We’ve all done it… driven by the outside of a house to determine whether we like it or not. More often than not, we don’t (and we just know we wouldn’t like the inside, or the property as a whole, even if we did walk through it)— and we know that just by driving by! LOL
I’ve never kept tracked, but I’ll bet far more people talk themselves out of walking through a house, than get excited and say, “I can’t wait to see what the inside looks like!”
If you thinkaboutit, that makes little sense. You know, over the years I’ve developed a couple thoughts about the “drive by”…
First, don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great house hunting tool- especially if you’re unfamiliar with a neighborhood, or not sure about the exact location. Although with the use of Google Maps and the Birds Eye View map function on the MIBOR.com website, you can pretty much determine if a house is located next to a factory or interstate (all in the comfort of your own home, with an adult beverage in hand, and in less time than it takes to back your car out of the driveway). Just sayin’! On the other hand, getting to know a new neighborhood is of great value, and for that reason alone I encourage people to drive by a house they think they might have interest in. If you pay attention while driving to and from, and maybe even drive around a few of the local streets, you can get a good feel for whether the houses and yards are taken care of, whether there is a large percentage of rental properties or foreclosures in the neighborhood, and how convenient it is to places like schools, church, the grocery store and transportation routes. Yes, for all of that, the drive by is a godsend!
On the other hand, driving by a particular house tells you very little beyond what you can learn from looking at Google Maps or driving around the neighborhood. (I’m assuming, of course, that the front yard is not overgrown with weeds or the front of the house doesn’t have paint peeling off in big globs.) I say that because if the neighborhood works for you, and the house is not next to a factory bellowing smoke, then irregardless of the front of the house, you owe it to yourself to take a look at the inside IF the inside has the stuff on your “must have list.” Thinkabout it… you spend over 90% of your time inside your home, and 90% of the rest of your time in the back yard (or more specifically on your back deck). I know this to be true. You see, I’m an outside guy. I grill out all the time- even in winter. I have a fire pit and use it. I come home from work, grab a cold one and head to the back deck (even when a sweat shirt is needed). And over the years, I’ve had that time largely to myself. I just haven’t seen many neighbors out doing the same. (And it hasn’t mattered what town or state I lived in, or what price home for that matter.) It’s a fact, most people spend almost all of their time inside their house. Most of the rest they spend on their back deck. About the only time 90+% of the people are in their front yard is to mow it. About the only time they spend looking at the front of the house, is when they drive into their garage. So, making a decision about a house’s worthiness as a home by driving by it just doesn’t make good sense.
You mostly live inside your home. PERIOD. So, do yourself a favor. Use the drive by only to rule out neighborhoods and houses in proximity to factories, interstates and the like. Make it a habit to find reasons to look inside of houses that are on the market. You’ll learn more about what you like and don’t, about how much house you can get for your dollar, what constitutes a good deal… and you’ll discover many more great home options to choose from!
STOP LOOKING & START FINDING!!!
Call me… “I work harder to make good things happen!”
