How to choose a local area

Winchester has been crowned the best place to live according to a recent Channel 4 programme, with the ideal rural/urban balance and a mix of good schools and properties. But if you're not lucky enough to wield a SO22 postcode, or, even worse, live in Hackney, Tower Hamlets or Merthyr Tydfil, the verdict wasn't so complimentary.

Regional guides and top tens are all very well, but can you really trust them? All too often, pieces like this fall prey to gross generalisation and headline-seeking sensation. To find your perfect street and neighbourhood, you need to know what's going on at a local level. Check out our top tips on how to get the low-down, before taking the plunge and becoming a local yourself.

1. Look at local property trends
   Property prices and trends can differ from street to street and postcode to postcode, so look at what's going on at a micro level. Average house prices between April - June 2006 in Manchester, Channel 4's tenth worst place to live, ranged from £51,293 to £444,333. Find out what houses are selling for in a specific postcode with recent sale prices from the Land Registry and get the bigger picture with quarterly average property prices
2. Find out from the locals
   No one knows what's going on in a community more than the people who make it up, so find out what locals have to say about their street or town. Our editor says of Hackney - voted the worst place to live in the UK - that "While it is undoubtedly rough around the edges and probably not your nan's choice for a Sunday drive, there are great restaurants on Mare Street, a strong artistic community and ongoing development. A stone's throw from leafy London Fields with the popular Saturday market, hip Stoke Newington and fashionable Islington, the location is great, train services are decent and house prices are still affordable". Speak to local people on our forums, get an inside look into an area's schools with school performance figures and arm yourself with current crime statistics
3. Consider the big picture
   Decide what the most important thing about an area is to you, and what your long-term plan is. This will keep you focused. If you're looking for travel convenience and good pubs, Nottingham, Channel 4's seventh worst place to live, has been praised for its good public transport links and nightlife. If you're looking for short-term property investment, then properties in Channel 4's fifth worst place to live, Islington, sell quicker than in any other London borough according to Hometrack (around one-and-a-half weeks). Consider all factors before deciding on an area's suitability.
4. Hidden nasties
   Dig the dirt on the local area to uncover any nasty surprises. Check with the local council's planning department for details of planning permissions that have been granted to avoid the shock of a tower block sprouting up nearby. Council tax rates differ from council to council, so find out in advance how much council tax you'd be paying. Pick up a local newspaper and read local news stories for the latest issues affecting the area.
5. Hidden benefits
   Sometimes the best things about an area aren't obvious, so stay open-minded and look for the things that make an area special. Blaenau Gwent, Channel 4's ninth worst place to live, is made up of nearly 50% undeveloped countryside, and bottom-placed Hackney has the most green space of all London boroughs. Also, check out plans for redevelopment - this will give you an idea of what the area could be like a few years down the line. Channel 4's fourth worst place to live, Newham, will benefit from Olympic investment long after the games have finished and their sixth worst town, Middlesbrough, will enjoy growth due to the regeneration of its docklands.