What to Look for When Touring a House: A Buyer's Guide

You’ve looked at all the online listings and contacted your real estate agent. Now it’s time to tour a house. This is one of the most exciting parts of buying a home. You’ll want to check for many things when you see a house for the first time, including its condition, the size of the yard and the type of neighborhood it is in. 

A professional home inspection is essential if you decide to submit an offer on a house, but this list will help you spot potential issues during a home tour. We’ll guide you through this stage of the homebuying process with the red flags to look for and the questions you’ll want to ask your real estate agent.

Curb appeal is the first thing you, your neighbors and any future buyers will notice. Small factors like the paint, landscaping, and the cleanliness of the driveway, roof and gutters, are a big part of a home’s first impression. Take note of how the house looks when you arrive, but keep in mind that some improvements can be easy and inexpensive to change later.

A roof is among the most expensive parts of a house to fix, so see if yours is in good shape as soon as possible. Look for clogged gutters, missing or broken shingles, dark streaks and visible cracks outside the house. 

Shingles can last between 20 and 30 years, depending on the material, so ask your agent when they were last replaced. Inside, look for water stains on the ceilings and leaks around vents and skylights. These might indicate damage to the roof that you couldn’t see from the outside. 

The amount of outdoor space that you want may be influenced by your lifestyle or your long-term plans. Do you have children and pets who want a big backyard to play in, or would you prefer to avoid spending all your free time doing yard work? 

Either way, you’ll want to make sure that the outdoor space is a good fit. Look out for large or overgrown trees or discolored spots in the grass, too. Having trees trimmed and lawn treatments could be necessary costs of homeownership later. 

Water damage is one of the most common and priciest home repairs. A bubbling, cracking wall or a discolored stain on the ceiling can be an obvious sign of water damage. Another red flag is a strong mildew or mold smell. Take note if there’s a strong air freshener that might be covering a smell. 

“I tell people to walk in and just look up,” says Scooter Burgess, CEO and owner of Burgess Inspections in Richmond, Virginia. “Any black, furry things growing on the walls is a bad thing, or if you can see water stains or mold on the ceilings.” 

The foundation is what your home is built on. The most common types include a crawlspace, basement or slab foundation. A bad foundation can cause costly repairs to the entire house. A proper home inspection can help you determine if the house has a bad foundation, but there are a few tell-tale signs. Check for doors and windows that are difficult to open. Look at the wall and floor condition, too. Large horizontal or diagonal cracks in the walls and uneven floors might be red flags that a more thorough inspection is in order. 

Listen closely when you walk around. Warped wood and bouncy-feeling floors can be signs of water damage, and chips and gaps in the tile or carpeting may indicate shoddy repair. Don’t be afraid to repeatedly walk around the same spot or lift rugs to peek underneath. You never know where an uneven spot or a big stain might be hiding. 

Damage to doors and windows can be annoying at best and dangerous at worst, so take time to open each one. A difficult-to-open door or window can indicate warping or damage to the frame. If everything is hard to open, there could be potential issues with the house’s foundation. Also, look out for squeaky hinges, rusty closures, broken latches or foggy windows. 

The bathroom and kitchen will have many pipes, outlets and appliances to inspect, so take your time in those rooms. Explore the space by opening cabinets, flushing toilets, and running the shower or bath to check for leaks. In each bathroom, give the toilet a wiggle to see if it’s loose. Check for any gaps in the tub and shower and ensure the exhaust fan works. 

A house’s electric system can be massive, but there are simple ways to tackle it and check that it works properly. Turn on every light and fan and see if any lights flicker. An outlet tester is a handy tool that can tell you if the sockets are correctly wired. You can buy one from most home improvement stores for about $10. 

When you examine the sockets, look for sparks, smoke or exposed and eroded wires. Burgess also advises that you should know where the main shut offs for the electricity and water system are in case of an emergency. 

Leave no faucet unturned. Turning on a tap can tell you a lot about a home’s plumbing. Feel the water pressure, see how long it takes the water to turn hot or cold and look out for any leaks. Also, watch for the color. Discoloration when you turn a faucet on could be a sign of rusty pipes. 

You can test the drains in a house by filling a sink and seeing how quickly it drains once unplugged. If you have extra time, explore the basement or shine lights in the crawlspace to check for drainage issues. “A dry house is a happy house,” says Eric Babcock, president of Eric Home Inspex in Midlothian, Virginia. “Make sure the house has good drainage and doesn’t have any water in the basement and the crawlspace.”

Ask your agent if the home is heated by oil, gas or electricity. Knowing which systems the house has will give you a better idea of what you need to inspect. It can also give you an idea of the monthly utility bill. Also, keep your ears open during the tour. Is the HVAC system quiet? Noisy HVAC systems might need to be repaired or even replaced. 

Poor insulation can lead to a drafty house and high bills, especially in the winter. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests looking at weatherstripping around the windows and doors, and noting if it is peeling, missing or damaged. If you are touring during the winter, look for larger-than-average icicles on the roof or gutters, which can also indicate poor insulation. If you can tour the attic, check to see if you can easily spot insulation material like fiberglass or mineral wool. 

Assess the square footage of the rooms to ensure that they offer the space you need. Do you prefer an open floor plan without separation between rooms, or do you want something with a bit more privacy? Consider the number of bedrooms you want and whether those rooms will accommodate your needs in the future. 

Will you have enough room to turn one of the rooms into a nursery or home office? Bring a tape measure and check the size of the rooms to determine if they are big enough for any furniture you already have. 

Count the number of closets and cabinets in the bedrooms and bathrooms, and consider whether they are big enough for your needs. Remember that if you don’t have enough built-in storage space, you may need to add extra dressers and shelves, which will take up space. 

If you’re trying to take advantage of natural light, it is important to note the number of windows you have and the direction they face. South-facing homes typically have more natural sunlight during the day. Consider the time of day and season, too. The natural light might change throughout the day or at a different time of year. 

If you’re touring a house for the first time, these are the items (and questions) that will help you better understand the history of the home that you are viewing.

Bring along all of the “decision makers” along when you tour a house. This includes other people who will be living in the house or helping you pay for it. It also helps to have a few tools to help you look around, including a tape measure tape and your phone, which can be used as a camera, flashlight and notepad. 

During the tour, consider writing a list of questions. Measure different spaces and shine a flashlight in dark areas like a crawlspace, attic or unfinished basement. 

If you plan to make an offer, you should be certain that the home’s listing price is within your budget. You’ll want a preapproval letter from your lender, especially if the home is in a hot market where listings sell quickly. 

Here are a few key questions to ask your real estate agent. The answers can give you considerable insight into a home’s condition.  

• Do you have any concerns about this home?
• How long has this home been on the market?
• Are other homes in the neighborhood being sold right now? 
• Why is the home for sale?
• How often has the home been sold in the last 10 years?
• How old is the home?
• Are any repairs needed?
• What type of heating and cooling systems are in place?
• How old are the electrical and plumbing systems?
• How old is the roof?
• How old are the appliances?
• Is there a pre-listing home inspection?

Take notes about what you like and dislike, and jot down any questions you have for your agent or the seller. It’s wise to photograph each room and outside the home. This can help you remember all the details of areas where you may have questions or concerns.

You’re not just deciding on a house. You’re also deciding on a neighborhood, so make sure it fits your needs. 

If you’re outdoorsy, are there any parks or hiking trails close by? If you’re a foodie, what kinds of restaurants are around? Research the local schools, too. Even if you don’t have children, the quality of nearby schools can impact your property value.

Pay attention to any noise you can hear during your tour, whether it is traffic or your neighbors’ kids playing in the backyard. Consider how that noise level might change on weekends or evenings, and ask yourself if it fits your comfort level and lifestyle. Take some time to research the crime and safety in the area. You can conduct a neighborhood search on Homes.com to see crime and safety scores that are provided by CAP Index. 

If you work in an office, check how far the home is from your job and how you will get there. Are there major highways nearby, or will you need to take the long way around? You can find the local Walk Score and Transit Score with a neighborhood search on Homes.com, which will help you determine the best way to commute.

The neighborhood around the home may change over time. Check the local news, and ask people who live in the area if there are any significant changes coming up. These might include new developments, changing school zones or updates to local roads. These changes could impact daily life and influence property values.