Different homeowners have different factors that they consider when it comes to buying a house such as its proximity from their workplace, home affordability and the environment around the area. These factors come together to make up for a good neighbourhood community also known as livability. When you are looking for luxury apartments in Adyar, there have to be some must-have aspects in the neighbourhood community that help you choose a home for you and your family.
What makes up a good neighbourhood community or determines its livability?
Livability measures the attractiveness of a neighbourhood, a city or even a region based on a number of factors. However, it is a highly subjective exercise for each one of us will have different parameters and priorities that can help us decide whether a place is livable or not.
Let’s say, for example, you want to buy a cosy flat in Chennai that is close to your workplace and reduces your commute significantly. So your idea of livability will be completely different from another home buyer who wants to buy a plot near Mannivakkam and build a home for his family that is away from the crowded city and has a good school near it. Conservation of energy and the environment also contribute to the livability factor.
It is always better to check for livability before buying a seemingly perfect house and later discovering the hours-long commute to your workplace or the absence of any grocery stores nearby.
How can one check for livability?
The most effective and easiest way to measure the livability of a place is to imagine living there and checking whether the place matches up to your current lifestyle and your future goals. The next step would be to mark the “must-haves” first so you know what cannot be compromised, followed by the “nice to have” list which would improve your current ways of living.
Here are the factors that will help you to determine your livability:
Affordability
Before you decide to buy a luxury apartment in Adyar, you must consider whether you can truly afford it or not. Remember that your expenses do not end with purchasing the apartment. You need to pay for furniture, possible upgrades and repairs, and maintenance (which is a recurring cost).
However, if you are someone who considers the lack of affordable options as a good thing and want to indulge in the prospect of exclusivity, the livability of a neighbourhood will look different for you. In this case, your expectations would be bigger apartments, luxurious and expensive houses with features in the community like top-rated schools and high-end shopping districts.
Education
Families looking for homes mostly want to be close to good schools and make this a priority when browsing for a house. Hence, in many situations, you may come across expensive living accommodations because it is close to a reputed school. Walking from home to their schools is a big bonus for children as it saves a lot of time. But your family is child-free, this factor will not be included in the livability measurement.
Availability of public transport
It is not just enough to buy a beautiful luxury apartment in Adyar. You must check its accessibility before finalising your purchase. Many young urban professionals and retired citizens want to live in the suburbs which are well connected to the rest of the city. Hence, for them, ease of communication through public transport is important and it contributes to the livability of the area.
Safety
You can spot a good neighbourhood community by checking the crime rate in the area before buying a house. No one would want to risk the safety and security of their loved ones by choosing a home with a high crime rate. Families with children often avoid busy streets to keep the kids safe.
Maintenance cost
The idea of buying a house with a big backyard is lucrative. The same thing applies to luxury residential complexes with swimming pools, gyms and community centres. However, a home with a backyard also means additional time spent on up-keeping the space or appointing a gardener to keep it clean and beautiful. Similarly, any apartment with luxurious amenities comes with a huge maintenance cost that may be charged monthly, quarterly or annually. Such maintenance costs are recurring and will come straight from your pocket. So unless such expenses have no negative impact on your current lifestyle, you can add it as a must-have to your livability list.
Environment
The pandemic has reiterated the importance of being around nature. So if you are buying a house, having natural areas for walking, running or exercising would be a big plus. But if your neighbourhood is close to a hospital, or is around the corporate block, it could be a drawback.
Entertainment
Your livability might also be affected by the lack of any entertainment or nightlife in your community. Since the current generation of homebuyers is mostly millennials, having cinemas, theatres, cafes, restaurants, and malls would be an influential factor during a home purchase.
To sum up,
In this blog, we have highlighted some of the crucial and most important factors that can help you determine whether your home is located in a good neighbourhood community. While these parameters are subjective, we hope you have gained a comprehensive idea of livability and how to measure it. However, every homebuyer should conduct extensive research on their own and consult with real estate agents before making a home purchase.
