Exploring Neighborhoods
Finding a neighborhood that matches your lifestyle and personality is as important, if not more important, than finding the right home. At Inleit, we developed a worksheet to help clients determine the ideal community for their new home. Here’s an overview of our process and a guide for planning neighborhood tours.
Identify the must-haves in your new community.
Do you want to…
Be close to where you work?
Walk to shops and restaurants?
Live in a neighborhood with lots of kids?
Write down a list of wants and needs and prioritize each.
Begin with a general property search to meet your ideal price range. Then identify the areas that have homes that match your style preference. Once you’ve pinpointed those areas, it’s time to check out the neighborhoods that appear most often in your search.
Conduct online research.
We recommend that you research neighborhoods that you have your eye on or that start popping up in your search portal to assess their fit. On paper, does a potential neighborhood check the boxes for what you want in your new spot?
Here are some resources to help you get started:
CO Department of Education Schoolview
Plan a visit.
A visit is the only way to know if a neighborhood uniquely suits you. You can drive the area or get out and go for a walk to see if it feels right.
It’s a good idea to tour the area at different times throughout the day and in all kinds of weather. Experiencing the neighborhood in person will give you an idea of the people, traffic flow at various times, and possibly how the public works department handles infrastructure.
If you have school-age children or might have school-age children someday, consider touring the local schools. After all, your kids will spend lots of time there.
Visit the local grocery stores and local restaurants, and grab a coffee at the local coffee shop. Talk to residents to get a flair for the neighborhood culture. Ultimately, you’ll know if the neighborhood is a place you could call home.
