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Problem was it's a small yard and the covers where all over.. not like it was a big yard and the cover was hidden next to a bush or closer to the street. They were literally right next to the path walking up to the house taking up a large chunk of the yard.
OK but that's where septic tanks are. Near the house, not near the road or near bushes. They're not always exposed, but accessible lids save you from having to find and dig them up every several years. They can sometimes be made prettier with some cover landscaping or a flower pot
One picture I noticed on a lot of listings, including our own recently, was a beautiful outdoor shot at dusk with the most amazing sunset ever and warm inviting light showing through all the windows. We said wow how come it never looked like that when we lived there!? LOL
OK but that's where septic tanks are. Near the house, not near the road or near bushes. They're not always exposed, but accessible lids save you from having to find and dig them up every several years. They can sometimes be made prettier with some cover landscaping or a flower pot
Just letting you know what they likely were.
The fact that there were three of them makes me think they were the kind you need when you are right on water, and they are more specialized and more expensive. If you google lakefront septic systems, you will find what I am talking about, and it would be a good thing to have in the house before you bought it. Each manhole cover is a part of the large, three part tank system, which probably cleans the waste and does not require a large leachfield, or keeps the materials out of the lake, so that you can be in compliance with environmental standards.
One thing I commonly see is crap listing photos. Some done with a cell phone. My last realtor had a good digital camera plus he and another agent staged some photos, they shot over 100 pics and reviewed with me before listing. Heck, I wanted to stay.....LOL
Failing something like this, use a professional real estate photographer and stage some as in relocate/remove some stuff including furniture.
We do see both extremes... People who put too much work into photos, including work that shouldn't be done! And people putting too little work into them.
The fact that there were three of them makes me think they were the kind you need when you are right on water, and they are more specialized and more expensive. If you google lakefront septic systems, you will find what I am talking about, and it would be a good thing to have in the house before you bought it. Each manhole cover is a part of the large, three part tank system, which probably cleans the waste and does not require a large leachfield, or keeps the materials out of the lake, so that you can be in compliance with environmental standards.
It may well be a fancy system being on the lake on a small lot, but even our 1985-era-gravity septic system has three lids. Two large lids for the front and back chambers, and one small one for the inlet baffle.
LOL! I once drove more than 800 miles (round trip) to look at a house that had gorgeous pictures posted. When I got there, it was a dump. There was a brook running through the basement (yep, it really was a brook) and the house was falling over- it was tilted so badly that there was a 3" block under the front of the toilet to make it 'somewhat' level.
And then there was another one that the agent said "needs a little TLC"...when I got there I found out that 'TLC' meant 'Torch, Level, Clear'.
They say "a picture is worth a thousand words"...but it's no good when those thousand words are all lies. Yeah, pictures can lie.
LOL! I once drove more than 800 miles (round trip) to look at a house that had gorgeous pictures posted. When I got there, it was a dump. There was a brook running through the basement (yep, it really was a brook) and the house was falling over- it was tilted so badly that there was a 3" block under the front of the toilet to make it 'somewhat' level.
And then there was another one that the agent said "needs a little TLC"...when I got there I found out that 'TLC' meant 'Torch, Level, Clear'.
They say "a picture is worth a thousand words"...but it's no good when those thousand words are all lies. Yeah, pictures can lie.
Can you post links to any of these examples? I see a lot of pictures, and I admit I often can spot flaws in photos (ooh - mossy roof!) that some of my clients miss... And I have seen some bad photoshop work, like painting a lawn green when it's actually full of weeds.... And I've seen plenty where there are no inside pictures at all, which is usually a pretty good clue... but I've never seen a house that looks "gorgeous" in the pictures, that is, in fact, an absolute dump when we got there.
Maybe one, I wish I'd have saved, of a old single wide mobile with paneling, that was so over-HDRd I swear it looked like a hunting lodge for the rich and famous. But even looking at it, you had to know and be aware it's a 55 year old trailer... come on!
We’re looking for another property now and I don’t mind the wide-angle photos, since they make it easier to see things in context and get a better sense of layout. Thankfully, I’ve noticed more and more listings have floor plans now, and many of the ones I’ve been looking at use matterport. Videos are good too, as long as they’re not just pans of still photos set to music.
I don’t think anybody likes extreme wide angle views and stretched pictures so I don’t know why they are used. It is a violation in our MLS if you Photoshop out flaws or alter the images to hide defects. If you see that it should be reported.
It’s never a good idea for people to be disappointed when they actually come out to see the house. Sure you want pictures that make the place look good, but they have to still represent the actual house people are going to see when they get there or they’re not gonna do you any good.
Extreme wide angle produces an apparent distortion. No photoshop necessary, it's just geometry.
Now using "normal" lenses for interiors often means that you can get only a corner or partial view of the room. Best is something in between, wide-ish angle lens but not so wide as to look too strange.
Personally I don't really care if the copy or the photos promise too much...because then the consequence is a disappointed and possibly angry potential buyer. And a buyer who will be very skeptical of any other houses listed by the same agent.
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