With the availability of the Internet, it is possible to see what a house looks like without actually going to the property. The home listings online will normally include lots of photos of the outside and inside of houses. As you are sitting in front of your computer, you can look at what each room of a house looks like. Because they are able to see what a house looks like on the Internet, some people don’t bother to even look at the house in person. Virtual tours also make this possible. Whether they’re busy with work or do not want to drive far, they find it more convenient to just see what the houses look like in photos.
The truth is that you should never buy a house without seeing it first in person. Looking at a few photos of a house online can only tell you so much about the property. There are other aspects of the house that you can’t see in photos. Here are four reasons why you should not buy a house without seeing it first.
A Photo Won’t Show What the Neighborhood Looks Like
It is important to purchase a house that’s located in a nice neighborhood so that you feel comfortable and safe. If you just look at a photo of house on the Internet, you won’t be able to tell if it is in a good neighborhood or not. That is why it is so important to drive around the neighborhood the house is located in. Pay attention to what the homes around it look like and if the sidewalks and buildings are kept up nicely.
A Photo Might Not Show Damages in the Home
If you just look at a photo of a house, you won’t be able to tell if there are any damages to the outside or inside. It is crucial to look at the house in person to evaluate its condition. For example, make sure to check out the ceiling and look for cracks in the drywall. Also, look at the roof, gutters and downspouts when you are outside of the home.
A Photo Won’t Show All the Amenities
When you look at photos of a house, you won’t be able to see all of the amenities it offers. You have to see the house in person to see the features in detail. For example, you won’t be able to tell from a photo if a house has central air conditioning or not.
A Photo Won’t Show the Quality of Kitchen Cabinets, Floors and Other Features
The inside of a home might look very nice in a photo, but it could be a different story in person. For example, the quality of the kitchen cabinets, cupboards and flooring can be very old and in need of repair.
If you are planning on buying a home, make sure to check it out in person first. For those travelling to moving to another country and have someone trust worthy to help you scope out the house buy before you see a house can be tempting; but it’s generally not worth the risk because if you don’t like the house you could end up selling it for a loss.
I agree with this. It is natural for someone who is selling the house to post the photos that will put the house in the best light and prevent the potential buyer from seeing if the house needs repairs, such as in the plumbing, lighting and others. Personally, I also find it difficult to estimate the size of the space if I only look at pictures. Sure, the owner or agent can give me the measurement but I want to know how the space was used such as the size given to the bedroom, or if the stairs and windows are placed in a way that I would lose the use of one wall. Visiting the house will also mean visiting the neighborhood so I will be able to see the environment where the house is.
For a family home, always go through the house at least once. Bring someone with you, and walk through the neighborhood. If any neighbors are out in their yards, you ought to talk to them, and hear what they have to say!
Not buying a house without seeing it should be obvious, i would never trust anything posted on the internet even if i had the chance to see the house before buying it.
I may sound crazy, but I can honestly say that I would have absolutely no problem letting my mother-in-law and my realtor purchase a house for my family sight unseen by us. These two people know exactly what our family is accustomed to. They also know what we like and dislike about the last 3 homes we’ve owned. Between the two of them, they could accurately judge whether or not the neighborhood would be a good fit, and they’d keep us within our budget. They are also “fine-tooth-comb” people who always read the fine print, so I have no worries about the inspections or paperwork not being correct. So yes, I do believe if you have a good relationship with your realtor, and there’s someone else available whose judgement you trust, you can safely purchase a home without seeing it.
Definitely not. I would be very meticulous in looking for a home. A photo does not show a 3D image of the house. You need to inspect all aspects and facilities. Plus, you need to have that gut feel or instinct that you feel comfortable with the house.
Ha, the only kind of house I would buy without seeing, is a log cabin that I am having somebody build for me. Hopefully they will know how to put it together well enough to make me happy.
I have browsed houses online without actually seeing them, and sometimes the things they show are quite scary, so it makes me think they might be hiding some horrific scenery if they are offering bad photos up as a means to sell the place off.
LOL your comment reminded me of a viewing which i had with clients in Kingston before i moved to the GTA.
I actually was showing a log cabin an hour north of the city on a back lake! The description on MLS lead us to believe that it was fantastic!! NOT!!!!
I called the agent from the house and asked her “what the heck” she was thinking with such a misrepresenation???
Her respone was “the log cabin being so far north of the city would not get any viewings otherwise!!”
Really!!!! ;-(
Wow! That is a perfect example of why you need to view the property!
I didn’t even know people considered buying homes without seeing them first…
williamtaylor, what a horrible thing for her to do! I would have been very upset. As for the article, I have known people to buy land sight-unseen, but never a house. That just has ‘bad’ written all over it.
LOL do you think …. my clients were not too impressed either!!
I almost bought without seeing. Almost. It was a foreclosure and I lived in another country, a two day drive away.
In the end, I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t spend that kind of money without seeing the place first.
But I will say that my agent was great and sent me pictures of all the things that were wrong with the house too. Still, there was no way to feel if the place was right for me except by taking the 2-day drive and having a look-see.
This is definitely true. If even try to buy a home, you haven’t viewed in person, you will set yourself up for major issues. Another thing pictures online won’t tell you, is if there are any rodents or roaches in the home. Yikes!
Wow
It must be really sad to be stuck with a house you bought online without ever seeing it first. I don’t understand why someone could ever make this mistake like buying a house is not like ordering a new computer or something like that its something you your going to be stuck with for a long time.
I could never consider purchasing a home, or anything for that matter without seeing it for myself and having the proper inspections competed.
Great article to read, especially given the fact that my family wants to buy a house soon. I’m sure my father will look now at least twice before buying a house online.
- Andrei
Seeing the home in photos or video will not let you know what the house next door looks like. The roof on the house being considered, could be crumbling or something. Any number of things could be wrong. The rooms could be smaller than you want. I could never purchase a home sight unseen. Too risky.
It good for some people that dont have experience buying house without seeing it. I have experience about this, basically i look that place too, if that place looks good to me, i will buy it .
Great article. I have personally never even considered buying a home without seeing it first. This would be like buying a secondhand car online, you might just end up with a wreck that endangers your life.
As I previously stated, it is just too risky to purchase a home, sight unseen. The neighborhood could be moving toward the downhill side, with a shack next to the home. You always need the full picture, not just the interior of the house or the yard outside. It could be like throwing good money after bad.
I think that any one who doesn’t look at a house they might buy is crazy. You have got to se first hand what your getting. Of course pics might be nice to see but you never what they are not showing you. Trust me i’ve seen places look spectacular online and when i see it in person it disappoints me big time
The answer is clearly no. Buying it only by listening to someone’s word or seeing some pictures is a pretty bad idea to do. Even if the home that you see on the picture is the one that they’re selling you, in the interior it can be completely ravaged. I am not sure about you but I’d never do this.
I’m sure there are instances where this has worked out for the buyer, but it is a huge risk. Less so for an investor because they don’t plan to live in the house and already expect to do some work.
I thought of a way that someone would have no problem purchasing a house, sight unseen. If they, as someone else commented were an investor and the house was priced so low, that their investment in the house and the cost to do any repairs so they could flip it, was worth the money, as an eventual return on investment, would be substantial.
You are right but be sure your “someone” is market savvy!!
The thought of buying a home without actually going to check it out is terrifying to me. That’s way too big of a commitment to make based on photos alone!
I would never dream off buying a house without seeing it. I have heard about people buying houses just by looking at pictures of the house! Pictures can always be edited to hide up cracks on the walls and that’s just one example. If you still think you can buy a house without seeing it first then you are opening yourself up for all sorts of problems. Only the other day there was an article in the Daily Mail a women called Sue Diamond who bought a six bedroom house for just £154,500 at auction by telephone, she never saw it first. Guess what happened three years later? The house fell into the sea! The house was so close to the cliff edge, if she had seen it first she would never have bought it.
I wouldn’t dream of it. Photos just can’t tell the story. I once almost bought a home that I didn’t see in person – they had great VIDEO of the entire premises and neighborhood. It made it easy to really get a feel for the property and gave us a lot more than photos would. Still, it just wasn’t quite enough for me but I could see it working for others.
You should never buy a house without seeing it.This is too negligant and you can suffer from serious losses as a result of that.
This is too negligant and you can suffer from serious losses as a result of that.
I would never buy a house like that. Much, much too risky. It’s one thing to do this with a rental — in fact, I have rented a couple of apartments and a house that way, for temporary job relocation — as, obviously, there is not the same level of financial commitment. But a house, unthinkable! As others have pointed out, you can’t really know the true condition of the house and property.
If someone I trusted–and knew what I wanted–did an onsite inspection, I might think of it. But without some validation process like that? No.