LEARN THE PROS & CONS OF LIVING ON A MAJOR OR BUSY STREET

BUYING A HOUSE ON A BUSY STREET

Jumping into the real estate market, the first thing you will learn about the house hunting process is that there are trade offs. There is no way to buy a home without compromising about something. It does not matter what your budget is, what location you are looking for, there will always be a trade off. 

Most people do not like to live on busy streets. In fact, there is more than a 50% chance that if a house is located on a busy street, you won’t want to see it. This is especially true if you have young children and/or pets. 

But is living on a busy street such a bad thing? 

Right Where The Action Is 

If you love the hustle and bustle of life and want to be close to the action, living on a busy street is exactly where you want to live. You won’t have to walk far to get to the night life or whatever amenities you are hoping to have in your neighbourhood. And by amenities we’re talking more businesses to work for, more stores to shop in, better schools to put your kids in, as well as more fire stations and stronger police presence. You’ll feel more secure living in a busier area. 

Better Access To Public Transportation 

If you live on a busy street, chances are there will be a bus stop, a train station, a walking or bike trail nearby. Therefore, if you don’t have a car or you prefer to commute via public transportation, it’s actually better for you to live on a busy street! 

Good Street Maintenance 

Cul-de-sacs are pretty and quiet, but they can be very dangerous in the winter months! The busiest roads get the quickest and most frequent attention in the winter as they get the most congestion. Therefore, snow plows will plow highways and busy streets first over the quieter streets that don’t get much traffic. And the maintenance doesn’t just happen in the winter, potholes will be filled first on busy streets, and when it comes time to having an entire road resurfaced, the busy street will always get priority over the quieter ones. 

Pricing Discount 

This is arguably one of the biggest attractions to living on a busy street. A great tool we tell our clients is to come up with a list of five things you must have in your dream home. Imagine you found all five things in a home for sale, but it’s located on a busy street. Chances are, you are able to afford it because it is located on a busy street and is 5% to 10% cheaper than if it were on a quieter street. Why pass that up? You can get all the things on your list for the right price and enjoy all the benefits mentioned above! 

Living on a busy street doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Toronto is full of busy streets and oftentimes, that’s what draws people to live on or near them. Make the most of a busy street!


(Copyright 2019 Royal LePage Central - It was originally published here: http://www.centraltoronto.net/blog)