Looking for a new home can feel overwhelming process. You get all excited, dress up a bit, and walk in with this mental checklist of what you want. But after the fifth or sixth showing, all those homes start to blur together. Was it the third house that had the creaky floors or the fifth one? Did that cute colonial have the updated kitchen or was it the split-level?
Hey folks, I’m Alden, and today we’re talking about what you really need to focus on when touring potential homes. I’ve helped hundreds of buyers find their perfect match, and I’ve seen people fall for pretty staging while missing major issues that’ll cost them thousands later.
A recent survey found that 93% of homebuyers regret something about their purchase. Don’t be part of that statistic. Let’s walk through exactly what you should be looking at during those precious 30-60 minutes you have in each property. By paying attention to these details, you can make informed investment decisions and move confidently toward a successful purchase.
Key Things to Look for When Touring a Potential New Home
Finding your perfect home means looking beyond pretty staging to what really matters. Prepare with a personal checklist and the right tools. Inspect both exterior (roof, foundation, grading) and interior (layout, systems, storage) thoroughly. Test everything from faucets to windows.
Here’s the detailed guide on what you should really do:
Preparing for Your Home Tour
Before you even step foot in that first property, you gotta have a game plan. Most buyers just wing it and that’s exactly why they miss important stuff.
First up, bring your phone for pics, a tape measure, a small flashlight, and a notebook. Trust me, that notebook is crucial. After seeing four houses in a row, you won’t remember which one had what without notes.
Make a personal checklist based on your actual lifestyle, not some dream version of it. If you work from home three days a week, that tiny bedroom doubling as an office might not cut it. If you cook almost every night, that cute but cramped kitchen will drive you nuts within a month.
Jake and Sarah, clients of mine, made a brilliant move. They took photos of their furniture and measured everything before house hunting. When touring, they would hold up their phone and say “can our sectional actually fit here?” This saved them from buying a house where their beloved couch would have blocked the only path to the kitchen.
Also, come prepared with questions. The listing only tells you so much. What are the neighbors like? How old is the roof? Has there ever been water in the basement? Why are the owners moving? Sometimes what’s not in the listing tells you more than what is.
Assessing the Exterior and Curb Appeal
Now let’s talk about judging that book by its cover. The outside of the home can reveal a ton about how well it’s been maintained.
Start in the driveway and look up. The roof is one of the most expensive things to replace, costing about $8,000 to $20,000 depending on size and materials. Look for missing shingles, sagging spots, or moss growth. These are red flags that shouldn’t be ignored just because you fell in love with the kitchen.
Walk the perimeter of the house. Are the gutters intact? Is the siding in good shape? Check for cracks in the foundation. Even small cracks can hint at bigger structural issues. One client of mine saved herself $30,000 in foundation repairs just by bending down to check the basement walls during a showing.
Don’t forget to look at the grading around the house. The ground should slope away from the foundation. If it slopes toward the house, you’re looking at potential water problems.
What about the yard? That beautiful landscaping might look amazing now in summer, but imagine maintaining it. Or that massive oak tree might provide great shade but could also drop branches on the roof during storms.
My friend Tom bought a gorgeous house with perfect landscaping, only to realize he was spending every weekend just keeping up with yard work. “I bought a part-time job I don’t get paid for,” he jokes now.
Evaluating the Interior Layout and Condition
Once inside, resist the urge to just ooh and aah at pretty fixtures. You need to think about how the space works.
Is the layout functional for your lifestyle? Open concept sounds great until you realize you can hear the TV from every room in the house. Or that formal dining room looks impressive but if you eat at the kitchen island every night, it’s just wasted space.
Test everything. Flush toilets, run faucets, flip light switches, open and close windows. About 20% of my clients have found issues just by doing these simple tests that the seller hoped nobody would notice.
Look up at ceilings for water stains. They’re often painted over but you can usually spot the outline. Check walls for cracks, especially around doorframes. These might indicate settling issues.
Closets and storage space matter more than you think. A study showed that lack of storage is one of the top five reasons people move. Open those closet doors. Are they stuffed to bursting? That might mean the house doesn’t have enough storage for its current owners, so it probably won’t for you either.
Don’t be fooled by staging magic. That cute bedroom might look spacious because they’ve put a full-size bed in what should fit a queen. Mentally place your furniture in each room. Will your king-size bed fit with nightstands? Can you open the dresser drawers fully without hitting the bed?
My client Rachel fell in love with a staged primary bedroom, only to discover her standard bed frame wouldn’t fit with the door placement. Always measure, folks.
Inspecting Key Functional Systems
Now for the unsexy but super important stuff. The bones of the house.
The electrical panel should be updated and have enough capacity for modern living. If you see a fuse box instead of circuit breakers, budget for an upgrade. Look at outlets. Older homes might not have enough for today’s tech-heavy households.
Check out the HVAC system and water heater. Ask about their age. Most furnaces last 15-20 years, and water heaters about 10. If they’re nearing the end of their life, that’s a negotiation point or a future expense to plan for.
Plumbing issues can be nightmares. Look under sinks for water damage or makeshift repairs. That DIY plumbing fix might save the seller money, but it’ll cost you later.
Windows matter too. Old, single-pane windows will make your energy bills soar. One couple I worked with saved $200 monthly on heating costs after replacing all the windows in their 1960s home. That’s $2,400 a year back in their pockets.
Don’t ignore the basement, even if it’s unfinished. Shine that flashlight in corners looking for water marks or mold. Smell for mustiness. One trick I tell all my clients. If the basement has a dehumidifier running during showing, ask why. It’s often masking a moisture problem.
And for heaven’s sake, don’t skip the attic if you can access it. Poor insulation or roof leaks often show up there first before causing visible damage below.
Understanding the Location and Neighborhood Context
A perfect house in the wrong location is still the wrong house.
Drive through the neighborhood at different times. That quiet street during a Tuesday showing might be parking mayhem on weekends. Check out the neighborhood at night too. Are streetlights working? Does it feel safe?
Research the school district even if you don’t have kids. Schools affect property values. According to the National Association of Realtors, 25% of home buyers consider school quality when purchasing.
What about the commute? My client Mark loved a house until he did a test drive to work during rush hour. The 20-minute weekend drive turned into a 50-minute crawl on Monday morning. He passed on the house and thanked me later.
Consider proximity to things you use regularly. Grocery stores, parks, gyms, restaurants. Will you have to drive everywhere, or can you walk to some places? Studies show people who can walk to amenities report higher satisfaction with their home purchase.
Check what’s planned for the area too. That vacant lot next door could become apartments or a shopping center. The city planning office can tell you what’s in the works.
Think about resale too. You might love being next to the highway for your commute, but that noise might make selling harder later. A lot of buyers ignore this until they try to sell years later.
One client insisted on buying a home on a busy street because it was priced well below the neighborhood average. Five years later, she had to sell for less than comparable homes just a block away on quieter streets.
Conclusion
Finding the right home means looking beyond the freshly painted walls and staged furniture. It’s about imagining your actual life happening in that space, day after day, season after season.
Take your time during showings. A good rule of thumb is about 30 minutes minimum for a serious contender. Don’t let an eager agent rush you.
Trust your gut too. Sometimes a house checks all the boxes but just doesn’t feel right. That matters.
Remember, no house will be perfect. Every property involves some compromise. Know your non-negotiables versus your wish-list items.
The right house is out there. With these tips, you’ll be better equipped to find it among all the pretty but wrong options. Happy house hunting, and may your new home be as free of surprises as possible.
Because in real estate, surprises usually come with dollar signs attached.
