The Hedingham Neighborhood: People Live Here

When you're shopping for a home, it's only natural to wonder about the people who already live in the neighborhood you're considering. So, what kind of people live in Hedingham?

All kinds. I know, that's a terrible response. But, it's true. Think about it. Given the variety of house prices and types in this East Raleigh community, it should come as no surprise that a variety of personalities inhabit these homes. I'll refer you to the City-Data.com detailed neighborhood profile for Hedingham Village again. There are plenty of two-year old statistics on there for you to read. Just keep in mind that the profile only pertains to one part of Hedingham.

Another aspect of Hedingham's social structure relates to the neighborhood layout. In my humble opinion, you have to consider the lot size, and how close together the houses are to each other, when you're thinking about your neighbors. As you drive around the neighborhood, you'll see that many of the homes are fairly close together. This is nothing unique. Plenty of similar Raleigh neighborhoods (none as nicely located as Hedingham, though) have houses this close to each other.

Moreover, many of the lots in Hedingham are on the small side, as in less than 0.2 acre. Historically, the standard lot size in most neighborhoods on the East coast has been around 0.25 acre or more. It wasn't until the later part of the 20th century that subdivisions like Hedingham began popping up with homes so close together. In the northern cities, it is not at all uncommon to live in a house that's less than a couple of yards away from your neighbor's house. But, that's because space is at a premium there. Down in the south, there's so much undeveloped land, it is a little more startling to see homes in such close proximity to each other. So, if you need a spacious yard, you'll need to be patient if you're shopping for a home in Hedingham. And, with the relative lack of distance between neighbors in Hedingham, residents must learn to be very tolerant of the people living around them. It's a good lesson to learn, in my opinion.

The overall affordability and convenient location make Hedingham a great place for first-time home buyers to get their start. That being the case, Hedingham has a large proportion of transient residents. Those first-time buyers stay here for a few years and move on to a something bigger, something further away from town, something with a bigger yard, etc. In contrast, the retirees and more established families help solidify the community here. They care about the appearance of their yards and the rules established by the HOA. These two groups, the, the semi-transient residents and the established ones, achieve a rather nice balance in Hedingham's social composition.

So, as you're driving these streets, shopping for your potential home, ask yourself whether the neighbors are the kinds you can tolerate. Observe whether you'll be moving onto a street where you'll be able to maintain your home and yard at the same pace as the people already living there. And, if nothing else, ask yourself whether the yard is big enough for your needs.