Factors to Consider When Buying A Home:
- Cost
- # of Bedrooms
- Layout
- Lot size
- Square Footage
- Neighborhood
- Schools
Tips To Help You Find The Right School For Your Children: 1. Access Comprehensive School Catchment Information 2. Do Your Homework - Check Online Directories 3. Check Out The Reviews Of The School 4. Scroll Through The School's Social Media Feed 5. Talk To Your Future Neighbors 6. Map Out The Commute 7. Visit The Schools
#Schools
Schools. Here are a few tips to help you find the right school for your children. There are many factors to consider when searching for your dream home including cost, number of bedrooms, layout, lot size, square footage, neighborhood but if you have children or plan to someday, you need to think about another important selling feature, schools. After all, you don't want to buy a home only to discover the school does not get a passing grade. Well, here are a few tips to help you find the right school for your children whether you're moving across town or to the other side of the country. Number one, home buyers can access comprehensive school catchment information for many cities across Canada while looking at property listings on realtor.ca. You can set the online filters to public, private, elementary, high school, English, French. Next, do your homework. Most provinces often offer online directories of school boards and individual schools which can be useful for learning about class size to student teacher ratios and whether they can accommodate children with special needs. Check out the reviews of the schools. Many parents rate schools online based on teacher quality curriculums and enrichment programs. For academic information, the Fraser Institute's handy tool, compareschoolrankings.org provide detailed school information reports. In addition, don't forget to scroll through a school's social media feed which can yield a wealth of great information such as photos and newsletters. Talk to your future neighbors. Take a walk through your prospective neighborhood and check out the areas, parks and community centers. Don't be afraid to approach parents pushing kids on swings and strike up a conversation. Ask them about their local schools. Tell them you're thinking about moving into the neighborhood and if they have any advice for you. Find out about, find out if the local schools encourage parent volunteers or how many field trips are organized each year. Map out the commute. Now, is the home within walking distance of the school at the top of your priority list? Will your children need a drive back and forth every day? Call the school board to find out if they offer a bus service or if you'll be juggling carpool schedules as part of your morning routine and if you have older children, see if public transportation is an option, bus, subway, street car routes. Map these out. Visit the schools. Now, make an appointment with the principal to tour each school you're interested in and arrive with a list of questions such as special programs that are offered, ask to see classes in progress along with the facilities and the grounds. If your children are athletic, ask about extracurricular sports teams. If they're artistic, ask about drama and music and arts. Can't go in person? Well, set up a video call with the principal or a phone call. Armed with all of this information, you'll get top marks in your housing search. Who you work with matters.
