Looking to buy a house in a new neighborhood or town? If you’re worried about the area being an ideal fit for you, the key is research and careful consideration. Here, Trulia offers five questions to ask yourself that will help you get started on choosing the perfect place to call home.

1. What do you need to have nearby?

Consider your day-to-day life and the things that are most important to you. Then make a list of all of the amenities that you can’t live without. For example, if having a home near a yoga studio or specific type of food store is a must-have, drive around the areas closest to those businesses to find pockets of neighborhoods that meet your needs. 

2. Is walking important to you?

Many people must have stores or eateries within convenient walking distance, so you should consider if that’s important to you as well. When scoping out at a potential new address, be sure to check out maps that pinpoint grocery stores, cafes, salons and more to get the lay of the land.

3. Are you going for a quiet or lively environment?

You might love to hang out and party with friends in a certain bustling neighborhood every weekend, but you probably wouldn’t want to buy a home there. Although you might be drawn to the most happening areas, you might find out the locales don’t exactly match your priorities or noise-level preference. Weigh the importance of having hot spots nearby with the importance of a good night’s sleep.

4. Do you want to have friends nearby?

Whether your best pals already are in the neighborhood or you want to chum it up with your new neighbors, you should take into account the kind of social life you hope to have in your new home base. Think about how your new home is situated. If you’re on a cul-de-sac or across the courtyard from another neighbor, there’s going to be some required chit-chat.

5. Does it seem like a place where you’d want to live?

Once you’ve done your due diligence, visit your potential neighborhood during different hours of the day to get a real sense of it and to check and ensure that all of the boxes are checked on your must-have list. Then trust your instinct. If a neighborhood just feels right, it probably is. Likewise, if anything gives you pause—hit the pause button. It may be time to try and reach out to residents or real estate agents who actually live there to get a first-hand perspective of what everyday life is like, or it may be time to move on to another area.