This article from Money Crashers gives up the secret of what to look for! According to the article “When you walk into an open house, it’s easy to get distracted by the beautiful living room or the perfectly staged bedrooms. However, you need to pay attention to the details of the home to determine if it’s a good buy, or a dud with serious problems.”
So, what do you need to look for?
1. Any Kind of Damage or Neglect
Every home is going to have some wear and tear. However, what you want to look for are obvious signs of damage or neglect:
2. The Neighbors
When you buy a home, you’re also buying neighbors too. Look carefully at the people you might be living next to (this includes any homes that border the backyard as well).
3. Closet Space
You might not think closet space would be a deal-breaker, but once you’re in your new home for six months and there’s no room for any of your stuff, you’ll think otherwise.
4. Privacy
As you walk through the home, look through each and every window. Is there some distance between you and your next-door neighbor, or can they see your freckles when you’re at the window?
5. Natural Air Flow
Look carefully at how the home is laid out. Are the doors and windows positioned so that you can open everything up and take advantage of the breeze come summer?
6. Other Buyers
It can be helpful to people watch for a few minutes before walking into an open house, since the behavior of people coming and going can give you some important clues.
For more on open house tips, a link to the full article can be found HERE
