Housing
is one of the most basic needs that every person has to satisfy, one way or
another in their life.
Usually,
during the first few years of independence, most people move around from place
to place depending upon the place’s affordability and the person’s job
situation.
Most
people try to make the best of what they have with each place they live in,
whether that place be owned or rented.
However,
almost everyone at one time or another aspires to eventually have his or her own perfect Ottawa home – their “Dream Home” - and that’s when and where the search
begins for the perfect place to live.
Location,
Location, Location
Just
about everyone has an ideal location for where they want to live. For some, it
is the peace and quiet of the countryside; while others prefer the hustle and
bustle of the big city. There are yet others who want a little bit of both, so
they move into the suburbs.
Generally
speaking, where a person chooses to live will dictate the type of housing they
want and how much it will cost. Hence property evaluation is hugely impacted by
“Location, Location, Location:
There
are pros and cons to each and every environment or location, and, in a
nut-shell, here are a few of them:
City/Urban – Cities are always the
cultural hubs for any region. Many younger people, when they first live on
their own, tend to flock toward city living for the multitude of things to do
and people to do them with. Depending on the city, noise, crime, traffic patterns
and congestion, population densities and smog can be negative factors for
people who are starting families or prefer some quiet. For other folks, however, those factors,
coupled with numerous restaurants, clubs and social events are a great lure to
locate there.
Rural – Small town and country
living account for a large number of residences across Canada. Small towns are surrounded by large tracts of
land or water. Farming and industry comprise
the major structure of such communities, and the culture that exists in these
small towns most often results from or revolves around those activities. This is the best locale for people who prefer
peace and quiet, open spaces and cleaner air; as well as for those who seek a simpler
environment in which to raise their kids. But in order to enjoy the excitement
of what a city has to offer or to go to one’s downtown office requires a
commute – sometimes of considerable distance and time - and often through
less-than-desirable weather.
Suburban – This type of residence
location is the so-called “happy medium” between the above two extremes.
Suburban settings have reasonably-ready access to the cultural highlights of
city living, usually have their own small sets of businesses, while maintaining
a semi-placid atmosphere for those who desire it. Suburbs can vary from being
quite city-like to almost rural depending upon how close it sits to either the
city or the country.
Of
course, the cost of living is directly affected by the location chosen.
Typically cities and suburbs will cost more to live in because of the amenities
and services these communities provide as well as because of the income level and
spending habits of the majority of people who choose to live or work there.
Type of
Housing
As
we all know, different people have different needs and wants – or as it’s
summed up colloquially: “Different
strokes for different folks”.
A
person with a need or desire for less space usually doesn’t buy a big house. And
equally true is the exact opposite.
Condominium-living
is a great option when looking for a place for one or two people. After all,
for a myriad of historical and economic reasons, condos are often all a person
can find or afford in a downtown setting anyway.
Historically,
as industrialization and crime sullied inner city environments, the desire for
safer, cleaner, quieter and more family-friendly areas sprang up and so the “urban
sprawl” started. This migration from the
city core to houses in the near-city countryside provided these homeowners with
more space, more quiet – but also created greater demand for roads, vehicles
and a myriad of home maintenance products – and all of this extra commuting and
property maintenance ate up a lot of the home-owners’ free-time and
budget. Nowadays, the resurgence of
people into the centre of cities is in part due to the suburbanites’ kids’
desire not to spend their time commuting and maintaining the property
surrounding a suburban home as the new generation’s dream is not the same as
was their parents’ or grandparents’. It
also reflects the desires of the aging population to be closer to the
entertainment and health amenities or facilities (restaurants, museums,
hospitals, etc.) that they now value more.
Satisfaction
The Bennett Property Shop Realty knows that the ultimate decision in finding the “perfect”
place to live comes down to each person’s personal preference based upon their
specific life-style and economics situation whether they currently be a renter
or a home-owner.
They
strongly recommend that each person consider or investigate several different
types of locations and different Ottawa homes for sale before deciding what is “right”
for them because, quite succinctly, there is no black or white in housing selection, but rather only a balancing of
one’s attraction to a specific place in light of and balance with one’s
personal needs, personal preferences and personal affordability.
