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Low-crime areas entice buyers
21 April 2008 10:30
There are several criteria that people have when buying a house, according to one property website, not least the location and the level of safety it offers.
A recent poll by Yorkshire Bank revealed that three out of four people find the presence of a neighbourhood watch scheme reassuring when moving to a new home, while half of all first-time buyers would pay more to live in an area with a good community spirit.
Rightmove's commercial director Miles Shipman explained that places with community watch schemes attract buyers as they usually have lower crime rates and tend to be more traditional areas, while residents can also benefit from lower home insurance premiums.
He said that homebuyers generally first select a location near important amenities and look at houses in these areas and at the features and level of security they offer, before weighing these benefits against the property's price and adjudging what they can afford.
Yet Mr Shipman also recognised the importance of the initial emotional impact that a house makes on a prospective buyer, noting that some people end up with a property completely different to what they were originally looking for as a result.
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