When viewing the first few homes on your list, the last thing you want to do is leave the property without knowing the BIG details. Here are several important ways to prepare yourself when viewing a home.
Make a List
Before you head out to see houses, make a list of the items you absolutely need in a home. Do you need a garage or a large back yard? Is privacy important to you? Is an updated kitchen a must? Determining the items that are needs and those that are wants are helpful before you begin your search.
Drive By for Curb Appeal
Save yourself and your Realtor’s time by driving by the home before the showing. Chances are if you’re not happy with the neighborhood or the curb appeal of the home, you can save yourself that extra step of viewing it.
Condition of the Major Components
Know the age of the roof, the furnace, the septic system and when the windows were replaced; these are major components of the home that have a large price tag if their on their way out.
Renovations to the Home
Be sure to ask your Realtor if there were any updates to the home, when they were made and by whom? It’s extremely important to know whether the seller pulled permits for things like finishing a basement or adding on a sun room.
The 4 variables I learned from my Realtor
No home is perfect (unless you have unlimited resources that is, which was not our case), therefore there were four things we had to keep in mind at all time and move them up and down on the list in order of importance to us:
Price
Location
Condition
Size
Again, very few people get to have all four, so figure out which two of the four are your non-negotiable items and stick to them!
Happy House Hunting!!
