3 Tips For Touring Homes With Your Real Estate Agent
Do you plan on touring several homes with your real estate agent to hopefully find one that you like? If so, it will help to know these tips for touring homes to make the most out of your time.
Take Notes Afterward
A common problem that people run into after touring homes, especially when they have viewed a lot of them in a single day, is remembering what each home was like and confusing them after the fact. A good tip to follow is to take notes on the home immediately afterward. It helps to write them on the back of the one page information sheet that you pick up about the home or just write down your thoughts in a notebook or in your phone. This will help avoid any confusion when you are trying to think about what each house was like.
Consider making a quick list of pros and cons that you can easily scan over to jog your memory. It doesn't have to be very detailed notes, just enough so that you do not forget about things you see.
View With an Open Mind
Too many times you'll find that home buyers get caught up on the details of a home that are inconsequential to them deciding to buy the home. They may not like a paint color that is on the living room walls, that the house has carpeting, or how the yard has very little landscaping. Be sure to view with an open mind when it comes to things that you can easily change, and ignore them the best you can. Focus on those things that you cannot change, such as room sizes and floor layouts.
Look For Things Your Home Inspector Would Find
Even though you are not moving forward with purchasing the home just yet, it is a good idea to also view your home through the eyes of a home inspector when touring the inside. For example, try to look for signs of previous water damage in the basement in the form of discoloration on the brick foundation walls. Glance up at the roof and try to tell if the shingles are in good condition or soon in need of replacement. If you see any red flags, it may be best to eliminate the home right away to avoid dealing with problems that you'd rather not want to fix.
Reach out to your real estate agent for more tips on what to do when touring homes.
Real estate purchases are big purchases. You may pay several hundred thousand dollars, or even more, for a property. As such, there's not a lot of room for error. If you buy a house that needs a lot of unexpected work or end up in over your head when it comes to the mortgage, your dream home can quickly turn into a nightmare house. We want to help you avoid scenarios like that, which is why we share so much information about real estate on this blog. Our readers emerge more informed on a wide array of topics, from buying to closing.