When buying or renting a home, one of the biggest factors is
location and this is quite often determined by lifestyle choices.
Are you a country or
a city person?
Even if you are a city person and thrive on the hustle and bustle
of city life, not many people can afford to live in the heart of the big cities
of the world and therefore live in ‘suburbia’ and commute to work.
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| Image courtesy of http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/area-guides/greater-london/living-teddington-area-guide-homes-schools-and-transport |
If you are lucky enough, you can do it Scandinavian Style
and have a flat in the city and a weekend retreat in the country.
Alternatively, you
could have the best of both worlds and choose to live in a medium sized city
where the countryside is only just on your doorstep.
Even if you can’t afford to live in your favourite town or
city, there is nothing to stop you from going there occasionally to enjoy the
amenities.
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| Image courtesy of http://www.britain-magazine.com/features/royal-leamington-spa-discover-this-hidden-gem/ |
Are you single or a
family person?
As a single person you will obviously have completely
different priorities to someone who has got children. Your priorities are more
likely to be which leisure amenities
are in your area, ie. Cafés, bars / clubs, theatres, shops or gyms.
As a parent, you will be more concerned with parks and
playgrounds in your area (especially if you haven’t got a garden), nurseries or
day care centres and also school
catchment areas. How far is the nearest
supermarket and or doctor’s
surgery?
Can you afford to
live close to work or need to commute (access to public transport)?
Ideally, we would all love to be able to walk or at least
cycle to work but most of us will either have to use public transport or the
car. Work out what the longest commute
is that you can realistically stomach every day.
I used to live on the outskirts of London and my commute to
work was an hour every day as the train would stop at every single station on
the way. Now I live in the Midlands and the train from Rugby to London, for
example, takes 50 minutes. Admittedly, the price of the annual ticket will be
much more but this could be offset by cheaper house prices, so work out what
the best option is for you.
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| Image courtesy of http://www.insider-london.co.uk/london-underground-competition-tours/ |
How much storage
space do you need? Parking for cars?
If you are a sporty person like myself, you will definitely
need some storage space for all your equipment. If you have a house with a garden, you will also need space for gardening equipment, pressure cleaner, garden furniture, outdoor children's toys etc.
Do you need off road parking for your car(s) or is there on-street parking? If living in a city - can you rent a garage space somewhere or need to get resident's parking?
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We usually end up compromising on some things but work out
for yourself what you cannot compromise on. As I am an outdoors person and only ever feel
truly alive outdoors, I need to be able to access the countryside easily to go
cycling, running or hiking. I am lucky enough to live in a small village on the outskirts of a city and within driving distance of one of Britain's most desirable towns - so best of both worlds!
Sabine
