Last week, I blogged about questions to ask when buying a new home vs. a resale home. Here’s something else to think about: are you buying a view or a neighbour?
There are often premiums paid to buy next to a field, ravine, forest, etc. Many people want to live there because these homes offer more tranquility or quiet than a house next to another house or a condo building. When you buy, however, there is often little guarantee that what isn’t there will stay that way. The neighbouring field may be owned by a developer, or by a person who ends up selling to a developer, and ten years down the road you may find yourself in a busy area. If it is truly important to you, do some extra digging before you get yourself into a firm offer – and understand that, even if nothing is in the works now, that view might not be there forever.