A Few Things To Remember When Visiting Homes For Sale
Buying a new home is always exciting, whether it is your first home or your 20th. When you set out with the real estate agent to look at homes for sale, you may feel as if you need to walk through the house, look around a bit, and then move on to the next one. Think about it though, you are looking at a house you may end up living in for a long time. Take your time, go back and forth, looking at different aspects of the place. While roaming the different rooms, here are a few things to look for you may not think about until after you are done for the day and going over what you saw. Be sure to take notes on everything too, if you are visiting more than one place things can get muddled.
Room Sizes
Real estate agents and homeowners work together to stage the rooms to appear bigger, more open, and brighter. Just because a table and chairs fit in the dining room does not mean that your table and chairs and buffet and hutch will fit. It is a good idea to measure the rooms and make note of windows and door openings. You can then take the dimensions home and make sure your furniture will fit without being crowded.
Storage Space
You will probably look at the closets in the bedrooms, and pay attention to the cupboard space in the kitchen. However, it is common to forget to look for other storage for things like the vacuum cleaner, linens, and coats and shoes. You don't want to have to store everything in the basement or attic – if these are present.
Windows
How many windows are in each room? Do they have some type of window treatment that will go with the house? What type of windows are they? Take a good look at the windows, inside and out if possible. Check the frames for any rotting and cracking paint. If they are double-paned, check for moisture between the panes as this could mean they need to be replaced or at least resealed. Windows and their treatments can be a source of heating and cooling loss. You don't want to move in and find out your utility bills are higher than the mortgage.
Don't be afraid to take your time in each home for sale. You shouldn't worry about the color schemes as odds are good you will change it to match your tastes and furniture. You can have a house inspection before buying it to make sure it is structurally sound, safe, water-tight, and that everything works the way it should.
