Episode 4: Viewing Homes
We’ve gone through choosing an agent and lender, and how to narrow your home search to the home that is the best fit for you. Now we are going to talk about shopping for homes, in person or via the internet.
Before you travel all the way to a house, or set up a virtual tour, look at the property details of the house online, just to make sure it has the features you are looking for. For example, you want to double check that the home has that fourth bedroom that is an absolute necessity for you.
Once you are at the home, take a look at the neighborhood before you go inside. Make sure it is a community you want to live in. Additionally, it is a good idea to look at the curb appeal of the home to get a sense if you like the home right away.
The floor plan is the most important part of a home. You can get new flooring or paint walls, but knocking down and moving walls is much harder. Pay attention to the flow of the house. This is were you might live, so make sure it fits the feel you are looking for. Do you like the open concept or would something else suit you better. Take note of the space in each room and how you would use it. The mix of rooms per floor is also important to some of my clients. Having the master down stairs is a common request as well.
Pay attention to the details of the home while you are there. Do you like the built-ins in the study? Will the closet tucked under the stairs be useful to you? How is the quality of the cabinets and drawers?
Overall, the most important part of a home is the floor plan. Make sure it is suited to yours and your family’s lifestyle. Think about how you would use each space within the home, and pay attention to the details as well. Once you finish your home tour, write down what you like and didn’t like about the home so that you can keep it fresh in your mind as you are shopping around.
