Living The Life In The Burbs
Move-over Buyer: A person who goes to a different region to purchase a home in search of greater housing affordability, more square footage and a specific lifestyle.
Downtown living has its appeal, but the rising prices and smaller spaces that classify many urban communities have given rise to a growing category of homebuyer, dubbed the “move-over buyer” who are increasingly viewing suburban life as the solution.
For the move-over buyer, the home hunt is about striking a balance between size, price and other liveability factors. Living just outside the city limits has its pros and cons. Here are some arguments in favour of the sweet suburban life.
7 Reasons To Seriously Consider The Suburban Life
1. Lower Price
Homes in the suburbs are typically cheaper than their urban counterparts. Property taxes are also lower for a comparable plot of land. But buyer beware. While your mortgage payments will be lower outside of the city, make sure to consider all your living expenses. You may need to purchase a second car, and a bigger home also means higher maintenance and operating costs.
2. More Space
If you’re not necessarily looking to spend less money, suburban life can mean more land, more home, and more bells and whistles. A front, back and even a “side” yard (yes, it’s a thing in the suburbs); a spare bedrooms (with ensuite!); a sweet basement rec room; a pool… These are all attainable in the suburbs without spending in the millions.
3. Less Crowded
What do we mean? Suburban life is often associated with peace and quiet, privacy, parking spots galore; easier access to children’s day care and recreation programs; and doctor and dentist appointments are generally easier to come by. For home hunters with a growing family, these alone are worth the trade-offs that come with moving away from the big city.
4. New Facilities
If you haven’t checked out the local community facilities in the suburbs, you’re in for a treat. Because these areas are typically newer developments, the community centres, schools, libraries and parks are also new – and they’re impressive. Clean, bright, open and outfitted with modern technology, these spaces are well-used and well-loved by suburbanites.
5. New Infrastructure
When we said the suburbs are new developments, that also includes infrastructure. Roadways and bridges, the public transit system that travels across them, and the sewer system that runs beneath them. Also, under-ground power lines!
6. More Green Space
Suburban communities are often surrounded by undeveloped land, which often means farms, fields, forests and wildlife. This also means better air quality, depending on how far you actually are from the downtown core.
7. Best Of Both Worlds
As we said at the very beginning, many move-over home hunters are casting a wider net in search of balance between price, space and other liveability factors. The suburbs are not quite city and not quite country, but offer relative proximity to each.
Looking for your perfect place to call home? Find a RE/MAX Agent to assist you with your search.
This post was contributed by RE/MAX Canada. Find more great articles on the RE/MAX blog.
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