Thursday, May 5, 2011

Tips for Home Buyers Touring Homes

I have come to realize that after showing thousands of homes to potential home buyers, a sequence or pattern should be established on how to actually tour a home.
Here are some reasons for touring each home in a simular pattern.
1) It establishes a routine that keeps a buyer from side tracking or derailing on what offen is non essential.
2) If a buyer tours each home in a simular pattern, it makes it much easier to compare and recall features of the home after touring 6 or 7 homes.
3) You can experience the home as it is meant to be experienced, not as a home inspector randomly moving from room to room.
4) The home is put in it's best presentation, or puts the home in the best light.
Here are some simple techniques I can suggest.
* When you arrive, park on the street, not in the driveway, if off street parking is availalbe. This prevents any oil or fluid droppings from your car from staining the home owners driveway. Also, this gives the buyer a good vantage point for taking in the homes curb appeal, rather than a close up view of garage doors.
* If weather permits, walk around the home first before going into the home. The buyer can observe both the exterior of the home and the neighboring properties. Does the buyer have pets, like to garden? What is the view from the front porch? Back deck? What is the condition of the roof? These are items to consider when walking around a home.
* Walk in through the front door and remove shoes. If the key box is located on a side door, it works best for the agent to enter through the side and open the front door for the buyers.
* View the main level first, starting with the more formal areas, living rooms, dining rooms, then kitchen and family rooms. Then any bedrooms and baths on the main level. If home is empty, the buyer will want to observe window and door openings in rooms to understand where a bed or couch might be located and how it affects traffic flow.
* Next, move to the upper levels and view the bedrooms and baths, always leave the basement and garage for last.
* After touring the entire home, make some notes about the home, and re-visit any rooms or areas that you may have questions about.
* Bring a flash light and a measuring tape or tool.
* At the end of the tour, try to rate the home on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being No Way and 10 being Perfect. Understand that there is rarely a "perfect" home, so don't set your expectations unrealistically.
* Share your thoughts and comments with your real estate agent. This will be very helpful for your agent to know what is important to you, and what you will want to avoid for future showings.