With the holiday season passed, what would you say was the most unpleasant part of that time of year? For me, it was the shopping! It’s emotional and stressful for sure. You want the best you can get for the lowest price… and fast. The longer you have to look, the more aggravating it gets.
When looking at a home for sale, you have that same level of stress and emotion multiplied immensely. Wouldn’t it be nice if the first home you looked at was like a magic moment of perfection and everything just fell into place?
Unfortunately that’s not how life (or home shopping) typically works. And without a doubt, it’s easy to get caught up into the feeling you get each first time you walk into a perfectly staged home that you are considering as your future dwelling. If you’ve decided it’s time to buy a home, don’t get caught up in the hustle and stress. Here are 9 things to watch out for when first viewing a home for sale.
Your First Glance
1. Look at the roof. As you drive down the road, viewing the home from a distance is your best chance to get a good look at the roof. Sure, you will have an inspector to look more carefully, but that usually happens after you’ve made an offer that the seller has accepted. Before that happens however, it’s important to see if the roof has any missing shingles or broken tiles.
2. Front Yard. Make careful note if the front yard appears to be well maintained. If it is, that usually means the rest of the home is also well maintained.
3. Notice the front Door. Is the front entrance clean and well taken care of? Is there any damage? Keeping an eye out for these details as you first arrive and enter will give you clues as to what kinds of future repairs you may be faced with.
Walking through a Home for Sale
4. A smell is worth a 1000 revelations. When you first walk in, look for odd smells, dampness, and pet smells. Smells are very important. It shows how well and how often a home was kept clean or what kind of upkeep the homeowners practiced. Especially look out for those deodorizers. If the home has a strong deodorizer, it’s likely the homeowner is trying to cover up some unpleasant smells.
5. Pay attention to stains, especially water stains. It’s easy to want to look at a space and envision living there, but, more importantly, look for damage and problems. Look for stains on walls and above on ceilings. Give a careful eye for any damp or water stained carpet or drywall dampness. You’re looking for visual clues as to the home’s maintenance over the years.
6. Efficiency. When viewing a home for sale, look for inefficient cooling and heating. Was it very cold or very hot when you first walked in? How different is the temperature in each room? Are some rooms colder or hotter than the rest of the home? Here, you’re looking for general inefficiencies in not only the heating and cooling system, but for clues as to how well insulated the home is.
Before you Leave
7. Look for properly functioning doors. When a door does not function as it was designed to, it could mean there are issues in how the home has settled over time. There could be large cracks in the foundation under the flooring or there could have been an unpermitted addition. You can see signs in uneven steps or changes in grade in the foundation if there was an addition made without a permit.
8. Junction Box. In older homes, look out for a very old junction box. There are many older models that are no longer good and can be a fire hazard. These are those small old sub panels. Federal Pacific is one brand you want to stay clear of. There are times when some homeowners will only replace the outside panel but not the guts. As odd as it may seem, looking under the hood is recommended on your first visit.
9. Clues you can get from the backyard. More important than space and landscaping is how the property has performed against the weather. Is the soil up against the house? Does the water accumulate at the stem wall? These are important clues as to how the backyard ground grade is at funneling water out properly.
Viewing A Home for Sale - Final Thoughts
When you are in a competitive market, it’s easy to get emotionally attached to the first home you see that meets your exact needs. Don’t get wrapped up in the feeling you get when you walk into a home for sale. Try to be more logical. Look for the best return on your investment and avoid that instant attachment. Believe it or not, there are always better homes and better deals. Be patient.
That’s why we at Hoffman Homes Tucson maintain a business model that focuses on relationships over and above making a sale. We won’t hesitate to ask you to back away from a home for sale if we sense it’s not a good investment or if it does not meet your overall goals. We value you and your ongoing relationship long after the sale is done.
