How To Look At A House

Sometimes after prospective buyers have looked at a number of homes for sale, they begin to feel confused about which house was which. After seeing many homes it’s easy to forget some of the features of homes you saw earlier in the day.

Was the one with the gazebo also the one with the breakfast nook? Or maybe the gazebo was in the place with the extra-large fireplace and very small backyard. Or maybe....

One way to avoid such confusion is to take photos and careful notes when looking at homes. Write down not only the significant features, but also those that may seem less important, such as the color of the bathroom tile and amount of cupboard space in the kitchen. Before you leave the home stand out front and give it a name. You may call one the “Blue House?? because of the color. Or, you may call another the “Fun House?? because it had a pool table. Be creative and make a game of it.

Along with your notes, take a moment and write down how you feel in the home. Try to imagine yourself living in it, looking at the same walls and space day after day. Imagine your own furniture, there, and your own pictures on the walls.

Make a note of whether you feel comfortable, and try to pinpoint what it is about the home that makes you feel that way. If a room feels cramped, imagine it with a lighter shade of paint, which would make it seem larger.

Think about the cosmetic changes you could bring to the home to make it feel more like your own. Do the same thing outside. Imagine the landscaping as you would like it. Make notes on any changes you would make.

This information, along with the photos, will help you keep straight the details that go with each home you’ve seen. And since you put so much imaginative effort into looking and note taking, your notes will help each one come alive again so that you can decide which would be right for you.