THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CHOOSING & EVALUATING A HOME

We get it, buying a new home can be confusing, frustrating, and exciting all at the same time.  There's just so much to consider whether you're a first-time home buyer or this is your third home. No matter your level of experience in buying homes we thought we would put together a guide that would make your next home purchase easier, faster, and maybe even more enjoyable.

Our checklist is a fillable PDF so you can download it and use it on your iPad or tablet or phone while doing the walkthrough. This allows you to also prepare for contractors post-purchase with a list of projects and what you would like done on the home. 

Home Tours and Checklists

The first time that you walk through a home you should feel a sense of urgency that this is a true contender, possibly “the one.” Yeah, you might have some questions on how much it’s going to cost for remodeling, but Overall you should feel that your search is pretty much done as long as the Price Is Right.  This first walkthrough is to see if you get those butterflies in your stomach that gut feeling that only homeowners can truly describe.

After that initial walkthrough, you're going to want to do walk-throughs two to three times more just to make sure that sense of urgency in that gut reaction that you had before is still there.  These are the walkthroughs where you would use this checklist so that you can go from the emotional feeling of "I must have it" to "I want it but what would be needed after I bought it?

Exterior First

Drive Up Emotions

Long before you put a foot in the door you should be taking mental notes of the streets, parks, and overall feeling as you drive through the neighborhood towards this house showing and walking through. Take note of the amount of parking spaces, how many vehicles you guys might have and whether or not you felt great pulling up to the front of your new home.  Did it just feel right?

The Front Yard

As you pull alongside the curb of your potential new home, take the time to look at the sidewalks and the concrete walkways leading up to the home.  Next, you want to feel and consider the amount of work that the front yard would take to manage. 

Now you need to keep in mind that no home or building is perfect and there are going to be imperfections and you're likely to see them but what you should be considering and keeping a keen eye out for is visible damage to roofs, gutters, windows, home siding, and the garage doors.  Why? Because each of these can cost $2,000 to $20,000 a piece with local contractors.

Interior Walkthrough

The First Few Steps

As you enter your possible new home you're going to be flooded with emotions.  After your first few steps stop and look around and consider whether the layout and the feeling of what you're seeing is what you and your visitors should see for the next 20 years. Again, does it just feel right?

Do you see possibilities or liabilities?

As you walk through the remainder of the home are you thinking about how you would customize every room? Or are you more worried about the work that it would take to rebuild or redesign this home to exactly what you want? 

If you're excited about the customization then this home is a great possibility, but if you begin worrying about all of the work and the cost related to making this your dream home… Stop right then and there, walk right out of this home, and then drive to your new listing. 

There are so many homes that are available in Los Angeles County right now but if you're not feeling a connection and you're looking at the negatives of the home, you’re wasting your time. You're going to be investing a lot of money and time into this venture and if you're not certain of it then you just haven't found the right home. 

Backyard and Property

Can you see relaxation and memories?

If you are buying a home in Los Angeles County when you're considering a backyard it should be tailored towards relaxation and not additional work for you and your family.  If you can begin to visualize yourself and those you care about that you want to spend time with in this backyard making memories, then this home's backyard and or property gets a 5 out of 5 in your book. 

Now that we have gone over the emotional basics to consider in the first open house or walkthrough, you can download our guide on your 2nd and 3rd walkthroughs to get more technical about your buying decisions based on your lifestyle and the remodeling and financial costs that may come with buying this specific home.