"As the crow flies" is a handy cliché when you measure the distance between destinations by drawing a straight line on a map. But in the real world, roads twist and turn around landmarks and lakes, bottlenecks get in the way of forward momentum, and a trip from point A to point B can end up taking much longer than a line drawn along a ruler indicates. I’ve known new home buyers to forget all about that when they choose a new area to live in. They glance at the map, estimate distance quickly, and end up with a far longer commute than they expected.

If you’re looking at buying a new home in an area that’s new to you, consider commuting distance and time in your purchase decision. You might be surprised; a drive from somewhere like Markham or Aurora to Toronto may take less time than commuting from two points within the city.

If you’ve zeroed in on a new community, actually drive your potential commute both ways, in rush hour and at a non-peak times. If it’s longer than you’d like, you may want to consider a different location. If you really want to live in that particular community, maybe you need to look at commuting in a new way. Explore the possibility of flex hours with your employer so you can leave before rush hour begins and return home before the afternoon flood of traffic. Perhaps you can work part of your week from home. And more suburban commuters are choosing to drive to a GO Station, then take public transit to work.

The trend today is toward lessening the use of vehicles. If you have to drive from your new home location to work, remember that commuting in a fuel-efficient vehicle is one way to compromise. So is car pooling, which can qualify you for using the high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

Another consideration is which direction your commute will take you. Driving east in the morning and west in the late afternoon means you’ll have the sun in your eyes for your entire time.

You need to look at all the possibilities and evaluate what’s important to you. Knowing where you stand can help you make a more educated decision. When crows fly, they can soar above obstacles and get from one place to another in a fairly straight line. Do your homework about commuting from the new home you’re thinking of, so you don’t end up eating crow.

Hugh Heron is Principal and Partner in the Heron Group of Companies, President of Heathwood Homes and a Member of the Board of Directors of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, as well as a Past President of the Toronto Home Builders’ Association and the Ontario Home Builders’ Association.