What to Look For When Viewing Houses

So you’re ready to start viewing houses! What an exciting (and potentially overwhelming) time! As you’re looking for your dream home, many people wonder what to look for when viewing houses. There are several important things that you should look for as you are viewing potential new homes.

Start Before You Get to the House

Your journey starts before you even get to the house. As you’re headed there, take a look at the neighborhood. You want to view a new house with the idea that you'll be living there for many years, so taking a good look at the neighborhood will give you some insight into what your new home environment might look like.

Take note of the surrounding area. Are you close to shopping centers, grocery stores, schools, and other convenient locations? While this may not be important to everyone, it will be a deciding factor for many people. Also listen to the sounds you hear around you. Is there major highway noise? Do you hear train tracks nearby?

You should also take a look at the condition of the surrounding homes. Are they well-kept? Is there a HOA in place that requires grass and landscaping to be maintained to certain standards? Do the neighbors keep their homes and yards in good condition? These factors won’t apply for everyone. For instance, if you are planning to live in the country where there are no neighbors nearby, these things may not matter to you.

Next, take a look at the exterior of the home.

The appearance of the exterior of the home is usually a telltale sign of what the interior of the home will look like. You’ll want to look at things like the roof, siding and gutters. Do they all seem to be in good working condition?

Check out the window sills and casings. If there is rotting wood near any of the windows, this may be an indication of water damage.

Another thing to look for in the exterior of the home is concrete on the foundation, patio and walkways. If you see crumbling, cracked or uneven concrete this may also be a sign of water damage.

When you go inside, look up, not down.

Many people have a tendency to look at eye-level when viewing a home. They’re looking at things like flooring choices, home layout or what appliances may already be in the home. While those things are important, I recommend first looking UP. Check out the ceiling...what do you see? Are there water spots? This would be another indication of water damage. I also look for cracks in the ceiling. 

Now you can look down!

After you’ve had a good look at all the aesthetics that will be important to you, such as countertops, natural lighting, room sizes, etc., the last thing you’ll want to do is look DOWN. If the home has a basement, this is a good place to pay attention to. Again, look for signs of moisture or cracks in the foundation. You’ll want to make sure you don’t end up with a home where the basement floods every rainy season. Also check to see if any wiring is visible, check out the furnace and hot water heater and try to get an idea of the age of those items.

Finally, leave everything else to a home inspector!

Once you’ve viewed a handful of homes and you feel that you may have found the right one, you can leave everything else to the home inspector. They’ll have a long list of things to check out to make sure that your new home is safe and that there is nothing unseen of concern.

If you’re ready to begin the process of viewing homes, connect with me today and we’ll start on the journey of finding your dream home!