6 DO's and DON'Ts of Touring Houses

6 DO's and DON'Ts of Touring Homes

Now that you have your pre-approval letter, it's time to start touring homes!

There is one piece of quick homework to do prior to touring homes:

We'll have you sign an agency disclosure form. 

What that form does is outline the roles and responsibilities that your agent has to you. 

We'll give this to you before there's any sharing of confidential information. 

Two important things to understand about the agency disclosure:

Again, this is just a disclosure stating my fiduciary responsibility to you and what I expect from you as a client. 

Now, as we begin to tour homes here are a few DO's and DON'Ts to keep in mind. 

DO - Keep lines of communication open. 

You may find that your criteria changes. Maybe, the fourth bedroom you thought you needed is no longer as important as a finished basement. Whatever it is, keep me updated so we can be sure we're looking for the right houses for you! 

DO - Keep the number of people touring the home to a minimum.

Try to avoid bringing the whole extended family and all your friends when looking at homes. We want to stay focused on what is important to YOU. This is YOUR house and YOU will be the one living there. 

DO - Keep your children with you.

There are many new and interesting things to see when touring homes that are very exciting for kids.  Their natural curiosity drives them to want to explore and immerse themselves in the environment.  

There is a time and place for this exploration…walking through someone else's home, with all of their personal belongings, is not the time, nor the place. Just hold their hand during the tour and let them experience the home right along with you. 

DO - Assume the seller is watching.

In the technology enabled world of today, it is very common for homeowners to have some sort of monitoring devices throughout their home.  

Declaring how much you love a house or how gaudy you find the taste of the decor isn’t recommended.  The seller may hear this via their installed tech and it could impact your negotiating position later if you decide to place an offer on the home. 

DON'T - Wear bare feet.

We love sandals in the summer!  But it’s best to bring socks or booties to wear over your shoes.  We don’t know what is on the floor of different homes and especially if a home has done any recent renovations, there could be nails, staples, glass or other objects for you to cut your feet on. Be on the safe side and cover those feet!

DON'T - Use the bathroom.

The seller's home is not a public restroom. We usually are not out touring homes more than a couple of hours, so plan ahead. If you have to stop at a public restroom prior, or in between houses, just communicate that with us.

DON'T - Bring coffee into the home.

Food and drinks need to be left in the car. The last thing we want is to spill coffee on the floor of someone’s house.  And yes, it has happened!!

DON'T - Take pictures or videos.

Food and drinks need to be left in the car.  The last thing we want is to spill coffee on the floor of someone’s house.  And yes, it has happened!!

This wraps up our DO’s and DON'Ts for touring homes.  Now let’s go look at some houses!