Guide to Researching Your Chosen Location - UK

How to research the area you're thinking about moving to.

How to get all the facts and figures on the area.

We summarise what you need to look out for and then give you useful sources of information.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

WHERE TO GET THE INFORMATION

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

You'll want to check the proximity to:

Transport Links

Good schools

GP / Hospitals

Sports facilities

Shops

Restaurants

You'll want to find out:

The local crime rate

The social mix

The Council Tax rate

What's the local rubbish collection like?

The Council's attitude to the environment eg recycling policies, parking etc

Is the area on the Up?

Look for signs of gentrification ie skips

Are there any good new cars on the street?

Are there any trendy bars / retaurants springing up?

What type of people are buying? Young families? Yuppies?

was the area hip with artists? Are they having to leave because of rising
prices (Bad for them but a good sign of an area on the up).

Environmental Factors

Is the property on a flood plain?

Is there subsidence in the area ie the local soil?

Any local industrial pollution: Past and present?

Is there a danger of landslip?

Is it built on an old land-fill site?

Any radon dangers?

WHERE TO GET THE INFORMATION

A major source of information will be local Estate Agents.

Either quiz the seller's agent or phone some up at random. Shortly after lunch is often a good time to catch them in "expansive" mode.

Another source will be the local surveyors. You can get some referrals for ones with strong local knowledge from the local agents.

Meanwhile there's a wealth of information available through the internet.

Homecheck.co.uk offers detailed information on environmental and geological factors affecting each area.

You'll need the postcode for your proposed new property to get an online report on the environmental hazards you may be
facing. They're at:

http://www.homecheck.co.uk

The Government's Environment Agency operates a very useful service called WHAT'S IN MY BACKYARD which details "what's really happening in the environment where you live... whether your area is at risk of flood, whether there's a landfill site near your house or how healthy the rivers are in your area".

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk

(For SCOTLAND go to http://www.sepa.org.uk)