Sure, looking at houses online is certainly convenient, but are you really getting the whole picture?

Not so much.

Viewing a home online is so much different than seeing it up-close and in person. You might like the pictures, but once you see the neighborhood, smell the basement and see the condition of the floors or carpet, there’s a chance your “dream home” is not what you thought it was. That’s why it’s also recommend going to an open house or viewing of the home before you get too excited about purchasing it.

Once you find a home you like, see when an open house is; then contact your real estate agent or the listing agent to set up a time to tour the home. After all, you can’t see every nook and cranny from your computer screen!

In addition to the look and feel of the home, here are several other reasons you should go visit a home before you put a bid in.

1)      Pictures can easily be manipulated. For example, a proficient photographer can make a diminutive room seem much larger based on the angles they photograph the room from. So while you may picture where you’ll put your couch, television set, coffee table and other fixtures in a particular room, the reality is they may not even all fit.

2)      An open house will allow you to hear the opinions of other homebuyers. As the old adage goes, “two sets of eyes is better than one.” Simply keeping your ears to the ground while others are touring could provide you with valuable information when gallivanting through the home, as they could point out things (good and bad) you did not notice.

3)      You can ask questions directly to the seller.

4)      You can take a real estate agent with you and he or she will provide you with an expert opinion.

5)      Even if you end up not being interested in that particular home, attending an open house could provide you with valuable information concerning the home buying process. For example, it may clarify what you’re looking for in a potential home, and what you want to avoid.

For more information regarding the home buying process, feel free to contact Alexis Hlady of Alexis Homes Info.

Post by Alexis Hlady