It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon and your real estate agent is taking you to a few house showings. You’re excited and overwhelmed thinking about how today may be the day you find your brand new home!
House showings can often be a whirlwind of color, doors, floors, and closets. It’s easy to be confused about which house had which features or get two houses you liked mixed up. You may miss even something extremely important while walking through the house.
We here at Agent Lady have come up with some tips on how to get the most out of house showings.
Pick a Price Range
Before you even step foot into a house on the market, go over what you can afford with your lender. You don’t want to waste your time, or your agent’s time, looking at houses that are out of your price range. It’s important to be serious and realistic when shopping around for a home.
Make a Checklist
Think of the most important features you want in a home. Is there a certain number of bedrooms or bathrooms you want? Do you have to have a two-car attached garage? What about the amount of storage space?
These are some important things to think about before even going to see a home. Once you have your checklist, go through the house and see if it matches all of your requirements before looking at anything else.
Take Your Time
It can feel a bit intrusive walking through someone else’s home, making you feel uncomfortable and rushed. Take your time. The seller wants buyers to look around and fall in love with their home.
Don’t be afraid to open up doors, closets, and cabinets. It’s important to get a good feel for the house. Some buyers may miss entire rooms because they felt invasive opening doors.
Take Notes
If your agent is taking you to multiple houses, make sure to take notes of each property. Write down the address, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, price, defining features, what you loved, and what you hated.
These notes will be useful when you think back to the homes you saw and will help to jog your memory.
Look Passed the Décor
See the house for what it is: walls, windows, floors, and ceilings. Don’t pay attention to the brightly colored walls or the painting that doesn’t necessarily go with the rest of the room.
Instead, look at the size of the rooms and where windows are placed. Pay attention to the layout of the kitchen and bathrooms. Try to imagine the house without the current furniture and décor.
Picture Your Belongings
When you walk into a room, try to picture your furniture and belongings in it. Ask yourself where you will put your couch. How will you arrange your bedroom? Thinking about your personal belongings will help you decide on whether or not you can see this house as your home.
Outlets and Lighting
Check for how many outlets are in each room. In older houses, there will be fewer outlets compared to newer construction. If there are only two outlets in a bedroom, think to yourself, can I live with this?
Also check for what kind of lighting is in the house. Is it overhead or will you need to buy lamps to light up a room? Is there enough natural light that you won’t need to use electricity during the day?
These are just some little things to think about.
Check the Exterior
Take a minute to walk around the yard, the front and the side of the house. Do you like the view when you walk up to the front door? Picture yourself on a warm summer night sitting in the backyard surrounded by friends and a drink in your hand. It’s important to picture yourself not only living inside the house, but out on the rest of the property as well.
Recap
To get the most out of house showings, you have some prep work to do. Make a list of features your home must have and check with your lender about what price point you can afford. Once you go to showings with your agent, take your time when looking around, take notes, and see the house for what it is. Check the little things you may miss, such as outlets and light sources, and make sure to check the exterior and yard if it has one.
Put These Tips to Use
If you’re looking for a house in Philadelphia, call or email the Agent Lady so she can take you out and you can put your newly learned tips for house showings to use!
About Agent Lady: Cherise Wynne is a leading real estate agent in Philadelphia, helping home buyers and sellers navigate the City of Brotherly Love, with a special focus on first time home buyers. To chat about getting started with your first time home buying experience, click here.
