What is Google Maps street view doing to your property value?

You know how sometimes you constantly hear about something on the Internet and you just keep forgetting to check it out for yourself? That was Google Maps Street View for me. I’d heard so many people talk about how they loved it, hated it, drove around for hours trying to get caught on camera… but I just kept forgetting to take a look for myself.

I actually think it’s pretty cool, despite people’s various privacy-related issues with it. I mean really, it’s no different than walking by a place yourself, except that you don’t have to leave your chair (no wonder we’re all getting so chubby, eh?) .

So yesterday I finally remembered to take a look when someone at work mentioned that the Google Maps crew had been spotted taking pictures in Oslo. Side note: I was quite surprised to find out that Mount Gambier, South Australia had already been done, but Oslo hadn’t. What’s that about?

I, of course, had to take a look at just about every house I’ve ever lived in, just for nostalgia’s sake, and even though it’s not that long since I sold it, I looked up my house in Woodville Gardens, SA. To my great amusement this is the shot I found:

I cringe to think what this picture might have done to the value of my property when the house was for sale back in June last year. But then, it’s quite possible that this picture is older than that anyway, and actually did affect the number of people who came to view the house.

However, it’s all done now, and in the end I got a price I was relatively happy with. And now that I don’t live there anymore I can just have a good laugh about how typical of my former neighbourhood this picture is. A couple of derelicts hanging out at the bus stop. Ah the memories.

Granted, things have come a long way. When I first built the house back in 2002/2003 it wasn’t uncommon to find syringes in the front yard amongst the broken bottles, newspapers and cast-off flip flops.

I’m pretty sure I used to see the woman in the picture on my bus sometimes. She’d have conversations with herself, and her imaginary friends, and eat meat pie filling with her hands straight out of her backpack (yes, it did scare a lot of people, me included, until we realised it was a pie).

I know that anyone who knows the area, or remembers the adventures I had while I lived in this house, will be laughing with me. But honestly I’m not sure I’d be laughing if I still lived there, or still owned the house. If I was buying a house I would probably use Street View to look at the place from the outside before I bothered going to an open inspection. Would go you go to look at this house based on this photo? Me neither. And yet, the house was actually great; spacious, well laid out, huge back yard and only 15 minutes from the city.

Are you happy with your Street View photo? If you haven’t already, go to http://maps.google.com/maps and type in your address. Then click the “Street View” link. Add your comment below: