Carlsbad buyers! Don't be put off by this title. It's not to imply you are doing something that doesn't make sense (although perhaps you are). But it's about USING your senses when out house hunting in today's market. 

When touring homes it's easy to get distracted - by clutter, or art work, by food, the family dog, the kids in tow, your phone. But paying close attention is key, especially when touring homes that are not in the best of shape, and especially many of the distress sales and REOs.

If you use the senses that you can wisely, you will be able to make a better informed decision at the outset of whether to keep the home on your list or not. If some senses are impaired, pay much more attention to the others, and enlist the help of other folks.

VISION

Well, it's obvious, but you need to use your eyes as you tour the home. Try to take in as much as you can, inside and out. Watch for tell-tale signs of deferred maintenance, things that don't work, stains, and so on. Look for the things that are important to you - the number of baths (with or without both showers and tubs - for some this is a huge matter), appliances, amenities, etc. Check out the view, if that's an issue - it may be what you want, or don't. Bear in mind the clutter will not be there when the sellers move out (presumably) so try not to let it get in your way of making a decision, but also keep in mind clutter may be hiding things - like holes in the rug or walls, among other not-so-nice secrets. A second tour of a home you like can be a very good thing - you may notice things you didn't see the first time. And watch out for dog mines in the backyard if there's a family pet. You get the idea. 

SMELL

this can be a biggie. Don't let food smells or other odors distract you, but pay attention to what you do smell. Do the sellers smoke? What about pet smells? Do things smell musty? Or foul? Sometimes sellers burn scented candles and use air fresheners to make things smell good. Well, OK. But they may be masking other odors. Some odors in homes are not so easily gotten rid off or may signal serious issues. 

HEARING

Depending on what's important to you personally, I'd advise paying close attention to sounds you hear, such as road noises, the neighbors, air traffic, trains, construction, and so on. Some people want things to be particularly quiet so this is important to check out. Keep in mind noise may vary throughout the day, especially on the road, so you may want to check it out at other times so you know if you are OK with it or not. Oh, and listen to what your agent has to say.

TOUCH

Well, I am not going to advise you to touch everything in the seller's homes, especially breakables, or really anything that doesn't belong to you. Nor should the kiddies. Use your common sense (sorry about the pun) and courtesy. But your sense of touch can be useful - feel those bumps in the floor under the rug, the uneven floor boards, the slope in the kitchen floor, wood steps that feel bouncy? 

TASTE

Well, I'm having difficulty with this one. Perhaps the home will just leave a bad taste in your mouth. Oh, sure, try out the cookies IF the seller leaves them out WITH a note for you (it happens). But don't let that distract you from the important duty of checking out the home. 

Making use of your senses when house hunting will enable you to make the bet decision for your particular needs. And that includes common sense - don't go near the growling dog or do other things on the property that could put you in jeopardy.

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If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

All content copyright © 2009 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits