Whether looking for a condo to buy or you are simply looking for another rental, one thing is for certain: it’s going to be time-consuming. Searching for property isn’t something that you can – or should – rush. However, with a few of these handy tips, you can certainly save yourself a lot of time and effort. Here’s everything you need to know…
1. Know precisely what you are looking for (and narrow the search).
The first one may seem a little obvious, but knowing what you want and what you don’t want will go a long way toward speeding things up.
When you know what you want, using the search function on any reputable property website will feel effortless (e.g., area, number of beds, price range, square footage, amenities, a balcony with screen doors, etc.).
2. Look at the floorplan first
It’s easy to get swept up in the beautiful photos of a property, but you must remember that property listing photos are taken in such a way that makes a space look bigger and more lavish. Before you ogle at the pics, view the floorplan and make sure that the condo appears to be optimised in a way that will suit your lifestyle.
3. Utilise the Google Maps Street View feature
If you are quite particular about where you want to live and the area surrounding your prospective condo, do a quick Google Maps Street View search. It’s better to have a quick look virtually first, rather than arrange a viewing only to be immediately put off by the area.
4. Throw out some requests on social media
Let’s say you’re looking for condos in Bangkok, Thailand. You can join the relevant Facebook groups and create a post listing all of the things you are looking for in a condo, such as the area and price range, for example. You will be bound to get some responses from various real estate agents with suitable condos to show you.
Be mindful though, as you will get a lot of messages and it’s not uncommon for people to completely ignore your requests and send you something way out of your budget. That said, if you are able to quickly sift through some links and know what to look for, you might find some golden nuggets!
5. Use a well-optimised and reputable website
You should be able to tell almost immediately as to whether or not a property finder website is going to be any good. If they don’t have a half-decent search filter tool, you’ll be wasting your time. You can search for condos at DD Property for some inspiration and a great example of a quality property site.
