Online House Hunting Tips
While searching for your dream home online isn’t a new form of house hunting, knowing how to effectively search is especially crucial during this new age of Coronavirus. It may seem as simple as searching in your area and price range, but we have a few tips to help you narrow in on finding your dream home more efficiently. Keep reading to get our tips and start searching!
1. Identify your needs vs. wants
There’s no doubt that you have specific preferences for this large purchase, but you should take the time to assess and identify what is a need and what is more of a want. A listing may not have everything that you want, but it could have almost all of what you need. Be realistic about what you can afford and filter your search results by those must-have features that would be deal-breakers.
2. Stay up to date
When starting your search, make sure you’re looking at a website that pulls the most up-to-date listings. Many online resources don’t update as often as they should or fail to remove listings that aren’t on the market anymore. For example, Zillow could have a home still listed as active and available, but we could be showing that the exact same listing is under contract. Instead, turn to a website like Points West Agency, where we invest in pulling the most up-to-date listings directly from the multiple listings service (MLS), where agents are actively posting their most recent listings and updates.
3. Pictures can be deceiving
A real estate photographer will capture a home at its best. This is done with a few different strategies, from props and lighting to even using a wide-angle or fisheye lens to make a space look larger. What they don’t do, is show the most unappealing parts of the property, like the unfinished half-bath or the smallest closet. Keep in mind that these pictures are meant to make you fall in love and that there may be something being hidden from you online. Our next tip tells you how to make sure you see the property in full.
4. See it to believe it
Seeing a home online vs. seeing it in-person are two very different experiences. You could find the home of your dreams online and think that it is gorgeous from the pictures, but you’ll never really know if it’s the right one until you’re physically inside. Call your real estate agent to schedule a showing and take that opportunity to really look at every little detail of the home. What wasn’t pictured? Is a room smaller than the pictures made it feel? Look at everything that was and wasn't pictured to help you make a more informed decision.
5. Hire a Points West real estate agent
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, hiring a real estate agent is the best decision you can make in your home buying process. Our agents are equipped with the best resources and knowledge to help you with your house-hunting journey, both online and in person. We’ll be there with you every step of the way, searching, negotiating and supporting your every need.
Ready to get started today? Visit our Contact Us page or give us a call at (817) 717-6036 to get the process started.
Sources:
https://www.breakthroughbroker.com/top_tips_for_house_hunting_online#.X1p4QpNKjlw
https://monticellocountryrealtors.com/4-tips-to-successful-online-house-hunting/
Post a Comment