Stop Scrolling and Start Viewing – The Secret to Finding the Perfect Home

If you’re looking for a place to live by ONLY looking online, you may be going about it the wrong way. Let’s explain ….

Don’t get us wrong. We love scrolling on our phones as much as anyone else. It’s the perfect way to get ideas for a snazzy new outfit, discover a pointless new health trend or seek out where’s good to go on our hols this year.

But we need to be brutally honest: Scrolling on your phone or computer isn’t the greatest way to find a place to live.

A recent report* from a buying agency explains it well:

‘House buyers’ obsession with online property portals is undermining their chances of securing the right home.

Despite homebuyers spending an average of six hours a week scrolling through property websites, many fail to complete even a single in-person viewing.

‘The result is distorted expectations, missed opportunities and prolonged, frustrating searches.’

The report added: ‘People think they’ve been looking for a year, but when you ask how many houses they’ve physically seen, the answer is often none. They’re destined to be always searching, scrolling, but never finding.’

We’re pretty sure this applies to finding a rental home, too. But probably not as much, as tenants need to find homes more quickly than buyers do, in our experience.

What’s wrong with house hunting online

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to tell what a home is really like by looking at photos, a floor plan, and a written blurb.

Photos can’t show you the room sizes (in fairness, floor plans give you an idea), or the home’s neat little features, what the neighbourhood is like or how lovely the garden is on a sunny day.

You can only get a real feel for a home by standing in it.

It’s often said that most people know a home is right for them within the first few minutes of walking through the door. You can’t duplicate that online.

Not all homes find their way to the online portals either. They get snapped up first by the people who go and view them.

Also, your interest in a property is likely to be taken much more seriously when you’ve actually seen it.

So, what do we suggest?

We hope you don’t mind, but honesty is the best policy in our view.

So with that said, we need to offer you a bit of tough love.

Put your phone down.

Arise from your derrière. (Pardon our French. We’re too polite to put what that really means.)

Go out, walk the walk, and physically view as many properties as you possibly can.

It really is the very best way to find out what’s right for you (and what’s not) and find a home you’ll love.

If you’re interested in any of the homes we have on our books, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’ll do everything we can to make your viewing experience as convenient and hassle-free as possible.

Estate Agency Done Ethically

We are proud members of the Ethical Agent Network (EAN).

A national group of independent agents who have been independently tested to ensure we meet strict standards of honesty, service, professionalism and community care.

To learn more about what we do, why we passed the EAN test, and why we are the only local agency in the network, contact us today.#AgentsYouCanTrust

* Source: Stacks Property Search