As a first time home buyer, you may not know some of the Do’s and Don’t of touring a home, whether that’s going to open houses or a private tour with an agent. We’ll go over 8 do’s and 8 don’ts about touring homes, and talk about some key points to help you make the most of your time and experience.
- Bring your real estate agent to an open house. If you don’t have an agent yet, we can help. Reach out via our contact page, or we’ve partnered with Home&Money, go to https://homeandmoney.com/FTHB/ and we’ll help connect you with a local, vetted agent.
- Research the area and neighborhood prior to the open house visit.
- Take detailed notes about each house to help you remember your thoughts and feelings about each home.
- Highlight any features that you like or dislike, repairs needed, etc.
- Ask questions of the real estate agent to get a better understanding of what is included in the sale of the house and any additional costs associated with it.
- Make sure you check the layout of the house, such as flow between rooms and door locations, in addition to looking at finishes and features.
- Take pictures or videos of the house to remember your thoughts and feelings about each home.
- Do keep all children supervised at all times.
Don’ts
- Don’t use the bathroom.
- Don’t talk about the home, good or bad, while near the home.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions or make comments about anything that you don’t understand – the real estate agents are there to help you!
- Don’t rush through the house – take your time and get a good feel for each room as this will help with decision making later on.
- Don’t enter a home if there isn’t an open house or you aren’t with an agent.
- You might be tempted to do your own inspection of the home.
- A peak into a closet is fine, but don’t look in places like medicine cabinets or jewelry boxes.
- Don’t enter closed rooms without asking.
We hope this helped make you feel more confident when touring homes.