Moving to a New Area

Researching a new area before you move

Flexible and home working is here to stay and this, in turn, has allowed us to search a bigger radius when looking for a new home online. But which areas suit us best? What are the schools like and will our home insurance increase? Finding out about local amenities, transport connections and property prices are all important and help to form an understanding of the area you might be moving to. Below we have highlighted some ideas and tips for investigating a new community.

Where to start?

If you have an idea of the sort of place you want to move then the best thing you can do is head out on a visit. Take a walk along the local high street and explore the parklands and green spaces to get a real feel for the area.

If you aren’t exactly sure where you want to move then websites like Findahood can really help. They will search for neighbourhoods dependent on income, cost of living and the resident’s ages and occupations. If locality is key then Walk Score gives you information based on how far away your local amenities are and whether or when you would need a car.

How safe is it?

Safety and crime rates are usually top priority when we are moving house. Check out Police.uk, the UK’s crime-mapping website. Here you will get a good understanding of local crime rates to help decide whether it is worth pursuing your search.

With this in mind, you should look into the impact a move would have on your home and car insurance. You can easily obtain quotes from comparison sites and this will also be a good indicator of the safety in the areas you are looking at.

Local amenities 

CheckMyStreet is a fantastic tool for checking out the local amenities in a new place. It gives information on transport links, broadband speed and it’s map view displays all retail and hospitality venues.

The site allows you to check how far you are from your nearest bus stop or train station to help plot your new commute. Head to TheTrainline.co.uk or your local bus company’s website to find out up to date timetabling and gauge your commuting times.

You might want to look into information about your local GP too, if you are moving to Scotland you can search for local GP services at NHS inform and if you are moving in England head to the NHS UK website.

Nothing can beat visiting the actual area you are researching but if this isn’t an easy option Google Maps can really help out. Here you can quickly see the number of parks and recreation grounds you have around your new home as well as the sports and leisure facilities on offer.

If you are thinking of starting a family or already have children, one of your top priorities when moving may well be schools. Research has shown that up to a quarter of parents move house to benefit their school catchment area and house prices usually reflect this. Head to the Ofsted website to check out the local school reports, ideally you are looking for an “outstanding” rating.

For a fantastic overview of schools visit Locrating. There you will find up to date admissions data and a real time catchment area checker allowing you to make an informed choice on all the schools within your new community.

The local authority

Checking whether you are at risk of flooding and the local air quality are both very important practical factors to consider when moving. You can easily research this using the Environment Agency’s site. Local planning applications might be something else to consider too. Take a look on the local authority website, you don’t want to move to a beautiful green space to then discover it is going to be built on!

Past property prices

Finally, past property prices and local rental costs can be a big indication of the local area. You can easily get historic sales data on Zoopla as well as current market activity based on your preferred postcode.

Once you have moved into your new home check out local tradesmen, repair and maintenance services on review websites like handyman reviewed.

Wherever you choose to move, let our team at Clockwork Removals help you. Call us today on 0800 195 8671.