Sample article for the demo
How to read a property listing
What the short lines on a listing card mean, and what they leave out.
A listing compresses a whole property into a few lines. Knowing what each line means, and what it does not say, saves you wasted trips.
The price line
A price may be a total, a monthly rent, or a rate for land such as per acre or per point. Read the unit before you compare two places. A plot at one price per acre and a house at a total price are not the same kind of number.
Size
Built-up size is the space inside the walls. Land size is the plot it stands on. A listing may give one, both or neither. If only one number appears, ask which it is.
Furnishing
“Fully furnished” and “partly furnished” are not precise terms. One owner’s “partly” is another’s “empty with curtains”. Ask for a list.
What a listing cannot tell you
Photos show a place at its best, on its best day. They do not show the road outside at rush hour, the afternoon sun on the west-facing rooms, or how the neighbours park. That is what a viewing is for.
A good habit
Shortlist more than you think you need. Three viewings in one afternoon teach you more about what you want than three weeks of scrolling.