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The Pros and Cons of Self-Guided Property Tours

Couple Taking Self-Guided Property Tour in Laguna BeachIf you are looking for a new Laguna Beach rental home, you know those touring rentals are a significant aspect of finding that perfect fit. Yet, attempting to arrange showings with landlords can be a frustrating experience, especially in our busy lives. Advances in digital technology have given us listings with heaps of photos and even virtual walk-throughs, but even these tools sometimes aren’t sufficient to get a full sense of the property. Maybe this is why 83% of renters state that they prefer self-guided property tours over all other options. There are many advantages to self-guided rental home tours, but there are several drawbacks too. It’s necessary to consider both the pros and cons before choosing a self-guided tour during your Laguna Beach rental home search.

Pros

Self-guided tours are preferable for many renters because of the benefits they offer people with busy schedules. In contrast to a traditional tour, where you will request to arrange to meet a landlord or rental agent at the property, self-guided property tours are organized so that you can access the property at your convenience. You request a convenient time slot, get an access code, and afterward go to the property when you’re ready. When you’ve got a time slot, another advantage is that you don’t stress over other applicants showing up while you’re there. Due to security reasons, self-guided tours are never double-booked, which guarantees you won’t have uncomfortable encounters with people against whom you might end up competing for the same rental house.

When you are at the property, numerous renters like the way that you are free to explore the rental home without a landlord or rental agent looking over your shoulder. There is no reason to feel pressed for time or to hide your honest reaction to the property should you not like it. Additionally, a few renters appreciate not having someone there trying to ask revealing questions or cause them to feel like they have to decide on the spot. Few individuals want to be rushed into decisions, especially not ones as big as where you will be living for the next few months or years.

Cons

Self-guided property tours accompany a couple of disadvantages also. Before you are given access to a property, the odds are that the leasing office will initially ask you to complete an application or a quick screening check. If you don’t pass these checks, there is little hope of ever stepping foot in the front door. You will not even know why you are denied unless the landlord or leasing agent is willing to speak to you about it.

An additional potential drawback to self-guided rental house tours is that you cannot ask questions while going through the property. Although you can still text or email someone about it afterward, you may have questions during the tour that you forget to ask later. You may likewise miss out on learning a lot of helpful information about the neighborhood, nearby amenities, and so on. These are important information that a professional landlord or leasing agent should disclose to you when you view a property. Since you don’t have any professionals with you, you may not know about these things until much later in your search process, if at all.

Finally, it is up to you to decide which type of property tour works for you. Although both traditional and self-guided tours each have their pros and cons, you can still utilize them to your advantage until you locate your next Laguna Beach rental home. If you’re on the search for a new place to live, contact us to see what properties we have available today.

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