It has become, for renters and buyers, so much easier to armchair shop on the internet for their next place to call home. On the other hand it has become very simple to post very enticing, appealing, and good looking pictures to make pretty much any home look good.
Some of us, who have to transfer from one state to another, might be very tempted to be enticed by the pretty pictures and make the call to the listing agent, and either purchase or rent a home “site unseen” just based on the information and pictures that are presented to us on the internet.
Here is why it is not a very good idea.
- Agent who listed the home is representing their client
The agent who has posted the home for rent or sale is representing the seller or landlord and not you as the buyer or potential tenant. Sure they have to treat the buyer or potential tenant honestly but they do not have to lookout for the buyers or tenants interest.
The bottom line is that when you are looking to purchase or rent a home, call another agent to help you through the process. They will most likely represent you better than the owner’s agent.
- Internet still does not have smellevision
There are so many ways you can make a property look good on the internet and pictures are many times truly not presenting the entire picture of a home or neighborhood. I cannot tell you how many times I saw a home that looked great online, but as soon you opened the front door you had to take a step back because there was some foul odor greeting you as soon as you entered the property.
Unless you yourself or have your personal representative check out the property in person you won’t know if it stinks or not.
- Pictures only show what someone would like for you to see
Many times when you see interior property pictures on the internet you only will see what the listing agent, seller, or landlord is willing to show you. Naturally they will not show you the areas that might have potential issues.
Surprisingly, unless you make a personal visit to the property, you might not see the damage on the wall, stained carpet, missing fixtures, or just an all over dirty interior appearance of the home.
You might find out during the interior preview of the house that the last tenant or owner had pets, and if you are highly allergic to certain type of animals you would certainly want to know that prior to purchasing the property.
When you have to move to an area you are not familiar with, the best thing to do is to contact a local real estate professional who is familiar with the area to guide you. It is best not to use the listing agent of the property you are interested in. Keep in mind the agent who has posted the home for rent or sale is representing the seller or landlord and NOT you. They have to treat you honestly, but they do not have to tell you every little detail they know unless you ask.
So never rent or purchase your personal residence sight unseen because you might find surprises you were not anticipating to have to deal with and would not have made the deal if you had known.
When you have questions about relocation just give the Settles Team a call. We are here to help you and answer any question you might have.