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.