Home Shopping Tips

Here are some pointers for looking at properties, whether at open houses or private showings with us: 

Walk through the home twice. You’ll be surprised by what you notice on the second go-round.

Open every door, even if you think it’s just a closet. Hey, it might be a closet!

Take notes, keep a list of the things you like and don’t like, and compare them to your list of what you need and want in a home. (Ask us for our buyer tour sheet!)

Ask us for our tape measurer. That way you’ll know if your dining table, bed or sofa will fit in a room.

Pay attention to outside noise. If quiet enjoyment of your home is a priority, stick around long enough to get a sense of what you’ll hear in the neighborhood — whether it’s noisy neighbors or landing airplanes. Also note time of day.

Use Google Maps to check the neighborhood view from above. (Yikes! There’s a landfill/railroad tracks/drainage ditch right there?) Google Earth has a “light meter” feature that shows sun exposure, too.