How to tour a house like you’ll have to pay for the repairs
A showing lasts 20 minutes and you’re deciding on the largest purchase of your life. A system helps. Rate every home on the same few things, right after you see it, and look for the expensive problems before the pretty details.
Rate what you can’t change
Paint, flooring, light fixtures and even kitchens can be changed. The location, the lot, the layout, natural light and the street can’t, or not at a reasonable cost. That’s why the scorecard weighs those.
Where the money hides
- Water: stains on ceilings, musty basements, soil sloping toward the house.
- Structure: wide or stair-step cracks, sloping floors, sticking doors.
- Big-ticket ages: roof, furnace, air conditioner and water heater. Each has a label or a date.
- Electrical and plumbing: an old fuse box, very low water pressure.
None of these replaces an inspection, but they tell you which homes deserve an offer. Estimate what’s coming with the home maintenance budget.
Visit twice
Go back at a different time of day. Traffic, noise, parking and light all change. Drive the commute. Stand outside for five minutes and listen.
Deal-breakers beat scores
If you rate anything a 1, pay attention. A high total rarely makes up for the one thing you can’t live with.
Questions buyers ask
What should I look for when touring a house?
Start with what’s expensive or impossible to change: location, layout, signs of water or structural problems, and the age of the roof and major systems. Cosmetic items matter least.
How many houses should I see before making an offer?
There’s no set number. The typical buyer tours about seven, but what matters is seeing enough to recognize good value in your price range, and being pre-approved so you can act when you find it.
What are red flags when viewing a house?
Water stains, musty smells, cracks wider than a pencil, sloping floors, fresh paint in just one spot, heavy air freshener, and sellers who won’t allow inspections.