Stress of Moving House in UK, Overshadowed by Moving to Wrong
Neighbourhood
Moving house can be one of the most stressful things you ever
do, after which you may end up with conflicting neighours or in
an area with a high crime rate and more stress than you
bargained for. Statistics from a recent survey (by Unum Ltd) in
the UK revealed that 44% of people found moving house to be the
most stressful event of their life.
However, recent research suggests that a bigger worry on
people's minds is the consequence of moving into the wrong
neighbourhood, epitomised by television programmes such as
"Location, Location, Location". There are several worries
potential buyers face:
* Moving next to conflicting neighbours
* Moving into an area with a high crime rate
* Areas with bad public transport
* A lack of local shops and businesses
* Poor school results (spurred by the advent of school league
tables)
More emphasis is being placed on the significance of a location
and the impact this has on personal lifestyle and house prices.
Some people want to move into a popular area with peer approval.
Others may consider the practicality of a neighbourhood and will
be more interested in the local transport system and good
schools.
As a result, various websites have been created to provide
potential buyers with local area information, with neighbourhood
profiles based on marketing data such as ACORN. UK Local Area
(http://www.uklocalarea.com) is a new website which provides a
wealth of information for any postcode or local area in England
and Wales based on actual national statistics. This includes
neighbours profile (including ethnic background and religion),
health statistics, levels of deprivation, employment and
economic activity, education levels, crime rates, and road
safety accidents. You can also view the actual school results
for all schools in the area or just the nearest schools to your
postcode. For commuters, the nearest public transport is
provided. The website also provides the house prices for the
area and allows you to compare all this information for any two
areas. Visitors to the website are able to post comments about
any area on any topic they wish, allowing for interaction
between current residents and potential buyers.
Consumers have responded positively to such information and are
willing to take the time to research the positive and negative
aspects that choosing a specific location will bring.
Considering the level of stress of finding a property and moving
house, consumers would do well to ensure they have a stress-free
time once the move is completed.