Home tours are a veritable necessity in the home buying process. While a select few individuals will make an offer on a home sight unseen, most buyers need to physically walk through the home with an on-site tour before making an offer. A simple home tour usually takes about ten to 20 minutes, and during this rather short period of time, you must walk through each room of the home to make an informed decision about whether or not to make an offer on the home. As you do so, you can easily pay attention to these points to determine if the house is right for you and your family.
The Cleanliness of the Home
A clean home is generally the sign of a loved home that someone has taken care of over the years. It is very common for sellers to thoroughly clean and even stage a home before listing it for sale, so cleanliness does not always indicate that the property is in great condition. However, when a homeowner has blatantly not cleaned the home or prepared it to be listed for sale, you can generally assume that the owner likely also has not taken care of other maintenance and repair issues needed throughout the home. You should also focus on the smell in the home. Smells like cat urine and cigarette smoke may be difficult for you to get rid of, and homes with these smells may be avoided by most buyers.
The Condition of the Property
You can learn quite a bit about the condition of a home through your personal observations. As you walk from room to room, gaze over the space from floor to ceiling. Look for damaged drywall, flooring issues, cracks and more. Inspect that all the interior glass doors are in good condition. Turn on all of the lights, and open all cabinets and closets. Look for signs of damage. Ordering a professional property inspection can tell you more about property condition, but your basic visible inspection can be informative initially as well.
The Layout of the Home
Home layouts vary substantially, and the layout of the home can impact how functional and aesthetically pleasing the space is for your needs. Many buyers love an open floor plan, but keep in mind that some open plans are not ideal. For example, having a game room or kids’ TV room in an open loft area above the family room may not work well from a practical standpoint. This is because the noise from the kids’ space may compete directly with the TV or conversations in the family room.
Available Space for Your Home Business
Many people spend at least a portion of their time working from home these days. You may be a remote worker for a major corporation, or you may be an independent consultant, such as a Lipsense distributor. Regardless of your job title and position, consider where you will work in each home you tour. If you need to store supplies in your home, think about the available space that you can use for this purpose.
The Neighbors
Your neighbors can play a major role in how enjoyable your life is in a new home. When you tour some homes, the neighbors may actually stop by to personally greet you. When you tour other homes, you may notice that neighbors seem unfriendly, that dogs are barking incessantly and more. Consider visiting the neighborhood at different times of the day before you finalize your offer to determine if the parking situation on the street or the noise level from neighbors will be bothersome.
It is wise to develop a checklist that you can refer to when touring homes for sale. You likely have a list of specific features that you need your new home to have as well as a few features that you would prefer that it have. By focusing your attention on the list when you tour homes, you can more easily find the right home to buy.
