How to make sure your move suits your family

One of the main reasons for the huge swing towards living in lifestyle estates and sectional title schemes over the past few years is that they offer parents more peace-of-mind as regards their children's safety, says Gerhard Kotzé, MD of the RealNet estate agency group.

"However, with many city parents now moving away to country or coastal towns that may not offer gated complexes, they might need to resharpen their skills when it comes to looking for child-friendly suburbs."

Of course most parents would like their children to have a carefree existence of being able to play outdoors with their friends, go to the park, ride a bike to school, and take part in various sports without always being transported or accompanied by an adult, he says, "and this is actually what many are hoping for now when they decide to work remotely from home and relocate their families away from the city.

"But this idyllic vision can be tricky to achieve even in a small town, since so many of these are now undergoing rapid expansion due to the influx of new residents, with new shops and other developments popping up that can completely change the character of an area overnight."

It is not impossible though, especially if they are prepared to do some careful homework and seek help from a reputable local estate agent before deciding where to settle their family for what could well be the next 10 or 20 years. Kotzé suggests the following guidelines:

- Once you've identified some areas you think might be suitable, make a point of visiting them at different times of the day - before you even view any homes there. It's amazing how quickly an area that is quiet during the day can become "party central" after dark.   

- During the day, you should also look out for any signs that there are other children living there, like swings and climbing frames, tricycles and bikes - and for children themselves, perhaps walking to or from school, playing in the park, or learning to skateboard. Try to gauge their ages too, to see if your children would be likely to find friends of their own age.

- Observe whether the area is generally clean and well-maintained. Cracked pavements, litter and overgrown parks are usually signs of a neighbourhood in decline and possibly not that great for children to live in.

Numerous piles of bricks and building sand, however, could signal that you have found an area where lots of new families are moving in and renovating, and where your family would feel right at home.      

- Ask your agent about schools in the area and other amenities like parks and gardens, recreation centres and sports clubs, as well as shops and public transport. Then go and check these out yourself to see if they are walkable and would enhance your and our children's quality of life in this suburb.

- Find out if the area has any active youth groups, after-school care centres, service clubs and neighbourhood watch groups. All of these are indicators of a neighbourly, caring community and a child-friendly area.

- Once you do start viewing properties, make a point of asking again whether the neighbours are friendly and whether there are community activities for children. Trust your instincts if you get answers that indicate this might not be quite the place you thought it was, and move on. Alternatively, if the area "feels" right, and you like what you have seen, heard and found out, you've probably found your new home.