Whether people bring their bins in quickly after collection could offer some clues. Picture: City of Ballarat
Planning to move to a new area? While it’s pretty simple to research property prices, finding out what the social dynamics are of a town or suburb isn’t so easy – yet it’s an important step that buyers should take before committing to a property purchase, says Sydney buyers agent Michelle May.
“It’s not just about buying property, it’s also about the area – the community you are buying into,” she says.
But just how can you go about researching the social demographics of an area?
Getting ‘on the ground knowledge’ is important. Picture: Richard Dobson
ONLINE RESOURCES
From a data perspective, Propertyology head of research Simon Pressley says the ABS Census website offers a good starting point.
“You can type in the specific suburb, if you have a suburb on your shortlist,” he says. “There are all sorts of tables and statistics that it can give you from the last Census.”
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He suggests checking the homeownership rates of the area, with suburbs that have higher rates of owner-occupiers more likely to have properties that are better maintained.
Checking the Census website is a good place to start.
The local council website is another good place to visit, he says. This will give you an idea of any upcoming zoning changes as well as an idea of the core values of the councillors and whether they are pro-development or pro-community building through the provision of sports and recreation amenities.
ON THE GROUND
When it comes to brand new suburbs being sold through house and land packages, Melbourne buyers advocate Mario Borg says the only way buyers can find out who their neighbours will be is by asking the selling agents about who else has been buying there.
From there, it’s a matter of visiting neighbouring suburbs and getting an “on the ground” feel for the area by visiting local shops and restaurants and speaking to prominent local agents.
May agrees that visiting the property and suburb is essential before committing to a purchase.
“I would never advise buying anything interstate without having actually seen it or having a person on the ground there,” she says.
You could also chat to local agents in the area.
As a starting point, she suggests Googling whether there are any police reports on the street and checking the council website for any DA approvals or rezoning. If a short-listed property or neighbourhood passes the computer test, then it’s a matter of visiting in person to check what the traffic is like at different times of the day and week, she says.
WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS
If you are considering moving to a regional area and you have kids, the choice of schools and the range of opportunities available to them will no doubt be at the front of your mind. The other kids they go to school with will also matter.
While NAPLAN rankings will offer some clues, the best way to compare school environments is to visit each one and speak with the school principals, says May. Another thing you can do is speak with local shop owners and neighbours at open homes as well as selling agents to get a feel for the best schools and the most desirable catchment zones to be in.
Sydney buyers agent Michelle May. Picture: supplied.
Melbourne buyers agent Mario Borg. Picture: supplied.
If a Google search has brought up a lot of worrying news stories about crimes occurring in the town, Pressley says it might be worth visiting the local police station and asking them about just how bad the level of crime is.
SIGNS OF A BAD NEIGHBOURHOOD
Whether you are moving town, city, suburb or street, the community of neighbours around you have the power to bring joy or despair to your living experience – and it can be costly if you decide to pack up and move again. Whether you are moving into a Strata complex or a detached home, here are some warning signs to look out for that can help you avoid moving to a bad neighbourhood.
1. Rubbish on the streets – If there is junk lying around or the grass is overgrown in several properties, the people living there probably aren’t looking after their homes very well
2. Bins left out for days after collection – This can indicate a lack of care for the appearance and overall care of the street
Poorly maintained houses could indicate a bad neighbourhood. Picture: Tom Lee
3. Houses and buildings poorly maintained – This again indicates inhabitants aren’t taking care of their homes which can bring property values down and potentially bring pest problems into an area
4. Strata report reveals problems – There could be major disputes between owners, properties regularly being listed for sale, expensive maintenance issues no-one can agree on or a body corporate full of landlords – all of which spell trouble for an unsuspecting young family who just want to make friends with their neighbours
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