How You Can Research a Neighbourhood before Buying a Property

Sanjeev and Rupa, a couple working in the IT sector, got married about a year back. Somewhat perturbed with the problems of staying in a rented home, and somewhat falling for the desire of creating a happy nest for the duo, they started planning for buying a property. As luck would have it, the COVID-19 pandemic just hit at that time.

Both of them are awfully busy and chase deadlines. Now, ‘work from home’ has further complicated the plan as they cannot travel to visit construction sites and localities before selecting a flat. Why not, they thought, start researching on the internet on localities to zero in? Even if there is no lockdown and one can move freely, this can save a huge amount of time.

Start with Google Maps

Google Maps is the place to start and while researching on any area. With increased zoom level you can get enough clarity about a place and nearby facilities. You can check the road network, schools, markets, restaurants, hospitals, banks, ATMs around any area with distances and get a fair idea about the place. Check the nearest metro station and bus stop to understand the ease of commuting.

You can also take the help of Google Maps to plan your daily commute to office or school, and understand the travel time and traffic bottlenecks in the area. Also, check how many alternative routes are available to return home from your office.

Take Help from Google Earth and Street View

Google Earth and Street View are some of the helpful tools that you can use, to know more about the look and feel of society. While Street View is not available for all locations, you can certainly know about the neighbourhood – the type of buildings and congestion level through this tool. You can also check out pictures on Google Earth, which are fed by the local users.

Check Local Community Pages on Social Media

Knowing about the people living in an area is the best way to know about a neighbourhood. There are pages related to particular areas and residential communities on Facebook, and you can join or browse through. You can go through the issues discussed and often the advantages or pain points of living in the area or community will be quite apparent in the discussions.

Most residential societies also have social profiles, usually handled by the Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) members. Here, you can get to know more about the society and decide if you want to call them your neighbours in the future.

Browse Property Portals

Another excellent way of knowing about the locality is to go through the property portals. Often, you will find sufficient information on a locality, its liveability score, price appreciation history, and future prospects. For example, www.nkrealtors.com provides detailed information and the advantages/disadvantages of buying a property in different locations in Kolkata and Hyderabad.

You can acquire valuable insight into different localities through detailed analytical articles on property blogs. Information about an area and attractive property buying options are regularly featured on our website.

Read Online Versions of Local Newspapers

Almost all major newspapers are available online these days as websites or apps. If you go through these newspapers, you can find out local issues, crime events, upcoming development projects, and a plethora of relevant information. These will help you to figure out how you can choose the best location and the most suitable property in that area.

Newspapers are also great places to gather information about municipal policies, government policies which will affect any location. For example, you can know about the different Metro expansion plans in Kolkata, current status, and probable completion dates.

Research in Detail Online and Talk to Your Property Advisor

It is obvious that you can research about an area in great detail online before buying a property. In addition to the methods stated above, you can ask questions on Quora or Facebook about a locality or even the pros and cons of buying a property there. You can be sure to receive some guidance from a knowledgeable soul.

Make notes. Compare locations, properties, prices, pros, and cons. And then pick up the phone to talk to your property advisor and ask for a virtual tour.