Buying a new home comes with a lot of uncertainty.  Not to say that buying isn’t the right decision, but often there are a lot of unknowns especially if it’s your first house.  One of those unknowns is security and safety.  Every homeowner wants the peace of mind that their house is safe, secure, and comfortable for the entire family, so you should take some extra steps to ensure your new home will fit the bill.

From vetting the neighborhood to doing some homework, there are some things you can do to understand where you’re buying and get some hints as to whether or not you should be concerned about the safety of your family.  Here are some things to look for:

See the Neighborhood at Night

Probably the biggest indicator of how safe your new home might be is to actually see your neighborhood at night.  There’s absolutely no harm in driving around neighborhoods after the sun goes down to get a feel for the area, and many times this tactic will yield a wealth of information.

That said, drive around and look for suspicious activity, questionable characters, and generally take note of how well lit and how safe the neighborhood feels.  If you want to take it a step further, considering actually parking your car and taking a stroll around.  Both of these tactics will give you a very detailed idea of just how safe a neighborhood is.

Talk to the Locals

As you begin vetting neighborhoods to purchase a house, feel free to talk to your potential neighbors.  Local neighbors, especially those who have lived in the area for some time, can give you a very honest opinion of how safe the neighborhood is.

Additionally, meeting people who live in the neighborhood may give you an idea of the types of people you’ll be interacting with as neighbors.  This alone can give you a good feel for the types of people you’ll be sharing streets and space with, but don’t entirely judge a book by its cover.  Be open-minded and speak to as many people as you can.

Be Observant

When you’re browsing a new neighborhood, the best thing you can do is to use your senses and make a rational conclusion about the safety of it by observing what you see, feel, and experience.  Are there children playing outside?  Are there families having gatherings together?  Is there loud music or rambunctious activity?

All of these observations can give you a pretty well-rounded opinion of just exactly how safe a neighborhood is.  Witnessing meaningful, fruitful social activities in a neighborhood as you stroll or drive around can give you some peace of mind for moving into a new neighborhood and build confidence about deciding to live there.

Consider the Essentials

Finally, you’ll want to consider some of the essential parts of neighborhood safety, and many times these things are simple to diagnose.  A few questions you might ask are: How close is the neighborhood to police and fire stations?  Are there busy roads nearby with lots of traffic?  Are there other “NIMBYs” (not in my backyard) that alarm you about the neighborhood?

These are some of the more intangible things that can’t be changed about a neighborhood but are nevertheless worth investigating and knowing before you put an offer in on a home.

In staying safe, one of the best things you can do as you search for your new neighborhood is to contact Tidewater Mortgage Services, Inc.  Once you find the perfect home, you don’t want to delay in making an offer, so get pre-qualified today and have the peace of mind to buy when the time is right!