There are several essential checks you should undertake before visiting a new development and certainly before buying a new home. Your solicitor will carry out searches and land registry title checks but there are several websites you should to visit to make sure you have the best chance of being happy and disaster free living in your new home.
Risk of Flooding
Crime in the area
Local Schools
Neighbourhood statistics
NHBC Builder register
Local house prices
Doctor and dentist
Environmental
The websites below apply equally to moving to any home. They are not listed in any particular order of importance.
Risk of Flooding
Flooding is probably the most damaging and distressing event that can happen to a homeowner after a major fire. Thankfully the Environment Agency has set up a website so you can check the risk of flooding for any postcode in the country. After entering your postcode you will see a flood map which will give the predicted risk of flooding from rivers and the sea for that area. The map is a guide an not intended to be accurate to a particular property.
Crime in the area
No one would choose to live in or near an area with a high risk of burglary, assault, car crime or anti-social behaviour. With these website links you can create maps showing counts and rates of police recorded crime at local authority level. The www.police.uk links lets you see the instances for each type of crime and anti-social behaviour for each street in and around a particular postcode.
Schools in the area
Before you decide to look at a particular area it is wise to check to find out the performance of the local schools and the availability of places. The Ofsted website enables you to see the inspection reports and other information for any school in England and Wales.
Neighbourhood statistics
It is useful to know what neighbourhood information is available in a particular area. Included here are neighbourhood statistics and details of local services, housing, employment, environment, health care, education and community well being.
NHBC Builder Register
If the house builder is not registered with the NHBC this should act as a warning! Questions should be asked why the builder is not registered. There may be a good reason such as a pending registration, sometimes the process can take several months for NHBC’s checking and inspection of the builder’s ongoing work.
Are you paying the right price for your new home
Check the prices homes in the area have sold for in recent months to make sure you are not paying too much of a premium for that dream new home.
Doctors and dentists
Use this site to find a local NHS dentist and doctor’s surgeries.
Environmental issues
Use the links to check out the air quality in the area, find out how clean the drinking water is and even find out how often it rains over the year using the weather history link.
Return to Top