City or Suburbs: Tips for choosing the right area to live
Whether you’re thinking about buying or renting a property, choosing the right area to live isn’t an exact science. There are always a series of factors to consider that vary according to each person’s profile, their goals and ambitions, needs, and expectations. What is right for one person may be completely different for another. Some people like the sea, others the countryside, and others the city. Some prefer the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, while others prefer the tranquility of the suburbs. Some have a large family and need a proportionate house, while others don’t mind living in a small apartment in an urban center. If the house move involves children, then the situation definitely changes, and that’s another aspect to consider.
In the end, choosing the right area to live is like a scale: if the advantages of a certain place outweigh the disadvantages, then that will be the place to choose. But for that, you have to include the right number of variables in the sum. To help you in your process, we present you with some of them.
1. Cost of Living
There are many pros and cons that can influence the decision between choosing a house in the suburbs or an apartment in the city. Besides the matter of personal preference, perhaps the most striking factor is the cost of living. It is important to consider your monthly budget, including expenses and loans, to understand if you can afford the cost of living in a city like Lisbon, Porto, or Coimbra. Note that in large cities, everything is more expensive in their suburbs. This includes food, transportation, rents, real estate, schools, daycare centers, and other services that are much more affordable in less crowded cities.
Consider what you know—your budget—and research what you don’t know—the cost of living in the city and suburbs you’re interested in. Make an estimate of expenses for each location.
2. Distance
Besides the cost of living, you should consider the time it takes to get to work and your children’s school from both the city and the suburbs. Some say time is money, and by that logic, you should evaluate the transportation options and accessibility of each area, the schedules, distances, and the cost-benefit of each option. Driving a car is more comfortable but more expensive and less sustainable. Choosing public transportation is a way to reduce pollution, save money, and avoid concerns about parking and additional expenses. Given the circumstances, it seems that the latter option is the most suitable. But things are not so black and white, so you should consider the time it takes for each alternative and whether it is compatible with your schedule. For that, we suggest you seek answers to the following questions:
- How long does it take to commute from home to work using public transportation if you choose the suburbs?
- How long does it take to commute from home to work by car if you choose the suburbs?
- How long does it take to commute from home to work by public transportation if you choose the city?
- How long does it take to commute from home to work by car if you choose the city?
3. Proximity to friends and family
It’s not healthy to live a social life apart from friends and family. As distant as we may still be due to the pandemic, it’s always comforting to know that we can count on our loved ones. So, if you’re considering living in the suburbs and that means being (very) far from your family and friends, consider whether it’s worth sacrificing those connections.
4. Explore the neighborhood
You’re leaning towards choosing the suburbs since the cost of living is low, the distance to work is manageable, there are good transportation options, and the family is relatively close by. But what about the neighborhood: what’s it like? Don’t forget to assess the offer of commerce, services, and infrastructure in the area you are considering moving to. Imagine that the nearest supermarket is 7km away: is it viable? Also, don’t forget to look for the services that are important to know to take care of everyday matters: city hall, parish council, police station, health center, fire station, hospital, train station, metro, or bus stops. Also, find out about the number of pharmacies, schools, kindergartens, parks, supermarkets, sports complexes, gyms, shops, restaurants, and cafes in the area to get a sense of how well-served you are in terms of these infrastructures. Ask the local people what it’s like to live there. Basically, the idea is to draw a general picture of the city, town, parish or village so that you don’t have any disappointments, surprises or regrets.
These four tips are the starting point for resolving the dilemma between the city and the suburbs. Of course, as we’ve already mentioned, depending on the case, there may be other variants to take into account. In this sense, we encourage you to weigh everything on the imaginary scales: don’t leave anything out so that there are no regrets later.
If you need help, you can always count on our team of experts to help you find the ideal property.
