Buying a property is one of the most critical decisions in someone’s life, and a site visit often plays a crucial role in helping take an informed decision. Project brochures and listings can provide an overall perspective of the property, but it’s difficult to get the total picture and the real feel.
When you visit the site in person and inspect the property’s actual condition first-hand, you can verify the accuracy and authenticity of the information provided in the marketing vehicles, while getting a feel of the surroundings, including progress, quality and potential issues.
Why are site visits important?
- Gives a real sense of space and layout: Digital images don’t always convey the real size or layout of the rooms and their spatial orientation within the house/apartment. Only when you visit the property in person do you get a first-hand experience of the dimensions and flow. This sense of space enables you to visualize where and how you will place your furniture and household gadgets and do your interiors. Sometimes, you can even suggest some minor alteration here and there.
- You can check construction quality: Promotional pictures often focus on the property’s prized features. However, a visit to the site can give you a realistic idea of the construction quality. You can find out for yourself the quality of materials used, like tiles, woodwork and paint, while checking for any visible cracks or uneven floors, etc. In case of an under-construction property, you get a proper idea about the quality of materials being used, and whether you find that satisfactory.
- You can appraise the surroundings: The character of your neighbourhood and the ambient atmosphere play a crucial role in shaping your quality of life. Keeping that in mind, a site visit helps you to sus out the area and do a first-hand check on the adjacent facilities, proximity to schools and colleges, hospitals and shopping centres, parks and playgrounds, and much more.
- You can evaluate natural light and ventilation: You would always want adequate natural light and good ventilation in your home. When you visit the site, you can find out for yourself how much sunlight each of the rooms receive during the day and how good the fresh-air circulation is. These are essential for assessing the indoor atmosphere quality, so essential for your family’s health. Without a site visit, you might overlook a dark and poorly-lit room.
- You can chat with neighbours: A chat with your would-be neighbours can reveal a lot about the property itself and its surroundings. You can get valuable information on the immediate community, facilities at the property, even prickly issues like waterlogging, noise levels and traffic density, future development plans, etc. Such informal discussions can give you a real insight into the property’s actual character, thus enabling you to make an informed choice.
- You can spot future issues: Very often, brochures or other marketing tools might not warn you against molds, damage from water, plumbing defects or maybe poor drainage in the locality, leading to frequent waterlogging. If you spot any of these potential issues, you can be on your guard and reconsider your decision. You can also perhaps renegotiate the price based on estimated repair costs.
