What to look for the first time you view a home?
June 12, 2012 10:42 PM Subscribe
What do I look for during an initial walk-through of a house?
I'm looking to buy a house for the first time, and I've got some walk-throughs scheduled....but I don't know what I should be looking for. My agent's a bit unhelpful (during one walkthrough last week she was completely silent...and when I said I'd never done this before and would appreciate guidance during the next walk through she just listed which rooms were which...like, this is the bathroom? You don't say!), so I was hoping I could get some input!
I've read a few other AskMeFi's that were similar, but not exactly the same (I'm squared financially, and not limited to one type of house...) and saw some helpful comments, and was wondering if there was any more.
Currently when I do a walk-through, I'm really just looking at the layout of the house. Where are the bedrooms, how big is the bathroom, can I expand this room, is there any obvious damage, etc., but I get the feeling my agent is surprised at how quickly I'm done (which was why I asked for help...but she didn't suggest anything - I kinda had to lead the way through rooms....and sad to say she's better than my previous agent).
So what should I be doing besides this brief run-down? I've seen comments that I should run all the water faucets at once, to be sure the water works, and to open and close all the windows, to see if they work properly.....but is this a first walk-through task, or are these to be done later? Also, is it odd to take pictures during a walk-through?
I've got a couple lined up for tomorrow, so any advice would be appreciated!
I'm looking to buy a house for the first time, and I've got some walk-throughs scheduled....but I don't know what I should be looking for. My agent's a bit unhelpful (during one walkthrough last week she was completely silent...and when I said I'd never done this before and would appreciate guidance during the next walk through she just listed which rooms were which...like, this is the bathroom? You don't say!), so I was hoping I could get some input!
I've read a few other AskMeFi's that were similar, but not exactly the same (I'm squared financially, and not limited to one type of house...) and saw some helpful comments, and was wondering if there was any more.
Currently when I do a walk-through, I'm really just looking at the layout of the house. Where are the bedrooms, how big is the bathroom, can I expand this room, is there any obvious damage, etc., but I get the feeling my agent is surprised at how quickly I'm done (which was why I asked for help...but she didn't suggest anything - I kinda had to lead the way through rooms....and sad to say she's better than my previous agent).
So what should I be doing besides this brief run-down? I've seen comments that I should run all the water faucets at once, to be sure the water works, and to open and close all the windows, to see if they work properly.....but is this a first walk-through task, or are these to be done later? Also, is it odd to take pictures during a walk-through?
I've got a couple lined up for tomorrow, so any advice would be appreciated!
Best answer: Obviously, you're going to develop an immediate first impression. Sometimes you're going to walk into a house and know that it is NOT the one. But if it appears to be a contender, you can delve deeper. Look at the ages of the furnace, the AC, the water heater. Check the water pressure. Look at the windows ... maybe take a screwdriver along and poke at the exterior window frames to see if they are rotten.
Everyone walks into a house and notices the easy-to-change cosmetic things, like paint or wallpaper. HVAC repairs, window replacements, etc. are a LOT more expensive. Paint is cheap!
Also, look for signs of water in the basement.
Taking pictures during the walk through is a great idea. If you look at several houses in a day it helps you to keep them straight. They start to run together after a while.
Have your realtor print out the MLS listings and so you can write on them -- take notes! Lots of notes. Go over them at the end of the day and develop your list of "maybes." Make a second appointment to view those again.
posted by Ostara at 11:02 PM on June 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Everyone walks into a house and notices the easy-to-change cosmetic things, like paint or wallpaper. HVAC repairs, window replacements, etc. are a LOT more expensive. Paint is cheap!
Also, look for signs of water in the basement.
Taking pictures during the walk through is a great idea. If you look at several houses in a day it helps you to keep them straight. They start to run together after a while.
Have your realtor print out the MLS listings and so you can write on them -- take notes! Lots of notes. Go over them at the end of the day and develop your list of "maybes." Make a second appointment to view those again.
posted by Ostara at 11:02 PM on June 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Don't run all of the faucets at once, that's what they do during inspection to check water pressure. Yes, turn one on to see if it works, but not all of them.
The first walk through is mostly to see if you like the place and to see if there is any obvious damage. Do you like the layout of the house? The style? the layout of the kitchen? Is is up to your standards or will it need updating? Will you want to update it? Is the master bedroom big enough? the bedroom closet? What to you think about the yard? The view (can you see into your neighbor's house? Check for cracks in the outside walls, water spots in the ceilings, bad smells, rust anywhere! Obvious signs of water damage anywhere (water is a homeowner's worst enemy).
The first walk through is all about impressions. If you like the place, that's when you get down and seriously start looking at the nooks and crannies.
posted by patheral at 11:05 PM on June 12, 2012
The first walk through is mostly to see if you like the place and to see if there is any obvious damage. Do you like the layout of the house? The style? the layout of the kitchen? Is is up to your standards or will it need updating? Will you want to update it? Is the master bedroom big enough? the bedroom closet? What to you think about the yard? The view (can you see into your neighbor's house? Check for cracks in the outside walls, water spots in the ceilings, bad smells, rust anywhere! Obvious signs of water damage anywhere (water is a homeowner's worst enemy).
The first walk through is all about impressions. If you like the place, that's when you get down and seriously start looking at the nooks and crannies.
posted by patheral at 11:05 PM on June 12, 2012
Agreeing that first walkthroughs are mainly for weeding out the "absolutely nots." Here are a few things I would do, because they could help further eliminate some of the "maybes."
Open all the windows, sit in various rooms and and just listen. Is there a busy road nearby or any other noise that you may not notice now but will drive you crazy when you realize that it's always going to be in the background?
Check the water pressure in the shower and see how well the toilets flush. It's important that the bathrooms don't suck. In fact, I would probably set "better than adequate" as a minimum standard.
Walk the perimeter of the property. Are there neighbors with junked cars/piles of beer cans/dogs that they don't clean up after/etc. just behind that nice, new fence or hedge? Is there a worn down place where people cut through the yard all the time on their way to the park/library/crack house/etc.?
posted by Balonious Assault at 11:28 PM on June 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Open all the windows, sit in various rooms and and just listen. Is there a busy road nearby or any other noise that you may not notice now but will drive you crazy when you realize that it's always going to be in the background?
Check the water pressure in the shower and see how well the toilets flush. It's important that the bathrooms don't suck. In fact, I would probably set "better than adequate" as a minimum standard.
Walk the perimeter of the property. Are there neighbors with junked cars/piles of beer cans/dogs that they don't clean up after/etc. just behind that nice, new fence or hedge? Is there a worn down place where people cut through the yard all the time on their way to the park/library/crack house/etc.?
posted by Balonious Assault at 11:28 PM on June 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Are children in your life or your future? Does the school district matter? How much are taxes? The agent should know. Is there a Homeowner's association? How much are the dues? Can you live with any restrictions and covenants?
Is there road or highway noise? Are the neighbor properties kept up? How handy is the commute to work or shopping?
Is the kitchen adequate? Does the disposer work and smell OK? Do the appliances come with the house? Do the curtains? Is there storage? Do you have more clothing than the house has closets for? Is there storage for your hobbies?
How old is the roof? Any stained ceilings or recent paint to cover up stains? Are the sidewalk and driveway in good condition?
posted by Cranberry at 12:08 AM on June 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
Is there road or highway noise? Are the neighbor properties kept up? How handy is the commute to work or shopping?
Is the kitchen adequate? Does the disposer work and smell OK? Do the appliances come with the house? Do the curtains? Is there storage? Do you have more clothing than the house has closets for? Is there storage for your hobbies?
How old is the roof? Any stained ceilings or recent paint to cover up stains? Are the sidewalk and driveway in good condition?
posted by Cranberry at 12:08 AM on June 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I was mainly concerned as to what I should be looking for in the house physically (I already know what I'm looking for in terms of size, location, etc.) during the first walk-through. I guess I was doing it right, but my agent seemed surprised I did two walk-throughs in less than a half an hour....heck, I didn't know a second walk-through was an option!
Thanks for the help!
posted by Lt. Bunny Wigglesworth at 12:29 AM on June 13, 2012
Thanks for the help!
posted by Lt. Bunny Wigglesworth at 12:29 AM on June 13, 2012
In my opinion, the first walk through should be fairly quick--I'd say that for an average-sized home, even 15 minutes is possibly too long.
This is really walking through, getting the lay of the place, and looking for anything that's a flat-out dealbreaker. For me, those are (or should have been--stupid hindsight) a decent-sized kitchen, closets in every bedroom, some sort of linen cabinet, at least 1.5 bathrooms, central goddamn air conditioning because this is the twenty-first century and I want my climate-controlled bubble, and at least two bedrooms that are big enough to fit a queen-sized bed in them. If one of those things is missing, I'm done, even if I've only been in the house for a minute.
I second Balonious that you should be checking the perimeter of the property, and also cruising around the neighbourhood if you're not familiar with it.
I wouldn't bother with the water/windows/etc on the first go, but that's just me.
You updated as I was writing this, so I'll just say that second, third, and seventh walk throughs are totally an option. When we were buying our house, we did four walk throughs, including the one we did with the inspector. We did multiple walk throughs on several other houses, as well.
If you have a decent idea of what you want, it might be worth it to spend an afternoon going through open houses. No, you're not working your realtor as hard as you could, but it can be a nice way to get a quick look at places that are maybe interesting, and then if you like them the realtor can set up a second, more thorough, walk through.
posted by MeghanC at 12:32 AM on June 13, 2012
This is really walking through, getting the lay of the place, and looking for anything that's a flat-out dealbreaker. For me, those are (or should have been--stupid hindsight) a decent-sized kitchen, closets in every bedroom, some sort of linen cabinet, at least 1.5 bathrooms, central goddamn air conditioning because this is the twenty-first century and I want my climate-controlled bubble, and at least two bedrooms that are big enough to fit a queen-sized bed in them. If one of those things is missing, I'm done, even if I've only been in the house for a minute.
I second Balonious that you should be checking the perimeter of the property, and also cruising around the neighbourhood if you're not familiar with it.
I wouldn't bother with the water/windows/etc on the first go, but that's just me.
You updated as I was writing this, so I'll just say that second, third, and seventh walk throughs are totally an option. When we were buying our house, we did four walk throughs, including the one we did with the inspector. We did multiple walk throughs on several other houses, as well.
If you have a decent idea of what you want, it might be worth it to spend an afternoon going through open houses. No, you're not working your realtor as hard as you could, but it can be a nice way to get a quick look at places that are maybe interesting, and then if you like them the realtor can set up a second, more thorough, walk through.
posted by MeghanC at 12:32 AM on June 13, 2012
Oh. Oh my.
After doing houses and apartment buildings for years in real estate - yeah - there are tons of little "tells" you should look for - but they are nuanced.
Can you find a good friend with a construction or real estate background to do a walk-through with you? I have both. The stuff I notice is multitude and too numerous to detail.
You can't do it alone. I can't give you the cliff notes. Ask around or hire someone who, specifically, has lots of experience with apartment buildings. They (we) have seen it all and know more than experienced home owners.
YMMV. But apartment people have it down, IMHE.
posted by jbenben at 12:46 AM on June 13, 2012
After doing houses and apartment buildings for years in real estate - yeah - there are tons of little "tells" you should look for - but they are nuanced.
Can you find a good friend with a construction or real estate background to do a walk-through with you? I have both. The stuff I notice is multitude and too numerous to detail.
You can't do it alone. I can't give you the cliff notes. Ask around or hire someone who, specifically, has lots of experience with apartment buildings. They (we) have seen it all and know more than experienced home owners.
YMMV. But apartment people have it down, IMHE.
posted by jbenben at 12:46 AM on June 13, 2012
I'm concerned that your realtor hasn't been very helpful. A good realtor that has your interests at the top of his/her mind can really make or break the way a house deal goes down. What if it's time ot negotiate a price and you say "What should I offer?", is their comment going to be "Whatever you think appropriate"?
Anyways, Nthing the idea that your first walk through is just a first impression.
Things I looked for:
- Location of all windows, in our previous house we didn't really notice that all the big windows were north facing. Cool in the summer but COLD in the winter
- If you're looking in various towns, taste the water from the faucet. They may be on different water systems and not all are equal
-Floor plan and disregard cheap to fix things like paint, door handles, light fixtures.
- Perimiter of the property - who will be your potential neighbours. Make sure that adjacent properties meet your standard as well as your potential new home... you have to look at them every day
- ease of getting in and out of the subdivision
- nearby schools, playgrounds, highways, shopping centres.
Essentially you're looking for stuff that's an immediate deal breaker so the first walk-through shouldn't take very long at all. Narrow your search down to the top five or six and then do a second tour of each property. Also, provided your realtor is competent, you should be very vocal about things you like and things that are dealbreakers for you. That way he/she can skip houses they know you won't like, or steer you towards one you hadn't considered yet.
Have fun with it!
posted by Beacon Inbound at 12:50 AM on June 13, 2012 [4 favorites]
Anyways, Nthing the idea that your first walk through is just a first impression.
Things I looked for:
- Location of all windows, in our previous house we didn't really notice that all the big windows were north facing. Cool in the summer but COLD in the winter
- If you're looking in various towns, taste the water from the faucet. They may be on different water systems and not all are equal
-Floor plan and disregard cheap to fix things like paint, door handles, light fixtures.
- Perimiter of the property - who will be your potential neighbours. Make sure that adjacent properties meet your standard as well as your potential new home... you have to look at them every day
- ease of getting in and out of the subdivision
- nearby schools, playgrounds, highways, shopping centres.
Essentially you're looking for stuff that's an immediate deal breaker so the first walk-through shouldn't take very long at all. Narrow your search down to the top five or six and then do a second tour of each property. Also, provided your realtor is competent, you should be very vocal about things you like and things that are dealbreakers for you. That way he/she can skip houses they know you won't like, or steer you towards one you hadn't considered yet.
Have fun with it!
posted by Beacon Inbound at 12:50 AM on June 13, 2012 [4 favorites]
Along with everything above, and there is more, look at the ceilings and wall joins/corners for cracked or repaired drywall. Try to check that all doors close correctly. Problems may not be a deal breaker, but there has to be an explanation, and repairs have to be figured into the price. If the bathrooms are newly caulked, look even closer at the ceilings, particularly on the floor directly below the bathrooms (if any).
It's not odd to take pictures, as long as it is alright with the current owner.
Your real estate agent is not working for you, he/she is working for his commission and fastest sale. That's just how it is. He is not too interested in pointing out flaws.
posted by caclwmr4 at 1:02 AM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's not odd to take pictures, as long as it is alright with the current owner.
Your real estate agent is not working for you, he/she is working for his commission and fastest sale. That's just how it is. He is not too interested in pointing out flaws.
posted by caclwmr4 at 1:02 AM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
I actually don't think most of the above list items are useful for a first walk through. I suppose that every buyer develops his or her own property viewing style, but my list is most like Beacon Inbound's. For me first walk throughs are all about feel and not at all about whether the boiler is new or the plaster is cracking. All I am trying to determine is if the property is going on my short list. So for me it's stuff like ceiling height, shade vs sun, quality of the light coming in, room size and orientation, closets, and major cosmetics like if I hate the floors, kitchen and/or bathrooms and will have to add those refit costs to my budget for this house.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:50 AM on June 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 1:50 AM on June 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
Yeah, there is a long continuum between "first walk through" and "final inspection before an offer". I very much agree with DarlingBri above, and 15 minutes is not really a problem... was that enough for you to decide "don't want it" or "hmm, might want it"? Because that's all you need to do at that point.
Once it is on the "might want" list, then you can start doing more picky and exacting poking around, and you'll find plenty of very detailed advice on previous askme questions or the Internet in general.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:53 AM on June 13, 2012
Once it is on the "might want" list, then you can start doing more picky and exacting poking around, and you'll find plenty of very detailed advice on previous askme questions or the Internet in general.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:53 AM on June 13, 2012
2nding Beacon Inbound re "I'm concerned that your realtor hasn't been very helpful.... A good realtor that has your interests at the top of his/her mind can really make or break the way a house deal goes down." And a bad realtor can just make the whole process an expensive, living nightmare. (Yes, I'm talking about you, Patsy.)
Also, keep in mind that unless you have a contract with a "buyer's agent" (which I don't know anything about), the realtor is working for the seller.
Good luck.
posted by she's not there at 3:25 AM on June 13, 2012
Also, keep in mind that unless you have a contract with a "buyer's agent" (which I don't know anything about), the realtor is working for the seller.
Good luck.
posted by she's not there at 3:25 AM on June 13, 2012
Take a camera, take a tape measure, feel free to take pictures and record anything that seems interesting to you. Things like the paint color and lighting can make a room feel small when it isn't, and that is stuff you can change. Take an extra light/torch if you want.
I mean, it's a pretty big investment, y'know? Get as thorough a look as you want.
And take someone else along for a second opinion, the real estate agent is obviously not it.
posted by Elysum at 3:39 AM on June 13, 2012
I mean, it's a pretty big investment, y'know? Get as thorough a look as you want.
And take someone else along for a second opinion, the real estate agent is obviously not it.
posted by Elysum at 3:39 AM on June 13, 2012
Agreeing with the 'go with your first impression' pass/fail advice. See a lot of houses to hone your shopping skills. More looks are tiring but with practice, you'll get better at assessment. Also, don't be distracted by the furnishings. Try to look at a house, each room, as if it were empty. The current owners belongings, choice of colors, wall hangings, even curtains will totally prevent you from seeing the real house unless you think differently. Strip a room of furnishings and what do you have?
posted by birdwatcher at 4:32 AM on June 13, 2012
posted by birdwatcher at 4:32 AM on June 13, 2012
1. Talk to lots of real estate agents and go with the one who is most helpful and responsive and - most important - informed. Redfin agents will save you some cash on the commission if you find one you like and many are very good. Good signs in a REA are: use of objective, quantitative data; happiness that you are doing your own searches and gathering data; focus on being a buyers' agent, not both buyer and seller. When you look at comparative prices, look at what houses sold for, not what they're on sale for. Be sure to consider the various seller incentives that reduce the effective price but are sometimes not included in the price data on the MLS. Your agent (and their broker) are going to get about 3% of the purchase price. In a lot of cities that's probably more than your monthly salary. Make them work for it.
2. No matter how much you like your agent and how helpful he or she is, your real estate agent is not your friend. As others have said, a real estate agent's bottom line incentive is to make a deal happen. Period. They are happy when you buy a house. Any house. At any price. They are more happy if you are still happy with the house in 2, 5, 10 years, but if you're not... eh. No skin off their commission. If you go bankrupt trying to pay off a ridiculous balloon mortgage, they will be very sad but... eh. They got paid. A successful real estate agent is one who can pick up on what the buyer is looking for and convince the buyer that this house has it whether or not it really does. That is not what you want. You want someone who can help you figure out what you need and if the house really has it. Trust your real estate agent as much as you would trust a used car salesman.
3. Make a checklist for what you are looking for in a house. There's several examples online of what you should look for but you probably want to customize your own. Print up a bunch of blanks and write notes on each house, even ones you don't really like. Take lots of pictures, and video, even of houses you don't think you like at first. Its incredible how easy it is to forget where you've been and confuse houses.
4. Ignore everything you see on the walls or floors. Most houses are "staged" for maximum effect - some art on the walls, nice rugs, a few curtains, neutral paint on the walls, cinnamon cookies baking in the oven, whatever. All that goes away when you sign on the dotted line. Pretend its not there. Actively tell your agent you do not care about any of that and to stop telling you how nice the house looks.
5. (Going beyond your initial question) Once you've found a house you like, get an inspection from a licensed inspector who has no relationship whatsoever to the real estate agent. Anyone who was recommended by the real estate agent is a bad bad idea. You want someone who will tell you what the agent didn't. Not confirm the agent's pressure on you to buy the house. You want cranky ornery OCD. Someone who the agent really hates. Do not hesitate to walk away if there's something you don't like in the report. Or if the seller won't fix it. Your agent will tell you this is a bad idea. Don't listen.
6. (Even further.) When you start talking prices, go back to number 2. Your agent is not your friend. Your agent is a used car dealer. Your agent wants a deal to happen. Any deal. At any price. A deal is more likely to happen if the buyer offers more and the seller settles for less. Push back when your agent says that you can't offer that little or that a low ball offer is "insulting" to the seller. There's only a few situations where that is true.
The real estate system is stacked against both buyers and sellers and in favor of the agents and banks. There's tremendous pressure to spend more than you planned and to accept advice without thinking about the interests of those giving it. Try to resist. I and millions of others ignored that advice and regret it now.
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 6:17 AM on June 13, 2012 [4 favorites]
2. No matter how much you like your agent and how helpful he or she is, your real estate agent is not your friend. As others have said, a real estate agent's bottom line incentive is to make a deal happen. Period. They are happy when you buy a house. Any house. At any price. They are more happy if you are still happy with the house in 2, 5, 10 years, but if you're not... eh. No skin off their commission. If you go bankrupt trying to pay off a ridiculous balloon mortgage, they will be very sad but... eh. They got paid. A successful real estate agent is one who can pick up on what the buyer is looking for and convince the buyer that this house has it whether or not it really does. That is not what you want. You want someone who can help you figure out what you need and if the house really has it. Trust your real estate agent as much as you would trust a used car salesman.
3. Make a checklist for what you are looking for in a house. There's several examples online of what you should look for but you probably want to customize your own. Print up a bunch of blanks and write notes on each house, even ones you don't really like. Take lots of pictures, and video, even of houses you don't think you like at first. Its incredible how easy it is to forget where you've been and confuse houses.
4. Ignore everything you see on the walls or floors. Most houses are "staged" for maximum effect - some art on the walls, nice rugs, a few curtains, neutral paint on the walls, cinnamon cookies baking in the oven, whatever. All that goes away when you sign on the dotted line. Pretend its not there. Actively tell your agent you do not care about any of that and to stop telling you how nice the house looks.
5. (Going beyond your initial question) Once you've found a house you like, get an inspection from a licensed inspector who has no relationship whatsoever to the real estate agent. Anyone who was recommended by the real estate agent is a bad bad idea. You want someone who will tell you what the agent didn't. Not confirm the agent's pressure on you to buy the house. You want cranky ornery OCD. Someone who the agent really hates. Do not hesitate to walk away if there's something you don't like in the report. Or if the seller won't fix it. Your agent will tell you this is a bad idea. Don't listen.
6. (Even further.) When you start talking prices, go back to number 2. Your agent is not your friend. Your agent is a used car dealer. Your agent wants a deal to happen. Any deal. At any price. A deal is more likely to happen if the buyer offers more and the seller settles for less. Push back when your agent says that you can't offer that little or that a low ball offer is "insulting" to the seller. There's only a few situations where that is true.
The real estate system is stacked against both buyers and sellers and in favor of the agents and banks. There's tremendous pressure to spend more than you planned and to accept advice without thinking about the interests of those giving it. Try to resist. I and millions of others ignored that advice and regret it now.
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 6:17 AM on June 13, 2012 [4 favorites]
One little thing if you feel like the property will go on to your maybe list...bring a hair dryer with you and plug it into ALL the the outlets. It can help you see if there are potentially expensive electrical work problems.
posted by kinetic at 6:21 AM on June 13, 2012
posted by kinetic at 6:21 AM on June 13, 2012
Count the electrical outlets. Does at least one room have enough to plug in your router, printer, chargers for various devices, monitors, etc. without having to wrangle an octopus of extension cords?
posted by rtha at 6:23 AM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by rtha at 6:23 AM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
"I guess I was doing it right, but my agent seemed surprised I did two walk-throughs in less than a half an hour....heck, I didn't know a second walk-through was an option!"
A lot of it is personal mode of thinking. I like to do a quick walkthrough, see the layout and all the closets and how much light the rooms have; spend a few minutes picturing the flow of the living areas and how I might theoretically lay them out for myself, and take a glance at the yard. I could probably do it in 15 minutes but my realtor and I are chatty and it probably takes me closer to half an hour.
My husband takes an hour, EASILY, on a first walkthrough. He likes to look at all kinds of little tiny things that I don't want to look at unless we're serious. He thinks it's fun. I think it's stressful and time-consuming.
It probably also depends on how you're house-hunting. If I were on a time-table I'd be looking much deeper on the first walkthrough -- looking for a house with good bones that would also work for my family. But since I'm not on any time-table (we're house hunting, but looking for something we like better than our current home, which we love, and not on any schedule), I'm looking for a house that works for my family ... that also has good bones. So on my first walkthrough I'm looking for something I can give a thumbs up or thumbs down to pretty quickly.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:28 AM on June 13, 2012
A lot of it is personal mode of thinking. I like to do a quick walkthrough, see the layout and all the closets and how much light the rooms have; spend a few minutes picturing the flow of the living areas and how I might theoretically lay them out for myself, and take a glance at the yard. I could probably do it in 15 minutes but my realtor and I are chatty and it probably takes me closer to half an hour.
My husband takes an hour, EASILY, on a first walkthrough. He likes to look at all kinds of little tiny things that I don't want to look at unless we're serious. He thinks it's fun. I think it's stressful and time-consuming.
It probably also depends on how you're house-hunting. If I were on a time-table I'd be looking much deeper on the first walkthrough -- looking for a house with good bones that would also work for my family. But since I'm not on any time-table (we're house hunting, but looking for something we like better than our current home, which we love, and not on any schedule), I'm looking for a house that works for my family ... that also has good bones. So on my first walkthrough I'm looking for something I can give a thumbs up or thumbs down to pretty quickly.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:28 AM on June 13, 2012
Carry the dimensions of any of your larger furniture pieces and appliances. If the place seems like a maybe it will be very easy to check that grandma's breakfront will fit along the only full wall in the dining room.
The advise about seeking out your own home inspector is golden. The real estate agent doesn't want anything to muck up the works, so they will tell you an inspector should be available tomorrow and it should only cost $x. A good inspector who has your interest at heart is going to cost more and usually can't turn on a dime. ASHI is a good starting place to find an inspector. Do try to attend the inspection - it is a terrific learning experience!
posted by cat_link at 6:34 AM on June 13, 2012
The advise about seeking out your own home inspector is golden. The real estate agent doesn't want anything to muck up the works, so they will tell you an inspector should be available tomorrow and it should only cost $x. A good inspector who has your interest at heart is going to cost more and usually can't turn on a dime. ASHI is a good starting place to find an inspector. Do try to attend the inspection - it is a terrific learning experience!
posted by cat_link at 6:34 AM on June 13, 2012
Is there someone who can go with you? I've found it helpful to employ a sort of good cop/bad cop situation where I express interest to the realtor/ask questions about, say, air conditioning, maintenance fees (I looked at apartments, not houses), potential need for repairs, etc; while my boyfriend or another family member did some digging around that might be awkward to do while talking to the realtor--checking out things like whether the hot water works, the gas burners turn on, the toilet flushes etc.
If you are serious about a house, as others have said, having an inspector come is really wonderful. I had one who was extremely thorough and critical; it's best to know the worst case scenario even if the concerns are not dealbreakers for you. It was definitely the most eye-opening part of the whole process for me.
posted by mlle valentine at 6:41 AM on June 13, 2012
If you are serious about a house, as others have said, having an inspector come is really wonderful. I had one who was extremely thorough and critical; it's best to know the worst case scenario even if the concerns are not dealbreakers for you. It was definitely the most eye-opening part of the whole process for me.
posted by mlle valentine at 6:41 AM on June 13, 2012
Also, before or after the walk-through, you may want to see if you can find a website where you can check out potential building violations. I found this page for NYC through an AskMe comment (thanks, sciencegeek!) and it was extremely helpful. Some of these things may apply less if you are looking at a house not an apartment but I was also able to find out about violations for the house in which I am currently a renter (sigh).
posted by mlle valentine at 6:45 AM on June 13, 2012
posted by mlle valentine at 6:45 AM on June 13, 2012
A "Walk-Through" is what you do after you've put a contract on the property, done your inspection and right before closing are going through the property to insure that the previous owners haven't taken the appliances and carpeting. You come to the closing with your list and if anything is amiss, you discuss it prior to closing, with the sellers compensating you for anything that's not right.
What you are describing is viewings, and they're just that. Walking through houses to see if they're what you want.
You can do this pretty quickly, most people decide if they're intersted enough to continue with the tour after the first few seconds. Most people stay beyond that so they don't hurt their agent's feelings.
If you find a couple of houses that are on your "short list" you typically go and see them again. In the viewing process things start to run together. Was the built in microwave in the Cape Cod or the Colonial?
It is not unusual to view a house you're seriously interested in 3 or 4 times before putting an offer in.
1. The first time you see it.
2. The second time, when you bring the spouse/kids/in-laws to see it.
3. To give it a thorough once-over, to see if there are too many doors, or if your furniture will fit. Usually you're measuring things.
4. The last time before you make an offer.
I've sold houses that had the same couple come through 6 times. Once the couple was so excited that they brought friends, family and distant cousins to see it. Damn near drove me crazy.
Don't worry what your agent thinks. If you walk through it and it's not for you, then that's it. You'll know in the first few seconds.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:09 AM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
What you are describing is viewings, and they're just that. Walking through houses to see if they're what you want.
You can do this pretty quickly, most people decide if they're intersted enough to continue with the tour after the first few seconds. Most people stay beyond that so they don't hurt their agent's feelings.
If you find a couple of houses that are on your "short list" you typically go and see them again. In the viewing process things start to run together. Was the built in microwave in the Cape Cod or the Colonial?
It is not unusual to view a house you're seriously interested in 3 or 4 times before putting an offer in.
1. The first time you see it.
2. The second time, when you bring the spouse/kids/in-laws to see it.
3. To give it a thorough once-over, to see if there are too many doors, or if your furniture will fit. Usually you're measuring things.
4. The last time before you make an offer.
I've sold houses that had the same couple come through 6 times. Once the couple was so excited that they brought friends, family and distant cousins to see it. Damn near drove me crazy.
Don't worry what your agent thinks. If you walk through it and it's not for you, then that's it. You'll know in the first few seconds.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:09 AM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
Take a moment in the living room, dining room, kitchen and sit down. look out the windows, look into the other rooms from where you sit. Does the house feel comfortable? Are the rooms dark, or brightly lit by the sun? Does that big 6ft French door to the backyard reveal your neighbor's bedroom or bathroom? Get a feel for how the house fits you.
Look at the kitchen layout. Do you like it? what if you want to change it? are there walls, doors, windows, stairs that may complicate this?
Look at the furniture layout and imagine your furniture. Will it fit? Getting a King sized armoir or bed up to a second floor through a tight stair may be near impossible.
What about the back yard? porches? Can you imagine sitting on your front porch with the morning coffee, or is that next door neighbor too close?
Only after you have satisfied the above do you start looking at the bones of the house, but only briefly, for things that stand out or look odd like old windows, outdated bath fixtures, etc. If you can get past all that and still see yourself living in the house, then a second walk through with a knowledgeable friend, and then you may want to start the real home inspection process, but that usually only occurs during the P&S process.
posted by Gungho at 7:41 AM on June 13, 2012
Look at the kitchen layout. Do you like it? what if you want to change it? are there walls, doors, windows, stairs that may complicate this?
Look at the furniture layout and imagine your furniture. Will it fit? Getting a King sized armoir or bed up to a second floor through a tight stair may be near impossible.
What about the back yard? porches? Can you imagine sitting on your front porch with the morning coffee, or is that next door neighbor too close?
Only after you have satisfied the above do you start looking at the bones of the house, but only briefly, for things that stand out or look odd like old windows, outdated bath fixtures, etc. If you can get past all that and still see yourself living in the house, then a second walk through with a knowledgeable friend, and then you may want to start the real home inspection process, but that usually only occurs during the P&S process.
posted by Gungho at 7:41 AM on June 13, 2012
While I can't comment on your particular realtor, it's not necessarily such a bad thing that she's not chatty. The things I've heard realtors say about some truly terrible houses to point out the good side are pretty silly. Our realtor was very chatty but we still remember some of the "positives" she pointed out and shake our fists at her because when the deal got sticky at the end, she really dropped the ball.
posted by amanda at 7:53 AM on June 13, 2012
posted by amanda at 7:53 AM on June 13, 2012
check attic for discolored wood from leaks; poke at wood on roof awnings window seals, etc; Check water pressure, turn on kitchen sink and bathtub at same time and flush toilets, check for hot water pressure especially in older homes; look under sinks for water damage; take some water back and check for water hardness or look for signs of it around house; inspect water heater, AC, furnace if possible; look for dried or wet moss on cement or where cement hits your house for signs of pooling water; cruise neighborhood at night and during day especially on Friday nights or Saturday;
posted by couchdive at 8:53 AM on June 13, 2012
posted by couchdive at 8:53 AM on June 13, 2012
Unless you have a lot of construction/handyman/real estate/etc. experience, you're going to have to rely heavily on inspectors. As has been noted, there are a few obvious tells, but there's just too much. Do you know what the soil is like in different areas of your town? How likely a house is to settle in a particular area and how long it typically takes? Can you tell how old a roof is by looking? Can you figure out how the plumbing is routed by looking around the house? Do you know electrical code? You need to know all of these things and much more.
If your realtor doesn't know these things, they're not a good realtor or they're not telling you what they know. Find a buyer's agent.
posted by cmoj at 10:48 AM on June 13, 2012
If your realtor doesn't know these things, they're not a good realtor or they're not telling you what they know. Find a buyer's agent.
posted by cmoj at 10:48 AM on June 13, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks for the responses...
Yeah, I'm already mindful of the "outsides" of what I want in a house (location, safety, etc.). It was mainly "how deep do I go the first time around?"
I am doing this alone, unfortunately. My nearest friends and family are a couple hundred miles away.
I agree that my real estate agent is pretty unhelpful, but unfortunately I've tried a number of agents and so far she's been the best in response time - she gets back to me in less than a day, but the other agents took weeks.
posted by Lt. Bunny Wigglesworth at 11:11 AM on June 13, 2012
Yeah, I'm already mindful of the "outsides" of what I want in a house (location, safety, etc.). It was mainly "how deep do I go the first time around?"
I am doing this alone, unfortunately. My nearest friends and family are a couple hundred miles away.
I agree that my real estate agent is pretty unhelpful, but unfortunately I've tried a number of agents and so far she's been the best in response time - she gets back to me in less than a day, but the other agents took weeks.
posted by Lt. Bunny Wigglesworth at 11:11 AM on June 13, 2012
Best answer: I looked for dealbreakers that I might not have screened out from the listing on-line. Mine included:
popcorn ceilings
cramped kitchens
narrow hallways
driveways that sloped down to the garage
busy traffic
houses that were annoying to get to or to leave in a car (e.g. driveways that were very steep or houses that were on streets that didn't allow turns in the direction I would usually want to go)
an inability to walk anywhere from the house
low ceilings
an awkward entryway (e.g. most split-levels)
You don't have to get into electrical or structural stuff the first time you're there. If you decide you're interested you can go for a second look to see things you didn't notice, and then if you make an offer and it's accepted you have a professional come in to do the technical stuff.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:15 AM on June 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
popcorn ceilings
cramped kitchens
narrow hallways
driveways that sloped down to the garage
busy traffic
houses that were annoying to get to or to leave in a car (e.g. driveways that were very steep or houses that were on streets that didn't allow turns in the direction I would usually want to go)
an inability to walk anywhere from the house
low ceilings
an awkward entryway (e.g. most split-levels)
You don't have to get into electrical or structural stuff the first time you're there. If you decide you're interested you can go for a second look to see things you didn't notice, and then if you make an offer and it's accepted you have a professional come in to do the technical stuff.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:15 AM on June 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
Couple of things:
1. How are you finding the agents you're trying to contact? We initially went the "ask colleagues and friends" route but did NOT find good agents that way. On the other hand, checking Yelp for our area uncovered an agent with nothing but glowing reviews--and she was absolutely that good. (We just closed on our dream house a month ago, and there's no way we would have gotten it without her.)
Like other people above, I can give you tips on what we looked for at the first viewing, but honestly the things our agent pointed out that we never would have thought of were so valuable--and so house-specific--that your best bet is to keep looking for someone better to work with. There's a lot of people who do real estate part-time, you may have much better luck going to one of the biggest real estate agencies in town and finding an agent who does a lot of buyers-agent business--they are more likely to be responsive and helpful.
2. Things that we looked for, or that our agent pointed out:
*Before the viewing, check when the house was last sold and for how much; houses that were recently (within last 5 years) bought put my radar up especially high for shoddy, surface-level renovation stuff
*Cracks in the ceiling or near door/window frames (kind of specific to Colorado, we have expansive clay around here and so noticing the wall cracks prevented me from getting my heart set on something that was likely to have foundation issues from shifting soil)
*Houses that were the nicest or largest house on the block--I was almost never aware of this, but my agent was very good at bringing this up, because it means any renovations or additions are much less likely to return your investment (compared to small houses in a neighborhood of much more expensive places)
*More generally, whether the property would have supported expansion (e.g., adding another floor or expanding the footprint) or whether it was at the maximum size for the lot already
*Defects in any of the rooms that we didn't notice or care about, but which were likely to affect resale value--like no windows or small windows in the master bedroom, which I didn't even notice but which could really affect resale value, or third bedrooms that weren't conforming (I was planning on using as an office, so didn't notice the lack of a closet)
Contrary to what others mention above, my agent was most commonly a source of cold water when I would get really excited about a property--she was always pointing out possible problems that I didn't notice. This was very, very useful as a first-time homebuyer as many of the things she was pointing out were things that might have only ended up to be a problem when we were trying to sell, and all of a sudden found our three-bedroom house was only attractive to a small subset of people who had the same slightly non-standard tastes that we did.
posted by iminurmefi at 2:23 PM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
1. How are you finding the agents you're trying to contact? We initially went the "ask colleagues and friends" route but did NOT find good agents that way. On the other hand, checking Yelp for our area uncovered an agent with nothing but glowing reviews--and she was absolutely that good. (We just closed on our dream house a month ago, and there's no way we would have gotten it without her.)
Like other people above, I can give you tips on what we looked for at the first viewing, but honestly the things our agent pointed out that we never would have thought of were so valuable--and so house-specific--that your best bet is to keep looking for someone better to work with. There's a lot of people who do real estate part-time, you may have much better luck going to one of the biggest real estate agencies in town and finding an agent who does a lot of buyers-agent business--they are more likely to be responsive and helpful.
2. Things that we looked for, or that our agent pointed out:
*Before the viewing, check when the house was last sold and for how much; houses that were recently (within last 5 years) bought put my radar up especially high for shoddy, surface-level renovation stuff
*Cracks in the ceiling or near door/window frames (kind of specific to Colorado, we have expansive clay around here and so noticing the wall cracks prevented me from getting my heart set on something that was likely to have foundation issues from shifting soil)
*Houses that were the nicest or largest house on the block--I was almost never aware of this, but my agent was very good at bringing this up, because it means any renovations or additions are much less likely to return your investment (compared to small houses in a neighborhood of much more expensive places)
*More generally, whether the property would have supported expansion (e.g., adding another floor or expanding the footprint) or whether it was at the maximum size for the lot already
*Defects in any of the rooms that we didn't notice or care about, but which were likely to affect resale value--like no windows or small windows in the master bedroom, which I didn't even notice but which could really affect resale value, or third bedrooms that weren't conforming (I was planning on using as an office, so didn't notice the lack of a closet)
Contrary to what others mention above, my agent was most commonly a source of cold water when I would get really excited about a property--she was always pointing out possible problems that I didn't notice. This was very, very useful as a first-time homebuyer as many of the things she was pointing out were things that might have only ended up to be a problem when we were trying to sell, and all of a sudden found our three-bedroom house was only attractive to a small subset of people who had the same slightly non-standard tastes that we did.
posted by iminurmefi at 2:23 PM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
Orientation.
This will be very location specific, but in Sydney I look for any North facing windows to have eaves and few West facing windows. Also having a south -> north wind tunnel really helps cool things down in summer. There are many things you can do to fix a house, but rotating it 90 degrees so that you can use your kitchen on a summer evening is not one of them.
posted by kjs4 at 6:20 PM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
This will be very location specific, but in Sydney I look for any North facing windows to have eaves and few West facing windows. Also having a south -> north wind tunnel really helps cool things down in summer. There are many things you can do to fix a house, but rotating it 90 degrees so that you can use your kitchen on a summer evening is not one of them.
posted by kjs4 at 6:20 PM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
As someone who has their house listed right now, can I make a couple of suggestions on what would be gracious of you/your realtor to do once you go on a walkthrough?
posted by po822000 at 10:21 AM on June 18, 2012
- 1. Give feedback. If you don't like the bedroom size, tell me.
2. Definitely ask before taking photographs. I realize I might be asking for a lot here, but I was reading your initial question and got creeped out that people who are walking through my house might be taking pictures of where my kid sleeps. Maybe photos on the second visit?
3. Close the door behind you and lock it. No, really.
4. Have your realtor leave his/her card on the kitchen countertop on the way out. This lets me know that leaving work early and drawing the ire of my boss to go home and straighten up and get the dog out of the house wasn't in vain.
posted by po822000 at 10:21 AM on June 18, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by metahawk at 10:54 PM on June 12, 2012