When you set up appt to view homes...

When you set up appointments to view homes with your realtor...and you're doing an initial walk through, besides just looking at the rooms, what else are you specifically looking for?

Do you bring a notebook with you to take notes? Can you take pictures?


Sorry this is a stupid question but this is our first time viewing homes and we want to be prepared.

TIA!

Re: When you set up appt to view homes...

In terms of what you look for, it's really up to you to see whether the house meets your criteria. I think you want to focus on things that can't be changed (at least not easily!)-- location, lot size, and layout.

So aside from looking at the interior of the house, you also want to look at the street and the surrounding area. Is there traffic noise? How do the other homes on the block appear? If you are seriously considering a house, you may want to go back at different times of day to get a feel for the neighborhood, noise, traffic, etc.

Also, you'd want to check out the condition of the house. Figure out how much work it needs, if any. And that is really subjective because some buyers consider painting the walls "work" while others would think nothing of building an extension! Look at room size, too. A house may be beautiful and have all the rooms you want, but are they large enough to accommodate your needs and your furniture?

Aside from cosmetics, you'll have a home inspection of course, but you can always check out some basics yourself. Does the roof look older or newer (do the shingles lie flat or buckle? does it look like there are several layers of roof or just one?)? Is it oil or gas fuel for heat? How many zones of heat? How old is the boiler (there's usually a date on it)? Is there a separate hot water heater? Is the electricity upgraded (is it 100 amps? 150? 200?). If there's a basement, does it seem dry (do you see water stains on the walls? is it carpeted? mildew smell?).

As far as what to do, you can always take notes. I offer buyers a checklist/note-taking sheet if they want. But sometimes I think it's better to just focus on observing the house and getting a gut-feel for it. And there is so much info on the listings. Sometimes it just helps to jot down a phrase that will help you remember the house and distinguish it from the others you saw ("green carpet in den" or something) rather than to take extensive notes.

Pictures - I don't know that they are necessary, because you can always schedule a second showing if you want to bring back parents or other relatives to look, and there's so much available on mls and other websites, virtual tours, etc., If the house is occupied, you would definitely want to ask permission if you were going to take any photos. Always remember you are a guest in someone's house, and they still live there, so you want to be respectful of that! If the house is vacant, it probably doesn't matter - no one is there to object! But again, I don't see why you'd need to.