Website of the UK government

Finding information before you move

You can find out a lot about a new area to help you decide whether you want to move there or not. The following links will help you find out more.

Local council websites

You can find out a lot about an area by visiting the local council website. Some of the information you can find out includes:

• future planning developments
  
• council tax bands and charges
• local jobs and careers information
  
• school admission information
  
• local parks and recreation areas
  
• sports facilities
  
• arts and leisure events and facilities
  
• facilities for young people
  

• Find your local council website

House prices

To get an idea of the average house prices in England and Wales, check the House Price Index on the Land Registry website. The index gives detailed house price information going back to January 1995. You can search by postcode, area of the country, or by council. The website also enables you to look at house prices by type of property; maisonette or flat, terraced, semi-detached and detached.

• Land Registry property prices Opens new window

Job prospects

You can use the Jobcentre Plus job and skills search to look for a job, training, career information, voluntary work and childcare provision anywhere in the UK.

• Find a job now

Schools and childcare information

If you have children, you can find out about primary and secondary schools, childcare, nurseries, Sure Start Children's Centres and out-of-school care in an area. You can also find a school’s contact details, performance results, and reports from the Office for Standards in Educations (Ofsted).

• Find schools, childcare services and Sure Start Children's Centres

Statistics about your neighbourhood

Visit the Office for National Statistics website to look at statistics about the local area and maps on a wide range of subjects. The site also gives neighbourhood summaries that compare figures for a specific area to figures for the local council and the rest of the country. Several subjects are covered including health, crime housing and the environment.

• Neighbourhood Statistics Opens new window

Road transport

If you want to find out about the main road network and future road developments across England, visit the Highways Agency website. For information on the road network in Wales, visit the Welsh Assembly website. Transport Scotland is the organisation that looks after the main road network in Scotland.

• Highways Agency Opens new window

• Transport Wales - road information Opens new window

• Transport Scotland - road information Opens new window

The environment

You can find out about the environment of an area from the Environment Agency. The website includes information on pollution levels and whether an area is at risk of flooding.

• Environment Agency local environment information Opens new window

Moving abroad

If you are thinking about leaving the country, you can use Directgov's section on Britons living abroad to help you plan your move.

• Britons living abroad