7 signs you are in a bad neighbourhood

What are the risks of living in a bad neighbourhood?

Living in a bad neighbourhood may not be too bad if you are free of children and are confident enough to stand up for yourself, but if not then living somewhere rough can be dangerous for you and those you love. If you buy a home in a bad area it could be a bad investment as the value of your home may fall if the neighbourhood seriously declines. You could also be subject to burglaries and vandalism to your property and car if you own one. But fear not, there are many ways in which to distinguish a bad neighbourhood from a good neighbourhood, and Findahood can help.

How to spot a bad neighbourhood?

Fortunately there are some very obvious signs that you have stepped into a bad neighbourhood but some aren't and if you don't want to find yourself stuck in a bad area read our top tips.

7 Tell tale signs of a bad neighbourhood

1. House presentation

Have a look at the houses in the neighbourhood you are looking at, does it look like the owners take good care of their homes? Broken guttering, filthy windows, poor paintwork, cars parked over the front lawns or otherwise messy, overgrown gardens. This show your potentials have little respect for their homes and will let down the area.

2. Graffiti

Keep an eye out for graffiti in the area, common places are on telephone exchange boxes, street signs, walls of any alleyways or on the sides of houses. Graffiti will highlight a problem with local residents or course but also displays a difficulty in controlling crime. Maybe this area is not very well policed or maybe the police are busy concentrating on more serious local crimes!

3. Other vandalism

Broken glass on bus stops or telephone boxes are bad signs and also keep an eye out for neighbours' cars with scratches from keys or maybe even broken windows.

4. Residents

People walking around going about their business can give a good indication about the safety of the area, and also by the way they look too! If there are a large amount of people walking about this can indicate a safe friendly neighbourhood, particularly if you see dog walkers and mothers with prams and young children. Look at them too, could you imagine inviting them in for a cup of tea as these could be your neighbours?

5. Property values

If the area in question has either stagnant property prices or prices that are significantly lower than their surrounding areas, this could be an indication of an undesirable location to live.

6. Local shops

Visit the local shops, what type of shops are they? Lots of betting shops, cash for gold or pay day loan shops, lots of late night fast food shops. These types of stores tend to come attached to areas of higher deprivation. Seeing plenty of estate agents, coffee shops and other boutiques are signs of a thriving area.

7. Police presence

If you see police officers walking the beat through the neighbourhood that is an excellent sign. Also, look out for neighbourhood watch signs on lampposts. These both indicate a safe neighbourhood.

If you're considering moving to a new area and aren't sure about it, always do your research visit the area many times, day and night to get a good feel for it. You can also use Findahood's postcode analyser to find out statistical information on that area such as crime rates, property prices, local schools and population demographics.

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