{"id":199,"date":"2015-09-04T21:11:53","date_gmt":"2015-09-04T21:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/?p=199"},"modified":"2025-01-20T14:56:18","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T14:56:18","slug":"never-ignore-7-things-open-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/homeowners-insurance\/tips-for-homeowners\/never-ignore-7-things-open-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Never Ignore These 7 Things at an Open House"},"content":{"rendered":"

When looking for a new home, buyers are often taken in by the fresh paint and the staging, leaving themselves vulnerable to an impulse buy. A lot more goes into choosing the perfect house than the obvious aesthetics. After all, you wouldn\u2019t buy just any homeowners insurance policy<\/a> without doing a little research and being sure you were properly covered, would you?<\/p>\n

Touring a home isn\u2019t like a home inspection, but if the rooms are bright and cheery, the bathrooms are clean and remodeled; you may be drawn into what the realtor or seller is trying to accomplish \u2013 to snag a buyer who can qualify for the loan.<\/p>\n

If that happens to be you, don\u2019t overlook 7 important things that could make the difference between moving into your dream house \u2013 or regretting getting caught up in the heat of the moment. Your first walk through is an opportunity to see if the place is right for you and your family. Is the square footage enough? Is the layout right? Are the appliances new or will they need to be upgraded?<\/p>\n

While those are all important factors to consider when house shopping, there are 7 more that require attention to make it the perfect home.<\/p>\n

1. The neighborhood<\/h2>\n

Before you even get out of the car \u2013 take a close look at the neighborhood \u2013 including the condition of neighboring homes and landscaping. Are there a lot of cars parked on the street, driving by, or abandoned in driveways or on lawns? Is the house in close proximity to shopping or other amenities, such as schools? Check recent crime rates by visiting Homefacts.com<\/a> or NeighborhoodScout.com<\/a>. You don\u2019t want to move into a neighborhood that comes with a fear factor.<\/p>\n

2. The landscaping and exterior<\/h2>\n

Generally, sellers will make every effort to give the front yard curb appeal by mowing and watering the lawn, pruning shrubs, planting fresh flowers, and pulling weeds. Look closely for signs of care or neglect. Are the trees healthy and well-maintained? What kind of shape is the fence or block-wall in?
\nCracks in the wall means only one thing \u2013 it\u2019s eventually going to come down.
\nDefects in hardscape like concrete walkways or patios should ultimately affect your offer as you\u2019ll more than likely have to fix them yourself at your expense later on.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook the home\u2019s exterior \u2013 condition of the paint, siding, eaves and gutters. Needless to say, you won\u2019t be able to check the roof or foundation, but find out as much as possible from the seller since they will eventually have to disclose it or risk a future potential lawsuit.<\/p>\n

3. Structural integrity<\/h2>\n

The majority of realtors who are trying to accommodate sellers with a quick sale at top dollar will hire professional stagers to help show off the home in the best possible light \u2013 which may involve painting the walls, decluttering areas, and the repositioning of furniture to hide flaws and make rooms appear larger. But, you\u2019re not there to admire the furniture or its placement.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re looking for obvious signs of structural weakness, such as condition of the floors for water damage from a cracked foundation, cracks in walls, or obvious signs of patching, if recently painted. Also, how easily do the all the doors and cupboards open and close?<\/p>\n

4. The layout<\/h2>\n

If you already have furniture, how well will it fit? During the open house, try to imagine your oversized pieces and their placement. Will they be too big, clear doors and windows? You should also get a feel for the rooms and available space for you, your family and your pets. Will the number of bedrooms and bathrooms accommodate all members comfortably? Check the closets and storage areas throughout the house \u2013 and the garage. Is the dining room large enough for your wife\u2019s grandmother\u2019s table and six chairs? Better you know it fits perfectly ahead of time than when you\u2019re moving in.<\/p>\n

5. Light, noise and privacy<\/h2>\n

As you do your initial walk-though each room, take note of the light. Are they dark or cheery? Will the rising or setting sunlight stream into the room, leaving a glare on the television screen in the living or family room, or computer screen? In addition, listen for neighborhood noise, such as barking dogs, traffic and railway noise, as well as the disturbing sound of trucks and cars coming from a highway or freeway a few miles away.<\/p>\n

6. Major systems<\/h2>\n

Prior to buying the house and having a home inspector go through it, take a close look at the home\u2019s appliances and major systems like the heating and cooling units, water heater, and garage door opener. Without being too conspicuous, use your smartphone to snap a few pictures of items you might have questions about so you can discuss them later when negotiating an offer.<\/p>\n

7. Resale value<\/h2>\n

If the house across the street or either side of you is in shambles, but you decide to put an offer on the house anyway, just remember \u2013 it will affect the resale value.
\nNot only that \u2013 but, you never know what the future holds \u2013 from a new job, to a new addition to the family, or even a new hobby like restoring a boat or classic car \u2013 and the new home you thought was perfect for you when you bought it may not be right for you later on.<\/p>\n

By planning ahead, you\u2019ll have a much better chance to sell the house easily and at a price that you\u2019re comfortable with. Don\u2019t make quirky changes to the house that might put off future buyers. Though it may sound silly, as you’re thinking about moving into the house, you should also be thinking about moving out of it.<\/p>\n

Whatever you do \u2013 don\u2019t rush into a deal. Be sure to remember these 7 things to never ignore when going through an open house.<\/p>\n

The same can be said about homeowners insurance<\/a>. You never want to rush into picking the right policy for your needs \u2013 especially when you can find the best homeowners insurance rates by getting a free homeowners insurance quote<\/a> from Freeway Insurance online or by calling (800) 777-5620<\/strong> to speak with a live agent.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When looking for a new home, buyers are often taken in by the fresh paint and the staging, leaving themselves vulnerable to an impulse buy. A lot more goes into choosing the perfect house than the obvious aesthetics. After all, you wouldn\u2019t buy just any homeowners insurance policy without doing a little research and being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1002628,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[103,105],"importance":[],"type-content":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1002628"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6944,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions\/6944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199"},{"taxonomy":"importance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/importance?post=199"},{"taxonomy":"type-content","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-content?post=199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}