3 Questions to Ask Neighbors Before Buying a Home in Encinitas

There are so many things to take into consideration before committing to buy a home. Sure, the house and neighborhood may look lovely during open houses and walkthroughs, but before making an investment like buying a house, you want to be completely sure you’ll love your new Encinitas home. Fortunately, there is a resource available to all homebuyers regardless of their location: Your potential neighbors!

One of the best pieces of advice a homebuyer can follow is exploring their potential new neighborhood and speaking to the residents. There is a wealth of information that can be obtained by asking a few simple questions. Realtor.com recently published an article with some key questions to ask your potential neighbors before buying a home.

1. Ask About the House

Your potential neighbors will likely know quite a bit about the house you’re considering buying, as well as the previous residents. They can let you in on any details that may have gone overlooked, like how attentive the previous owners were to repairs, or if there were recurring issues like flooding or plumbing concerns.

Learning more about your potential new home could put you in a better bargaining position when making an offer.

2. Ask About the Neighborhood

The neighborhood is every bit as important as the house in determining how happy you’ll be in your new home. Not enough people take the time to get to know their neighborhood before buying a house, and that can sometimes be a costly mistake.

Ask your neighbors about the local amenities like stores, restaurants, and shops. Which are the best? Which should be avoided? Also inquire about the overall “feel” of the neighborhood. Do people get along?  Is there a neighborhood committee? Do people frequently hold get-together’s, or do they keep to themselves?

This is also a great opportunity to get a feel for your immediate neighbors. Think about how long you plan to live in your new home, then ask yourselves “will I be comfortable living next to this person for that long?” A great neighbor can easily become a life-long friend, while a noisy, rude, or nosey neighbor can make your life miserable.

3 Ask if the Area is Kid-Friendly

It’s important to remember that a new neighborhood has a big impact on children as well as adults, and choosing the right neighborhood for your child should be a major deciding factor. Find out if the general area is kid-friendly. Are there parks and recreation areas? Are there many children roughly the same age as your child? Is the area safe? How are the schools?

These questions will hopefully allow you to make a well-informed decision about your new home, and maybe even make some new friends!

By Linda Moore

Office Listings

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
To top ⬆