Buyers and renters tend to focus on, well, the home. Extra bedrooms, granite-top counters, building amenities—these things may boost your future happiness while you’re at home, but what about when you walk out the front door?

It’s easy to forget to evaluate the whole neighbourhood during a home search, and this can lead to neighbourhood regret. There may not be much you can do about your city but there are other ways to up your odds of loving your new neighbourhood.

Here are three ways to avoid neighbourhood regret:

How do you do it? There are many ways to figure it out, but luckily, you don’t have to do it on your own. Dwelly has Neighbours, What to Expect, and Lifestyle sections on every neighbourhood page. Check them out to see if the neighbourhood you are looking at it is heavy on entertainment options, luxury boutiques or mom-and-pop shops, depending on your preferences. Neighbourhood regret is more likely to happen when homebuyers don’t have access to accurate information about a prospective neighbourhood.

It’s hard to beat safety and school quality in neighbourhood must-haves. The Dwelly Map includes detailed information about schools such as the school district boundaries and Fraser Institute Ranking. With such important information, nothing compares to hearing from those who already live there.

You can renovate your new home all you want, but when it comes to your neighbourhood, you take it as it is. But if you choose the right one, that can be great news.

Place “the right neighbourhood vibe” high up on your must-have list next to number of bedrooms during your home search. Do you want an ever-revolving door to an urban, on-your-toes lifestyle? Or a quiet, family-friendly neighbourhood. Screening for the right neighbourhood vibe can greatly improve your chances of avoiding neighbourhood regret. Follow these three tips, and you can find a neighbourhood that makes you feel at home.