!
www.police.uk/

It's in Kenton, HA3 area, so on the edges of London, and close to the area I grew up in.

I've seen smaller/more expensive in Harrow and in Stanmore, which are traditionally more desirable areas, but having visited a house in those areas today at £20k less than mine, my heart sank at the thought of us all living on top of each other in a lovely but squishy house.

I've tried the car insurance quote on my current house (£500, the new house (£950), and my sisters house (£950). So I think mine is ok on that front.

Its a 1970's house, its been extended by the owner, and although it needs a massive clean, new carpets, painting etc, nothing structural needed.

I'm going to do a daytime walk and peer into some of the gardens to see how well-maintained the area is.

www.police.uk/

Thank you! This link is great, it has really helped. It doesn't look like a particular crime hotspot, I searched my current, new and sisters in one big search and all seem comparable really.

Do you know if I can find out if properties are primality owned, rented, ex-council anywhere?

So far, so good...

Hi Op streetcheck.co.uk gives you demographics, home owners and rentals stats, breakdown by working fulltime/parttime/retired/etc and crime stats.

Im moving to an area i don't know and i've been using it for every house i see. Good luck with your move.

Flirty, the information is streetcheck is so accurate. I just looked up our house and its definitely correct.

Yes! Streetcheck is really accurate for my address too.

We have been doing the same (not in London), have done all the online stuff suggested as well as knocked on neighbours' door, only other thing we did was to go and hang out a couple of times in the local pub and local cafe' as well as the local shops, just to get a sense of the people and vibe, good luck!

I walked the streets at different times and knocked on doors. I stalked the neighbourhood for months and narrowed it down to certain streets. My street is in between two rougher areas, and so we have the problem of people dropping round to the street to rob. But it’s really quiet, the gardens are well maintained, I know my neighbour’s names and we chat. Kids play out on the street, someone cuts the verges. We have our own joke about being very ‘name of area’ with various things, but I feel like I got a great deal. We had a very tight budget, and other options didn’t feel safe at all. Whereas here, two years after we bought, a house similar to ours was listed for £140k - we paid £96k. There’s a fair amount of crime for our postcode, because of a) the crime tourism b) the nobhead who used to live opposite us, fortunately finally gone. He never troubled anyone he wasn’t involved with, but I had to call the police a couple of times due to him assaulting a partner. I think she finally chucked him out the last time, hurrah.

If there is a Waitrose or planning for a future branch of Waitrose. Starbucks also.

Agree with the poster who suggested going to the local pubs / cafes / shops etc. I think you can get a good feel for a place in this way.

I stalked the road and area at different times on different days and took a walk up and down the local high street, and went into the nearby pub and cafe and shop a few tones. Also did the walk from the tube station at different tones.