When you plan to stay in your new home for years to come, you can buy just for yourself and ignore things that would otherwise make reselling the property difficult. However, if you know this home will be back on the market in a few years, you need to check different boxes on that list. Do you know you'll have to move on a tight schedule for work? That makes minding the view even more important.
A Room with a View (that you hate)
Not all homesites have the future view in mind and even those that do risk ruin by city planners adding new infrastructure to your area or new businesses opening. Here's what to avoid:
When you're looking at homes to purchase, make sure you check them out at a variety of times of the day. When possible, check the view from every window, both in the dark and during the day. Also, make sure you review the location on weekdays and weekends alike since the activity level of neighborhoods and businesses can change drastically.
I already bought it, what now?
Just because you didn’t consider the view when you purchased the property—or if the view has changed over the years—doesn't mean you're out of luck. You can adjust the landscape to your advantage, planting trees to add greenery while blocking a regrettable view. Be careful with power lines and trees though, planting trees that will cross over powerlines can increase maintenance costs on the property and could get you into trouble with the city or utility provider. You can even offset the sounds railroad tracks and local businesses by swapping out your windows with ones that are more sound-insulating. Or try investing in sound-proofing paints which have the added benefit of being more temperature insulating as well.
Let your real estate professional know if you plan to resell the home on a tight schedule so they can help you find the best resale property in your market.