3 Things to Consider when Looking at A House in Person

When I go through a house with a client, one of the first questions they ask me is, ‘What Should I be Looking At/For?’. Let’s be honest, we’re not taking a trip up on the roof, and we’re not taking the cover off the electrical panel (would we even know what we’re looking at??), and we’re definitely not testing the temperature differential between the heat registers and the return vents. You can get a home inspection for that stuff, don’t worry!

And while I can certainly point things out as we walk through the home (good and bad), here are the three things that I remind buyers to think about.

You Can’t Change Location

Where you live determines your community, what restaurant/shops you’re close to, your proximity to transportation, your school district, where you work etc. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to purchase a house if you don’t love its location. It’s one of the things that you absolutely cannot change no matter how much money you have for the home purchase.

You Can’t Change the Layout of Your Home

Alright, technically, you can change the interior layout of your home. But the truth is, it’s probably easier to find a different home that you actually like the layout of already. For instance, do you wish the home’s relatively updated kitchen was towards the back of the house rather than to the left as soon as you walk in? Or do you wish all 3 bedrooms downstairs were upstairs with the other 2 bedrooms? These are major changes that you will most likely not get your money back from. Not loving the general layout of the home? My suggestion would be to continue on your search or buy a fixer upper that you can really make your own.

You Can Change Paint Colors & Fixtures

I know it’s hard to unsee a room painted bright purple or very specific (aka ugly) light fixtures throughout the house but these things can be changed! In fact, the odds of you liking every single color or light fixture that the seller chose is extremely rare. You will most likely want to paint any house that you buy and update a few fixtures along the way. In my personal experience, paint and light fixtures make the biggest difference in a home. And those tend to cost less than some of the bigger upgrades (appliances, flooring, windows, vanities etc).