What Should You Look for During a Home Showing?

You finally find a house online that checks the boxes. The location looks right, the photos look great, and the price fits your budget.

Then you schedule a showing—and may have only 15 to 30 minutes to decide whether this is a home you want to pursue.

So what should you actually be looking at?

The first showing isn't the time to conduct your own home inspection, and you don't need to examine every outlet or figure out how old the furnace is before leaving.

Instead, use that limited time to answer a more important question:

Does this property work well enough for me to take the next step?

Here's where to focus.

Before You Even Walk Inside, Look Around

Your showing starts before you open the front door.

Pay attention as you approach the property.

What's the surrounding neighborhood like? How busy is the street? What's next door and behind the property? Is there commercial property nearby? Train tracks? Power lines? Apartment buildings? An alley?

Look at the neighboring properties and general condition of the block.

You can renovate a kitchen.

You can't move the house.

Location and surroundings are among the things that are hardest—or impossible—to change later.

Start With the Layout

Once inside, try not to immediately get distracted by finishes and decorating.

First ask:

Does the layout actually work for how I live?

Walk through the house naturally.

Where do you enter every day? Is there somewhere for coats, shoes and bags? How does the kitchen connect to the living space? Are bedrooms where you want them? Is there a bathroom where you need one?

Imagine your normal routine rather than simply touring rooms.

A beautiful kitchen doesn't solve a floor plan you dislike.

And changing a floor plan can be considerably more complicated and expensive than changing paint, flooring or countertops.

Pay Attention to Room Size—not Furniture

Listing photos can make rooms appear larger than they feel in person.

Stand in the rooms and think about your own furniture.

Will your bed fit comfortably in the primary bedroom?

Where would the television go?

Can your dining table fit without blocking a walkway?

Is there enough room for a home office if you need one?

Don't let staging make these decisions for you. A room containing perfectly scaled furniture may look fantastic while still being too small for the way you intend to use it.

Look Past the Cosmetics

Paint colors, furniture, decorations and even some finishes are relatively easy to change.

Try to separate things you don't like from things that are difficult or expensive to change.

You may hate the purple bedroom.

That's paint.

You may dislike the light fixtures.

Those can be replaced.

You may not love the kitchen cabinet color.

That may be manageable.

But a house that's too small, has an awkward layout, lacks the yard you need or sits in a location you dislike presents a very different problem.

Don't reject the right house because of someone else's decorating choices.

And don't fall in love with the wrong house because it was decorated beautifully.

Look Up

Buyers naturally spend most of a showing looking straight ahead.

Occasionally, look up.

Notice ceilings and the areas around windows.

You're not trying to diagnose the property, but visible staining, discoloration, cracking or other unusual conditions may be worth asking about.

If something catches your attention, take note of it.

If you eventually pursue the property, your home inspector can evaluate the home much more thoroughly.

Look Down

Floors can tell you quite a bit about how a home feels.

Do they feel level as you walk through the property? Are there areas that feel unusually soft or uneven?

Look at the condition of hardwood, tile and carpeting.

Again, don't try to diagnose the cause of something during a showing.

The objective is simply to notice it.

If you find yourself saying, "That's interesting…", make a note so you can ask about it later.

Use Your Nose

This sounds simple, but pay attention to how the house smells.

Strong air fresheners don't automatically mean someone is hiding something—but don't let fragrances prevent you from noticing other odors.

Musty smells, smoke, pet odors or other unusual smells may deserve additional attention.

Basements are particularly worth noticing.

A basement doesn't need to smell like a department store. But if something seems unusual, remember it for a possible second showing or inspection.

Take a Good Look at the Basement

If the home has a basement, don't spend the entire showing upstairs.

Walk the perimeter if it's accessible.

Look generally at the foundation walls, floor and mechanical area. Notice whether you see staining, cracking, patched areas or other conditions you may want to ask about.

Check how much of the basement is accessible.

A beautifully finished basement can be a great feature, but finished walls and ceilings also mean you can see less of the underlying structure and mechanical systems.

That's not necessarily a problem. It's simply something to understand.

Find the Mechanical Systems

You don't need to become an HVAC technician during a showing, but locate the major systems.

Where are the furnace and water heater?

Does the electrical panel appear accessible?

Where is the laundry?

If you can readily see equipment labels or installation dates, great—but don't spend ten minutes researching model numbers on your phone.

There will be time for more detailed investigation if you decide to move forward.

Your initial goal is awareness.

Think About Storage

Storage tends to get overlooked when buyers are excited about a house.

Open closets where appropriate.

Look at pantry space, bedroom closets, linen storage, garage space and basement storage.

Then think about what you actually own.

Where will the vacuum go?

Holiday decorations?

Golf clubs?

Luggage?

Kids' equipment?

Tools?

The things you own need somewhere to live too.

Look Outside

Don't skip the exterior because your showing appointment is almost over.

Walk around the property when possible.

Look at the general condition of the roof, siding, masonry, windows, driveway, deck, porch, garage and other exterior components.

Notice the grading around the house and how neighboring properties relate to the lot.

Also evaluate the yard for what you need.

Is it large enough? Too large? Is there privacy? Does it work for pets, entertaining, gardening or whatever matters to you?

Look Beyond the Property Lines

This is especially important when you're unfamiliar with the neighborhood.

What's directly behind the house?

What happens at the end of the block?

Where does that nearby road lead?

A quiet street at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday may feel very different at 5:30 p.m. on a weekday.

If you're seriously considering the home, it can be worthwhile to return to the area at a different time of day.

At an Open House, Don't Feel Rushed

An open house gives you a slightly different opportunity.

You may have more freedom to walk through at your own pace, but there may also be other buyers moving through the property.

Don't let a crowded open house create artificial pressure.

Other people showing interest in a home doesn't change whether the property works for you.

Use the same process you would during a private showing: evaluate the location, layout, space, condition and things that would be difficult to change.

If you're interested afterward, your real estate broker can help you investigate further.

Don't Try to Do the Inspector's Job

This is worth emphasizing.

A showing is not a home inspection.

You aren't expected to determine whether the electrical system is safe, diagnose foundation movement, evaluate the roof's remaining life or determine whether a stain represents an active leak.

That's why professional inspections exist.

During your showing, you're looking for observations and questions.

If you decide to purchase the property and your contract provides for an inspection, a qualified inspector can spend considerably more time evaluating the home's systems and components.

Take Photos—but Take Notes Too

If permitted, photos can help you remember a property after several showings start blending together.

But a simple note on your phone can be even more useful.

After each showing, write down:

Three things you liked.

Three things you didn't like.

Anything you need to investigate.

Then give the property an overall reaction while it's fresh in your mind.

After seeing six houses in a weekend, you'll be glad you did.

Focus on What You Can't Easily Change

If you remember only one thing during a showing, make it this:

Spend most of your limited time evaluating the things that are difficult to change.

That generally means:

Location. Layout. Lot. Size. Major property characteristics.

Cosmetic items deserve consideration, particularly when you're budgeting for improvements, but they're usually easier to change than the fundamentals of the property.

The goal of a first showing isn't to learn everything there is to know about a house.

It's to decide whether you've seen enough to want to learn more.

What Happens If You Like the House?

Don't feel as though you need to make a decision while standing in the kitchen.

Once you've finished the showing, your real estate broker can help you look more closely at the property.

That may include reviewing comparable sales, property disclosures and available documents, understanding local market conditions, identifying questions for the listing broker and discussing the potential terms of an offer.

In some situations, a second showing may also make sense.

Then, if you decide to move forward, you can make that decision with considerably more information than you had during those first 20 minutes.

Make Those 20 Minutes Count

A home showing goes quickly.

Don't spend all of it admiring the kitchen backsplash or deciding where the couch would go.

Look at the property from the outside in. Evaluate the location, layout, room sizes, basement, exterior and overall condition. Notice things that deserve further investigation, but don't try to perform an inspection yourself.

Most importantly, think about whether the home works for the way you actually live.

At AED Realty, we help buyers look beyond the listing photos, understand the property they're considering and make informed decisions throughout the homebuying process.

Explore our Buyer Resources, read our Step-by-Step Guide to Buying a Home in Illinois, search current Properties for Sale, or contact AED Realty to start your home search.

Clarity. Strategy. Execution.