Your Street- More Than Just Your Address

One of the decisions one can choose to make when buying a home is what street- or even what part of the street you will live on.

What may sound like a trivial decision can impact how you enjoy your home for years to come, and could be a concession to get more home for your dollar- depending how you approach it.

When you're buying in a newer area- make sure you are getting the whole picture for future development plans- if possible. What may look like a quiet dead end street could end up being a easy route through an area. Most developers look at ways to calm and control traffic and avoid non residents from cutting through subdivisions- but don't count on it. Find out where stop signs are planned, where future schools will be, and think about the impact that those will have on traffic patterns in your area.

Being on a cul-du-sac isn't the best fit for everyone. While for some families the quiet street can have appeal- the opportunity to interact with the neighbourhood at large and see people walking by can be limited. Think about the different lifestyle in a grid based community (think OEV, SOHO, Old South) where you have multiple routes through an area, see pedestrian traffic and passers by and compare it to a more modern subdivision where kids are playing road hockey in the court. Both have advantages to different buyers.

Interestinly, there is some compelling evidence that the cul-de-sac lifestyle overall for a city can actually be more dangerous than the traditional grid style. More HERE if you are curious.

I live in a busier street in my residential neighbourhood- and the traffic can make backing out of my driveway challenging during peak times (school drop off times!)- but the trade off is an amazing backyard and I got a lot more house for my money. My kids play in the backyard and we enjoy the deck and hot tub out there- so it works for me.

Don't write off a street because it has some degree of traffic, but make sure you know what to expect. Visit an area during different times of the day to get a feel for traffic levels. Walk, bike and drive your potential neighbourhoods.

Any other tips you wish you had thought of before you picked your street? I would be especially curious to hear about experience building a home in a new subdivision- was the traffic what you expected based on the subdivision plans?