When you go to check out a house that's for sale, you don't want to miss out on the right house for the wrong reasons. The way you approach viewing a house can make the difference between you recognizing one's full potential and letting what could have been the perfect home slip right through your fingers. Try following these ideas when you go to look at a house with your realtor:
Write important features down and check them off as you go
Have your must-haves written down on a piece of paper and keep notes on that paper as you make your way through the home. You may even want to take pictures of important features that you really like so you can remember them once you are home tossing around the idea of putting an offer on the house or deciding if your search isn't yet over. For example, if you really want a house with a large kitchen and a nice island and you see a house with the perfect kitchen and an island that you fall in love with, check it on the list and take a picture so you remember just how awesome that kitchen really was.
Don't let yourself get distracted during the showing
When you go to look at a house you want to give it your full attention. For this reason, it's a good idea to get a babysitter for small children so you don't have to bring them with you. Otherwise, you may spend more time making sure they don't get into things than you put toward actually paying full attention to the features the home has to offer. If you happen to be looking at a house where the sellers are still residing in it, do your best to try to visualize the house with your things in it rather than theirs. Also, while it's one thing to be polite, don't get involved in conversations or you will become distracted and you may miss out on important things you should know about the house if you are seriously considering putting an offer in on it.
Put off seeing a house if you are dealing with a lot that day
It is very important for you to view houses as soon as your realtor suggests them. Otherwise, you can miss out on that perfect home by having someone else get their offer in and accepted before you even have a chance to see it. However, if you are having a very bad day or you are physically ill and exhausted, then you should prolong the viewing until you feel clear headed. It's important for you to make sure you are thinking clearly and that you are going to remember important things about the house.
