So, you’ve got a list of features you definitely need in a house, and a second list of things you know you want. If not, check out our last post here. (Knowing What You Want) That’s a great start and can help put us on the same page when it comes to searching for that just right property. Before we take your time to unlock the doors of your potential dream homes and do some tours, it’s helpful for you to take a few moments to check them out.
Once we’ve got your preferences dialed in, we can send you a list of potential properties we feel might be a good fit. Depending on how specific your list, we may start a little broader and narrow down the search. You can save us some time if you take a little scouting trip!
Pro tip! If you’re out of town, you can use Google Maps street view to get a feel for neighborhoods and curb appeal, if you can’t visit the properties in person.
Do some advance scouting.
Things are getting serious by this point. You’ve probably got your pre-approval, and a timeline for your move, and we are thrilled to show you homes, but that takes some advance planning. It’s not okay to walk up unannounced to homes, even those that are for sale. We do suggest however, you do some drive bys to get your initial impression.
- Curb appeal is important. When you pull up to a property, take a few minutes to take it all in. If you’re the DIY type, you can even consider adjustments, or improvements that might create a different first impression. If you hate it, mark it off, we’ll never make you look at ugly houses.
- What’s your initial reaction? Love it, hate it, or don’t know? Rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 if that helps. Anything above a 3 is probably worth seeing inside.
- Check out the neighbors houses too. You might see things that convince you one way or the other.
- If you can’t decide about a house, set it aside, see some more and come back to it.
- Drive the neighborhood. Is the location right? Do you like the feel of it? What about the commute? Do you have any questions or concerns?
- Take notes, trust us, once you’ve seen a dozen houses, you won’t remember everything about this one.
- Use your phone to take pictures of things you like, or that concern you, for further consideration.
- Outside the neighborhood, what is the area like? Does it feel like home? What’s nearby that might convince you one way or the other.
- Weed out the houses you don’t like! Please, you won’t hurt our feelings. Our searches are based on your specifications and the available properties for sale and we promise not to take it personally.
- We don’t want to waste your time, or ours either. When you take a realtor’s time, remember, they are paid by the sale, not the hour, so be mindful of their schedule.
- Home owners take time out of busy schedules to vacate their homes for tours as well, so eliminating homes you don’t like, helps them maintain some normality while they are going through their own transition.
- As results get filtered out, we get closer to understanding exactly what you are looking for and we can make better recommendations.
We promise we’ll give you our honest, professional opinion as well.
There are times when we know things about a home’s features you simply cannot tell from a drive by. If your agent feels that a home is a good fit for you, they may recommend you add it back to your list. Understand, we are here for you, and we’ll never sell you something you don’t want, but when you hire a professional, be sure to consider their advice. After all, it’s good for business for us to have happy customers, and nothing does that like finding the right house.
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