OPEN HOME CHECKLIST FOR BUYERS

When you visit an open home, every minute is valuable.

You may have multiple houses to view that same day, so you quickly need to size the property up and decide whether it could suit your needs.

Use these questions and prompts as a checklist to make the most of your viewing.

Where is the sun?

Which rooms will be sunny in the morning? Which ones in the afternoon? How will this change throughout the year? It’s so easy to walk through a home looking at its features, without stopping to think about the sun aspect.

Remember, you can change everything about a property, except where it is, and how much sun is available in that spot.

Are there opportunities to improve the property?

Sometimes we can be quick to write off a home without giving due consideration to whether it can be altered to suit our needs. Are there trees that could be trimmed to improve the sun? Or an interior wall that could be removed to create more space? Could a skylight be added to a dark room?

Look past clutter, dark colours and lack of cleanliness.

These three things shouldn’t put you off buying a home. Why? Because they can all be fixed for minimal cost.

Take notes.

If you are viewing multiple houses in short succession, you will quickly learn that it’s hard to remember specific details of every property. Take a notebook with you and jot down notes after each visit. What did you like? What didn’t you like?

Could you live here?

This is the key question to ponder as you leave the property. If the initial answer is ‘no’ then ask yourself why you feel that way. Is it because of things you can potentially fix, like an old bathroom or kitchen? It’s important to be clear on this because if the aspect that is putting you off is something you can change, then you shouldn’t discount the property entirely.

If you aren’t completely sure, schedule a second look in a week’s time. Our opinion of a property can change markedly (for better or worse) once we re-visit it a second time.

Don’t focus on questions you can answer later.

Buyers often end up having long conversations at open homes about price, potentially wasting valuable time they could be using to learn more about the property. You can always discuss price expectations later, either over the phone with your salesperson or at a second visit. Your first viewing though should be all about the property and determining whether you could live there.

Evaluate the salesperson and the experience.

If you have a home to sell then this is a great time to get a read on the salesperson. Are they courteous? Interested, without being overbearing? Are they helpful? Is there good information available?

Would you be comfortable hiring them to sell your property? Would you recommend them to others?

Ready to start looking?

Give us a call to talk through your buying criteria. We can keep you posted on any new properties coming to the market that might suit you.

Do you need an appraisal first?

If you own a home already, you might be wondering how much you would get for it. That will help you work out how much you’ll have to spend on the next home.

The market has moved a lot this year so it’s important you have accurate, up-to-date guidance. We can give you an approximate sale price estimate and also provide tips on where you might be able to add value to your home with minimal expense before going to market.

Call us today to book your free appraisal.