How to Prepare to Tour Homes
It's that time in your home search process to tour homes and go to showings. This is an exciting part of your home search journey! To help get you ready, Your Favorite Real Estate Team has put together a great list of items you should bring with you to your home tours to make the most of your time. Keep reading to check it out and learn more!
Loan Pre-Approval
While this isn't exactly an item you can bring with you, it is a good idea to have this before going on home tours. Once you have picked several homes to tour, you will know the price-point you are interested in and can apply for pre-approval with a mortgage loan company. Pre-approval is a very positive thing in sellers' eyes. With pre-approval, you won't have to wonder whether or not you can afford the home you fall in love with.
Camera
You don't have to bring a professional camera, by any means. But make sure you have a way to take pictures as you tour homes. You might think it will be easy to remember everything you saw in each house, but you would be surprised how quickly you forget the little details. Did the 4-bedroom home have the steep driveway, or was that the other house in the deepwater cove? You don't want to be asking yourself these questions while trying to make such a big decision. When you first get to the house, take a picture of the address or at least the front of the home. Then every time you note something that you do or don't like, snap a photo. It will make sorting much easier later on as you try to decide which home is right for you.
Tape Measure
Most homes have the measurements for bedrooms written on the public listing, but not every room will have exact dimensions listed. While the square footage will be easy to find on the listing, the measurement from a wall to the window won't be. If you have a couch that you can't imagine parting with, it could be important to measure out the space where it would live and make sure it will fit! Being able to visualize your life in the house is a very important part of feeling comfortable with making the decision to buy a home.
Another great reason to bring a tape measure to home tours is if you plan on buying a lakefront lot. The depth of the water in the home's cove could be a make-or-break point. If the dock making contact with the ground in the winter is a sticking point, then it will be important to take your own measurements to have that peace of mind.
Temperature Sensor
This is not exactly necessary but it could make a big difference in your decision. These devices are relatively cheap and can be found in a lot of hardware stores. They look a bit like a heat gun, and they sense the temperature of the area where you aim. Point this device down each vent as you walk through the home. All of the vents should be relatively close to one another, give or take a couple degrees. If you notice that they are drastically different, this could mean that the air ducts in the HVAC are not efficient or that they have a leak. If you love everything else about the home, it could be important to get an inspection done on the HVAC before making your final decision.
Small Plug-In Item
Grab something like a nightlight that you know works well and bring it with you on the home tour. Plug it into each outlet as you go to ensure there are no dead outlets in the home. A dead electrical outlet could mean there are serious issues in the electric. While this is definitely not a complete test, it could help you quickly rule out a dangerously wired home.
Lake of the Ozarks Real Estate
Touring homes is fun and exciting, but it's also something that you should be prepared for in order to make the most of the time you have in your potential new home. Your Favorite Real Estate Team has the best realtors at the Lake of the Ozarks, and we are here to help you enjoy the home buying experience as you find your dream home at the Lake.
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