What do I do at an Open House? A First-Time Home Buyer's Guide

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You've been stalking Zillow listings for months, you drive around your favorite neighborhoods looking for moving trucks or For Sale signs, and your Pinterest boards are fully stocked with inspo boards.

Congrats! You are about to get real.

If you are first-time home buyer, it's likely that you feel overwhelmed with the thought of the process ahead of you, and rightfully so. It's a big one. But fear not, because I'm here to help!

In this blog, I'm sharing with you exactly what you need to do and say when you go to an open house.

Save the link below for later; our next lesson is when you move into your new home :)

FIRST THINGS FIRST AT THE OPEN HOUSE

1. Usually, when you first walk into an Open House, you will be greeted by the listing agent or another agent who is hosting. They will likely ask you to sign in, which is 1) to have a record of visitors for the sake of the sellers, and 2) so the listing agent can follow up with you to get feedback that they can provide to their sellers.

   
   

   *Pro tip: If you already have a Buyer Representation Agreement with another agent, you may write that agent's name on the sign-in sheet; that way, you don't have to worry about another agent bothering you for feedback.

   
   

2. Keep in mind that the Open House agent represents the seller, so their primary job is to educate you about the home, answer your questions, and try to get you to buy the house. So use them as a resource, but don’t say too much about your level of interest, in case you decide to make an offer, and you’ll need a buyer agent for that (more on buyer agents another time).

So you are walking around the home and you seem to like it. What should you look for? Besides the obvious: does the layout of this housework for me, or are there enough beds, baths, etc, here are some less obvious things to look at, and to look out for.

OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE

Things to look for:

• Rotting wood - deck, wood siding, wood trim or columns.

  • Question for the agent: Do you know how often the sellers have to replace the exterior wood? Do they have any issues with termites or wood destroying insects?

    *Pro tip: NEVER skip the termite inspection when you purchase a home, no matter how old/new the home is. I've seen my fair share of termite damage, but also common are carpenter ants or carpenter bees, which bore holes in wood.

    
    

• Anything that looks like it would be difficult or costly to maintain, such as:

  • Lots of trees close to the house means that you will have to clean the gutters more often and have the trees trimmed frequently.

  • Intricate gardens or plantings require LOTS of maintenance and care to keep looking good.

  • Wood decking requires more maintenance than composite (like Trex) decking.

    • Questions for the agent: Are there gutter guards? OR how often do the seller have to clean the gutters?

      
      

• Do you see any sloping/cracked concrete as you walk up to the house or gaps in the steps or front porch? This could mean possible water intrusion.

  
  

• What is the exterior material of the house? Brick, vinyl siding, aluminum siding, wood, stucco? Each material has its own pros and cons, and some require more maintenance than others.

  
  

• What does the yard look like? Is there a large amount of grass or high maintenance landscaping? Lots of trees means it will be harder for grass to grow.

  • Question for the agent: Who does the lawn/yard maintenance and what is the cost?

    
    

• What is the general state of the home's exterior? You can often tell a lot about a property based on the care that the owners take of the outside.

INSIDE THE HOUSE

Things to look for:

• Major systems - how old are they? Replacing major systems is a BIG expenses for a new homeowner.

  • Question for the agent: What is the age of the roof, the windows, HVAC & hot water heater?

    
    

• Does the home have natural gas? Natural gas is considered the most efficient heating fuel, so it's always good to know. Even if you see a gas range or gas fireplace in a home, that doesn't necessarily mean there is natural gas, as many homes have a propane tank.

  
  

• Keep an eye out for spots on the ceiling, which could indicate a current or past water leak.

  
  

• How old/new are the kitchen appliances and washer/dryer?

  • Question for the agent: If appliances are older, are the sellers offering a home warranty?

    
    

• Basement. Give it the sniff test. If there are exposed concrete blocks in the unfinished part of the basement, are there watermarks or stains, or any crumbling on the blocks? Is there a sump pump? All basements should have a sump pump if they are below grade.

  
  

• Flooring. Is there carpeting? Hardwood? Vinyl or tile? How old/new does the flooring look? Replacing flooring or refinishing hardwood is another big expense, so definitely something you want to pay attention to.

Other General Questions to Ask if You Love the Home

• Have the sellers already moved out, and/or what is their timeline?

• Have the sellers received any offers?

• Is there an HOA or Condo Association and if so, what is the cost? Is there a capital contribution fee or any special assessments?

• What utilities does the home have, and what are the average costs? Is there natural gas, propane, oil, etc? What cable/internet providers are available?

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF

• Does the house sit on/adjacent to a main road (double yellow line), as opposed to in a neighborhood?

  • This may not be something that bothers you, and the road may not even be busy or loud, BUT it is a major consideration for resale value. The only listing I've ever had a really hard time selling backed to a main road, and it was the ONE piece of negative feedback that just about every single buyer mentioned.

• If it's spring, and there are trees behind/around the home, pay attention to what is beyond those trees (a road, an apartment building, a school?). Because during fall & winter, you will be able to see (and hear) whatever is back there.

• Is the house one of the higher priced in the area or neighborhood, on par with the others, or one of the lower priced?

  • One thing I talk about often (in this blog extensively) is how I ALWAYS opt to buy a house that needs more cosmetic updates (kitchen, baths) and fewer major systems updates (HVAC, roof) versus a new or fully renovated house where everything is already done.

  • The reason I say that is because the return on investment (ROI) is almost always higher for cosmetic updates, so you're far more likely to get your money back (and then some) when you sell.

  • The saying "buy the worst house in the best neighborhood" is SO TRUE, especially if you want to make money when you sell your house (who doesn't?).

• What is the weekday traffic like in the area/neighborhood? You are likely visiting the house on a weekend, so something to think about is how different the traffic will be during the week, especially if you need to get kids to school or commute to work.

• What direction does the house face? You won't even notice this if it's a cloudy day or if you're seeing the house in the middle of the day, which you likely are.

  • Houses that face (or back to) directly east or west will get hot, beating sun for part of the day, every day. Considerations are:

    • If your deck or patio faces west, it will be HOT out there in the summer, maybe too hot to even enjoy the space (been there, done that).

    • If your bedroom faces east, you will get bright, direct sun in the mornings, and will probably need light blocking shades or curtains.

    • If you have natural hardwood flooring, the direct sunlight coming in from windows/doors will definitely fade the wood floors.

    • Your cooling bills will be higher in the summer if you get direct afternoon sunlight and you don't have trees to block the sun.

• Thoughts about future renovations:

  • If you plan to put on an addition, is there enough space? This may seem obvious, but make sure you know exactly where your property lines are, because setback requirements vary widely by state and even county, and will determine how far you need to be from property lines when you expand.

    
    

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You will learn a lot about homes in general from attending Open Houses, and even if you are not quite ready to make an offer, it’s a good experience to get out there and see what kind of homes are on the market.

Take advantage of Open Houses in your area to see what you like, and almost more importantly, what you DON'T like. That way, you can be more efficient when it's time to buy, and you won't miss out on something you really love.

Happy House Hunting!