Finding the best place to live

Looking to settle down in a new area? We're here to help you find the right place to buy your next home.

Read on for tips on how to research a town, the signs of an up-and-coming area and the most affordable and happiest places to live.

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What to check when researching an area

1. Nearby shops and facilities

Does the area match your lifestyle? For example, do you want a pub or gym within walking distance or do you prefer the quiet life? 

Also take a look into how many services are in the local area: could you easily get to the bank or a doctor's surgery?

2. Transport connections

How easy would your commute be? If you drive, test the route at the time of day you'll be travelling. 

If you rely on public transport, research how frequent (and crowded) the buses or trains are, plus of course how much fares cost.

3. Rush-hour traffic

Living close to a school, town centre or sports stadium can be really appealing - but visit the area at peak times to check what the traffic is like. 

If you're likely to get stuck in jams regularly, can you live with this?

4. School catchment areas

If you have (or are planning to have) children, check out the catchment areas for local schools on the local authority's website. 

Some schools have boundaries that change from one year to the next, so always double-check if you have a specific school in mind.

5. Local environment

Being downwind of sewage works, or having hordes of tourists passing your front window during the holiday season, can turn a dream location into a nightmare. 

Talk to locals about whether there's anything you should be aware of.

6. Neighbours

If you can, introduce yourself to your potential future neighbours before making an offer. They may be able to tell you about any previous issues with the property or area. 

You could also check with the council to see if there have been any complaints made on that street.

7. Air quality

Air pollution can have an effect on your health, both short- and long-term. You can find air pollution forecasts on the government's UK Air website.

8. New developments

Are there any planned changes to the area that could affect you? 

For example, shopping centres, parks or transport links could be good news for your quality of life and property's future value, but could also mean more traffic. 

Check the local authority's website for planning decisions.

9. Flood risks

Even if the area doesn't boast river views, you should check the risk of flooding on the UK government's flood maps - sometimes floodplains can extend miles inland.

10. Crime rates

How do crime rates and types compare with other areas? You can find crime maps by postcode, as well as information on the performance of local police forces, on the Police.uk website.

11. Electric pylons

Even if pylons and electrical substations close to the property don't bother you, they could make it harder for you to sell in the future. 

Check with local agents (ideally not the one selling the property you're interested in) whether they have an impact on the price or time it takes to sell properties.

How to spot an up-and-coming area

Buying in an up-and-coming area is a great way of making money on your property, and getting on the housing ladder if you can't afford to buy in more established neighbourhoods.

Although there's never a cast-iron guarantee that an area will improve (or that house prices in that area will rise), some tell-tale signs of an area on the up include:

• Thriving nearby towns

Up-and-coming areas often spring up next to places that are already popular, because people priced out of that location are looking to move as near as possible.

• New-build homes

When new homes are built, they can sometimes increase the value of surrounding properties too. Be careful though - if too many new properties flood the market, the value of yours may go down.

• Local demographics

Consider who lives in the area - is it mostly young couples, families or retirees? This could influence which types of properties are most in demand from buyers in the future. A one-bedroom flat could be more likely to grow in value in a major city than in an area that skews towards families with children.

• Planning permissions

It's worth checking with the local authority for nearby planning permissions. Some - such as a local supermarket or school - may boost house prices, but others (e.g. a new industrial estate) could seriously detract from them.

• Regeneration plans

If a local authority is planning to regenerate a town centre, this is likely to boost the local economy and drive up house prices in future.

• New transport links

A new train station, network connection, tram link or major road is likely to make an area more popular with commuters - provided the transport links don't generate too much extra noise or traffic.

• Gentrification

The opening of new restaurants, cafes and shops, particularly if they're more up-market than other businesses in the area, is a key sign of an area on the up.

• Skips and scaffolding

This is a sign that local homeowners are putting time and money into maintaining or renovating their properties, meaning you may be buying at the start of an upswing in prices.

• Good schools

If a new school is being built or a nearby school has improved its Ofsted rating, properties in the catchment zone can attract a premium price. But keep in mind that catchment boundaries can shift.

• New employers or industries

New employment opportunities in a region can boost prices. But remember that this can also go the other way - if a major employer goes bust or an industry slows down, you may see your home's value drop.

Most affordable areas in the UK

When you buy a home, mortgage lenders will usually let you borrow up to four-and-a-half times your salary.

Research by Zoopla in 2023 compared average salaries across the UK with average house prices. It found that, on average, homes cost 3.8 times average household salaries. 

The table below shows Zoopla's top 10 most affordable towns, taking median house values and average local incomes into account. 

• Find out more: mortgage calculator - how much can you borrow?

Happiest places to live

The property portal Rightmove conducts an annual survey to crown its 'happiest place to live in Great Britain'. 

In 2023, it found that the London borough of Richmond upon Thames (pictured above) was the happiest place to live, based on an analysis of 13 'happiness factors', including a sense of local community and access to green space. The full top 10 was as follows:

Where to live in London

London is the most expensive place in the UK to live, but some areas of the city are far more affordable than others.

You can find the average house price for each local authority in the capital in our guide to buying a house or flat in London, as well as council tax bands and train fares for each borough.

And if you're widening your search to the suburbs, you can also find the average house price, train fares and frequencies, as well as journey times for commuter towns.