What you should know about a new community before you move in

Building your own home from the foundation up appeals to many people. This way, you can choose everything from the colour of the walls to the style of the sink faucets. Generally, when you partake in this process, you’re building in a brand-new neighbourhood; however, everyone has different wants and needs for their community. What’s ideal for a young professional isn’t what a family of four needs. So, when you’re looking at building a home in a new area, here are a few things you should ask before purchasing your lot:

• Who is the target market? Ask who will be living in the community and what kinds of homes are being built. Is it aimed towards families, retirees or young people?
• What facilities and amenities are planned? Will there be a grocery store, a community centre or a large park? A lot of planning goes into communities before people start buying homes and the developers know exactly who they are catering to so they will know what amenities will be going where.
• Will there be any on-going services? Snow removal, lawn mowing and security can be built into the cost of community or condo fees. Find out exactly where this money is going to make sure your needs are being met.
• Ask to see a full community plan. You don’t want a lot that seems to back onto a gorgeous field where your kids can play if that field might be turned into a large condo complex that will add noise pollution and reduce sunlight on your property. You will also be able to see where future shops and other services will be located.
• Connect your community to your daily life. Picking a location isn’t just about how it looks – it is going to affect your whole life. Take a day and drive to work during rush hour to see how long it will take you or take your kids to their weekly soccer practice from this new location. You don’t want to reduce your quality of life or waste value time because you chose the wrong place to live.
• Talk to the neighbours! There is no better way to understand a community than by talking to the people who live in it. You can gauge how you and your family will fit in while also get a sense of who you will be sharing amenities with.

So much already goes into buying a home, and the number of decisions you need to make only increase if you’re breaking ground on a new community. Do your homework and ask the right questions to avoid any surprises when you move into your dream home. If you’ve completed the list above, your finances line up and you’ve got that warm feeling that this is ‘the one,’ go for it! You deserve to live in a home that you love.