When To Schedule A Walk Through And When To Skip It

Every home buyer encounters love at first sight when they are on the hunt to purchase a home. At least once you will find yourself drooling over pictures of what could be your future house. However, pictures can most certainly be misleading and your time is precious. So before you jump on the phone to schedule a walk through with your realtor, take a second look at those picture. Here are some specific home defects you can look for.

Spacing can be a giveaway

The most popular pictures for selling a home is using a wide scope. This has become a trend in the last few years. And while a wide scope can help give you the full picture of a room, it can also really misshape the space of the room. The house could seem much bigger than it actually is. This is when you encounter disappointment after taking the time to schedule a walk through.

Before you put the house on your calendar take another look through the photos. One way to check the spacing is by looking at items and the distance from one to another. For example, if you are looking at a wide scope picture of a kitchen then you can look at the distance between the appliances. Even in a wide scope photo this should be a pretty good giveaway of the actual space.

Look at the walls and ceilings

In most photos you will have walls in the backgrounds. Sometimes the photos will include the ceilings. Here you can check for any major cracks, discoloration or stains. I wouldn’t make any assumptions based on what you see, but if you do spot a major concern then it could be a dead giveaway.

In many cases, new paint will cover any discoloration that would elude to water damage or mold. You don’t need to worry because if there is any, we’ll find it in the home inspection.

Landscaping can also give you clues

You may be surprised at what you can find in the pictures around the home. Many people overlook clear signs of standing water, flooding or other damage. For example, you may see on the outside of the house a line of debris. This is usually an indication of high water. The house could have problems with drainage.

Also take a look at Google’s satellite image of the neighborhood. Do the neighbors take care of their lawns and homes? This is minor but could be an indication of the kind of neighborhood the house is situated in.

Don’t let pictures deceive you. These homes waste your time and energy when there are many homes you could fall in love with. However, don’t be afraid of any undiscovered concerns. By hiring the right home inspector, you have nothing to worry about.