Let’s face it: we live in a world where most people start their Columbus home search online. This means that the first impression that most buyers will have of a property is the photos that are posted in various online portals and Columbus Regional Multiple Listing Service. As an Exclusive Buyer’s Broker in the area, it’s part of my duty to help my clients use these photos as a starting point in addition to reading the descriptions and commentaries of a listing. It’s easy to get fooled by camera angles and pristine staging, but if you take a closer look at each picture, you’ll notice that there are some properties that may not work for you.

Remember: look through each property’s photos with a critical eye and try and see past certain optical illusions. Here are a few things that you should search for and look past as you begin your quest for the perfect Columbus home:

If the photos that are posted online are less than stellar, be cautious! Remember, the listing seller’s agents showcase the best possible pictures of each one of their listings. The ones you see online usually are the best features of that home. If the images on the internet are bad, just imagine what you aren’t seeing. Chances are it could be much worse in person.

You should also be wary of listings that show only photographs of the outside. It makes you wonder what’s so wrong with the inside that the listing seller’s agent couldn’t show photos of it. Whether it’s hoarding or severe repairs need to be made; only seeing exterior photos should present a red flag.

If there are photos of the interior, make sure that you look carefully for signs of neglect. Anything from an overflowing ashtray to peeling paint to cluttered surfaces indicates that the home has not been well taken care-of throughout the years. Not that it’s a bad thing for a home to have a bit of clutter, but remember: listing photos are designed to make the most positive first impression possible, meaning that this could be the home at its cleanest.

You also want to be on the lookout for homes that are over-staged. Stagers position furniture and photograph the home in order to show the most potential and space possible. You need to look past the pristine staging and décor and focus on whether or not the home’s layout and space will work well with your furniture and lifestyle. You should also look at where windows are situated and ascertain how much natural light you’ll get and what kind of views that you’ll have. There are some elements that may not work well for what you want.

As an Exclusive Buyer’s Broker in the Columbus, OH area, I do feel that it’s important to guide my Buyer-Clients in the right direction during their home search. Part of that is knowing how to read between the lines during the initial internet search. If you can look at photos accurately and critically, it will save you a lot of time and prevent you from looking at properties that could be problematic for what you want.

Feel free to contact me or download our free e-book for savvy home buyers if you have any questions about buying a home in Columbus. I hope to hear from you soon!

Andrew Show
Broker, CEBA, CEBA-M, CNE, CSP, ABR-M, e-PRO, GREEN
Buyer’s Resource Realty Services
Serving Metro Columbus, Ohio with Exclusive Buyer’s Agents
7100 North High Street, Suite 204, Worthington, Ohio 43085
614-888-4110 | 888-888-4110 Toll Free | 614-839-4110 Fax
www.BuyersHome.com

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