Tip to find the right neighbourhood
Finding the right neighbourhood takes more thought than most people expect. It shapes your routine, your connections, and how comfortable you feel in your home over time. Different stages of life come with different priorities, and a neighbourhood that works beautifully for one household may feel limiting for another. With that in mind, here are some of the main factors worth considering as you narrow your search.
Location
Location really does shape your day-to-day life. A home can look perfect on paper, but if it’s more than 80 kilometres from work, the commute alone can take a serious toll. Long drives eat into your time, your energy, and your ability to enjoy the neighbourhood you chose in the first place. Even a great area can start to feel like the wrong fit when most of your week is spent commuting. Unless working from home is a long-term option, distance deserves careful thought.
Location also affects the kind of lifestyle a community supports. Rural areas often offer space, privacy, and a quieter pace, but they usually come with fewer nearby amenities like gyms, retail, and indoor activities. For some people, that trade-off is exactly the appeal. The key is understanding what you value day to day. Spending time driving around the area, at different times of day, can give you a clearer sense of whether the lifestyle matches your expectations.
Pro Tip: Drive or Walk around the area’s you are researching. Make sure to take note of distances and time that it takes to get to some of the places you may be going on a regular basis.
Interview The Locals
Chatting with the locals in an area is a great way to see if you would enjoy it there. Residents will know the area best and can make you aware of the perks and issues. Most people love talking about their neighbourhood and where they live.
How can you get involved without physically going to every business or community center?
Facebook.
Join the local Facebook Community group to get a vibe of the neighbourhood. You can even ask questions to get real feedback. Asking questions like:
- I am moving to the area and was curious to hear what some of you love about living here?
- I am curious to hear what some of the changes you are hoping for in the near future?
- What is something that you would only know if you lived here?
Pro Tip: You can also google: How is Living in (Neighborhood). This will reveal many other forums or blogs that give local insight.
Schools
If you have kids at home, school options often shape the neighbourhood search more than anything else. Whether that means a school within walking distance or a program that better supports your child’s needs, starting with the schools can make the rest of the search much clearer. Once you know where those are, it’s easier to focus on the neighbourhoods around them.
PRO TIP: There are many online resources such as www.compareschoolrankings.org where you can look up the schools in your area and their rating. Once you have selected the school(s) that you believe will be best for your family, do further targeted research to confirm your findings.
Property Values
Property values play an important role when choosing a neighbourhood. Areas with higher-priced homes often come with higher property taxes, which is worth factoring into your long-term budget. On the other end of the spectrum, neighbourhoods where values are declining can sometimes see that decline reflected more broadly, affecting the overall perception and resale potential of the area. Over time, even a once well-kept neighbourhood can show signs of deferred maintenance if reinvestment slows.
When it comes to choosing a specific home, a common rule of thumb still holds up: it’s usually wise to avoid buying the most expensive property on the street. Homes that are more in line with the surrounding values often have stronger resale flexibility and fewer pricing pressures down the road.
Pro Tip: Try not to buy the most expensive home in the neighbourhood. Properties priced well above the surrounding average often have less room to appreciate and can take longer to sell.
More About Property Taxes . . .
Taxes will vary by neighbourhood, so you should definitely consider them when buying a home. As stated above, areas that are appreciating in value are also going to have higher taxes. Many cities have specific times of the year where they reassess home values to ensure the local government is getting the proper amount of tax revenue to provide the city with services. Purchasing at the top of your budget can turn the excitement of buying a home into an unexpectedly stressful situation when other expenses begin to roll in.
Pro Tip: Rising neighbourhood values are a good thing for you as a homeowner, but they can also mean even higher property taxes over time. Factor that into how far you stretch your budget.
Safety
Many consider safety to be a top priority in the search for a new neighbourhood, but not everyone can afford to live in a gated community. Not everyone wants to live in a that type of community, either. You can, however, look at local police reports to see what, if any, mischief goes on in a specific area. You can even use online resources like crime maps to get an idea of the crime rate in certain areas.
*REALTORS® often don’t comment on crime statistics directly due to fair housing requirements, which are designed to prevent bias or steering. They may, however, suggest you check out local police websites or public records for more information.
Pro Tip: Ring (the video doorbell company) has a Downloadable App called neighbors that shows you local incidents in a given area.
Bottom Line
A home can check all the boxes, but if the neighbourhood doesn’t feel right, that matters. Where you live day to day often shapes your experience more than the house itself. Doing a bit of homework, chatting with locals, and spending time in the area can give you a much clearer sense of whether it truly fits your lifestyle.
Updated December 2025
