Picture Imperfect: Don’t Let Photos Limit Your Choices
by Alex Wang on Jul 08, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Home photos can deceive. Depending on the photography, great houses can seem ho-hum and ho-hum houses can seem great.
And though professionally-photographed homes on real estate sites aim to woo you, don’t allow oh-ah photography to limit your choices. By ruling out a house just because it’s less photogenic than the competition, you may lose out on some truly terrific finds.
For instance, a client relocating from Canada was living in corporate housing while he searched for homes, and he’d been sending web links to his wife to preview properties.
It seemed like they’d found the right house. The photos were knock-outs and really showcased the property well. Before the wife arrived, I prepared a contract so we could put in an offer right after she saw it. But the property didn’t show well. The sellers hadn’t staged it and the home wasn’t in top shape.
I recommended that we take a look at some other comparable houses that she’d seen online. Its images weren’t heart-stopping, nor did they do the home justice. They didn’t, for instance, help people to envision the space and layout.
But when the client saw the property, she loved it. For one thing, it featured 400 square feet more than the first house she’d seen. The extra square footage was ideal because the couple had two children. We ended up writing an offer on this second, larger house.
Had the client automatically eliminated this home because of iffy pictures or I, as their agent, had discouraged her from even visiting it, the family would have lost out on a spacious property that turned out to be ideal.
As you’re choosing properties to visit, do weigh the images in your decision-making process, but don’t make them the sole criteria. And be sure the agent you’re working with is open to showing you homes that may not feature the most striking photos.
Sellers’ tip: Buyers do place a premium on good photos. Sometimes you won’t get an opportunity to make a second impression, so be sure those first images wow viewers.
Related: Choosing a Home Inspector in Silicon Valley
Categories: Home Buyers
There are some great pictures of Silicon Valley homes here as well. http://www.chdmag.com/ These guys pride themselves on their curb shots as well as detailed interior shots, I did some work with them earlier in the year.
Thanks Teddy for the rec, I’ll check them out.