When buying a home, the location can make a big impact on the resale value of your home. If you’re buying into a popular part of town, you’ll have a much easier time selling as more home buyers are willing to purchase it. The resale value will be higher and you’ll be able to put more cash in the bank after the sale. But if you purchase a home in a less popular location, the resale value will be considerably less due to decrease demand. Let’s check out the 5 neighborhood facts that can increase the resale value of your home:

1) Local School District – Higher rated public school districts increase the demand for homes in that community. If you plan on sending your kids to the local public schools, you’ll want to put this at the top of your criteria for the ideal neighborhood. If you’ll be using a private school for your children, this feature may not be so important.

2) Local Crime Rate – Who wouldn’t want to live in a city with low crime? While this may be high on your list of desirable neighborhoods, be prepared to sacrifice more in travel time to work and other daily activities. You’ll find rural areas to have a lot less crime than the crowded metropolitan areas.

3) Quality of Shopping and Amenities – You’ll find that communities with a greater variety of shopping and activities attract more homebuyers to that area. This in turn increases the resale value of homes in that community.

4) Size of Home – Buy a home with square footage that matches other homes in the area. It may be tempting to buy a large home in a neighborhood of smaller homes because the price will be more affordable. However you need to be aware that home will not appreciate as quickly as the surrounding homes because homebuyers attracted to smaller homes can’t afford a larger home. Plus homebuyers seeking a larger home will prefer to live among a more uniform neighborhood of larger homes. Uniquely remodeled homes will also suffer from this same problem as the property sticks out like an eyesore.

5) Is It Up and Coming? – Lastly, check to see if the neighborhood is showing signs of improvement. Drive the area to see if homes are being remodeled, have new landscaping, or if new trendy stores are opening. You can also check with the local city planning department to see if there are plans for future redevelopment in the area. If you time it just right, you could get in on the ground floor of an up and coming neighborhood. This will definitely have a positive impact on the resale value of your home.

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