BOSTON AREA — A couple from Portland, Oregon, signed a lease on a Boston-area apartment without an in-person visit and moved across the country using only virtual tours. The relocation resulted in unexpected problems with train noise and storage space that prompted them to move again after their one-year lease expired.

Both spouses worked remotely and decided to relocate sight unseen without touring the apartment in person. The wife's aunt suffered a severe stroke, prompting the move. They reserved their paid time off for the move and did not use it for in-person apartment tours.

Their original plan was to move to Boston, but rental listings in the city were outside their budget. They searched for apartments in suburbs about an hour outside Boston in walkable neighborhoods offering 3D virtual walkthroughs.

The couple selected an apartment about an hour from Boston that offered an on-site gym, remote-work hotel booths, and proximity to a downtown area. They used Google Maps to check reviews of the apartment complex and view satellite images. Within two weeks of signing the lease, they packed their belongings into a moving truck, flew across the country with their cat, and shipped their car to Massachusetts.

Upon arrival in Massachusetts, the apartment's interior matched the 3D virtual walkthrough. However, the apartment was located next to commuter rail tracks, and commuter trains passed the apartment about ten times a day, sounding their horns. Within three weeks of moving in, they considered leaving the apartment due to disruptive train noise.

After moving from a house to an apartment, they discovered the building's storage space could only accommodate a few boxes, not larger items like their grill and smoker. They had requested the dimensions of the apartment building's storage space before moving but did not receive a response. They rented a storage unit to store belongings that would not fit, resulting in an unexpected monthly expense.

After their one-year lease expired, they moved into a quieter house with more storage. The couple decided that in future similar moves, they would sign a six-month lease instead of a year to allow an early exit if the apartment was not a good fit. They also decided they would include the cost of a storage unit in their initial moving budget.