Moving to a new neighborhood with your family is always exciting. Whether you are moving within your local area to upgrade to a bigger family home or are getting a fresh start in a completely different area, it can sometimes be challenging to find a neighborhood that is safe, friendly, close to local amenities, and within your budget. Before you move, make the following checks to ensure that you’re moving to the right place for you.
Visit:
Spend some time visiting the neighborhood on a normal day and observe what is going on. Does it seem quiet and peaceful? Are there any neighborhood watch groups in operation? Do neighbors seem friendly and respectful to each other? If a neighbor comes out to say hello and find out who you are because they don’t recognize you, this is a good sign that you’re going to be moving to a place where you’ll have neighbors that look out for one another and spot anything that is out of the ordinary.
Check Crime Rates:
Doing a quick online search for the crime rates in the local area will help you learn a lot about the neighborhood that you are thinking of moving to. It is a good idea to take a look at the rate of burglaries or attempted thefts of vehicles and personal belongings. What about other crimes like muggings or sexual assault? It’s also worth speaking to the neighbors and asking them how they feel about the crime rate in the area. Do they feel safe? Have they personally been a victim of crime?
Get to Know the Neighbors:
Getting to know your potential new neighbors is a good way to find out what the neighborhood you’re planning to live in is like, and gives you a chance to get an idea of the type of people that you could be living close by to in the near future. Do your potential new neighbors seem like good, kind, and caring people? Could you trust them to look over your house when you are away? Do they seem like they would be happy to help you out in a tricky situation? Neighborhoods, where everybody is happy to look out for each other and become friends, tend to be safer.
Check for Crime Deterrents:
Look around the neighborhood to see what deterrents are in place to discourage crime. A well-lit area, houses that have CCTV cameras, and a neighborhood watch group are all good signs that the people who live here care about everybody’s safety and security. However, if there are not many deterrents in place, this could also be a good sign that the neighbors don’t feel the need as it is a safe place.
Background Checks:
Finally, if you are moving to a new area with your kids, you’ll want to make sure that you are living near people who you can trust to be around your children. You can use Nuwber to run a background check on any of your potential new neighbors using just their name or address. You can check public information available on arrest records, criminal records, and much more to ensure that your potential neighbors are likely to be trustworthy people.
Moving to a new neighborhood can be both exciting and stressful. By checking the place out and getting to know people ahead of time, you can get a better idea of safety in the place you move to.
Photo by Patrick Schreiber on Unsplash
About the Author/s
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
