House hunting: tours, open houses, and what to actually look for

Before you tour: the must-have list

Write down what your home has to have versus what would be nice. Two columns. Show it to your agent before any tour so they’re not wasting your weekends on homes that miss the non-negotiables.

• Non-negotiables (your must-haves)

  Examples: 3+ bedrooms, attached garage, in your school district, single-story, under $X total monthly payment. Be honest — if you can’t move in without it, it goes here.

• Strong preferences

  Examples: Updated kitchen, fenced yard, no HOA, less than 20 minutes to work. You’d trade these against price; you wouldn’t walk for them.

• Nice-to-haves

  Examples: Pool, finished basement, walk-in closet. Tie-breakers between two otherwise-equal homes, but never a reason to overpay.

What to inspect on a tour (the 30-minute checklist)

Skip the staged furniture and granite. Look for things that cost $5k–$50k to fix. Bring this list on your phone.

Outside, before you even unlock

• Roof. Look for missing shingles, sagging ridgelines, dark streaks (algae), or visibly different shingle colors (partial repair). Ask the agent the roof’s age. Asphalt roofs last 20–30 years.
• Foundation and grading. Walk the perimeter. Cracks wider than a dime, water pooling against the foundation, or grading that slopes toward the house instead of away are red flags. Drainage issues compound for decades.
• Siding and trim. Soft spots, peeling paint, rotted wood at corners or window frames. Wood rot grows behind the siding before you see it on the surface.
• Trees. Big trees within 20 feet of the foundation = future plumbing/foundation costs. Branches over the roof = chronic gutter and shingle damage.
• HVAC unit ages. Listing data lies; the metal tag on the condenser doesn’t. AC units last 12–15 years, gas furnaces 20–25.

Inside, room-by-room

• Smell the basement first. Musty, earthy smells = ongoing moisture. Mold remediation runs $1k–$30k.
• Run faucets. Hot water in 30 seconds? Pressure steady? Discolored at first? A bathtub that fills slowly is telling you something.
• Flush toilets. Slow refill = water-line issues. Wobbly toilet = potentially rotted subfloor.
• Check the panel. Look at the electrical panel and ask the age. Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels are widely considered hazardous and need replacement (~$2k–$5k).
• Open and close every door and window. Sticky doors and windows out of square = settling. Could be cosmetic; could be a foundation issue. Inspector will tell you.
• Look at ceilings carefully. Brown stains = past leaks. Fresh paint with a halo = recent leak that may not be fixed.
• Check water heater age. Tag on the side. Tank water heaters last 8–12 years. If it’s 10+ years old, budget for replacement.

Open houses vs. private showings

• Open houses

  Public, scheduled by the listing agent, anyone can walk in. Useful for casual scouting in a new neighborhood, but the listing agent is there to sell — they’re not your advocate. Don’t share your top number or your timeline.

• Private showings (with your agent)

  Scheduled through your buyer’s agent, typically 30–60 minutes, just you and them. This is where you do the actual checklist work. You can talk freely about pricing and concerns.

• Second showings

  After the initial tour, ask to come back. Bring someone who hasn’t seen it. New eyes catch things you missed. If you’re seriously considering an offer, see it twice — at different times of day if possible (commute traffic, neighborhood noise).

Questions to ask the listing agent (or have your agent ask)

• How long has it been on the market?
• Have there been any price reductions?
• Why is the seller selling?
• Have there been any other offers, and how recent?
• When was the roof / HVAC / water heater / electrical panel replaced?
• Are there known issues with the foundation, plumbing, or pests?
• What does the seller pay annually for property tax, HOA, and insurance?
• Are there any known easements, liens, or boundary disputes?
• Has the home ever flooded or had storm damage?

In most states, sellers must disclose known material defects in writing. Get the seller’s disclosure form before you write an offer.

Red flags that should make you walk

• A seller who refuses inspection

  Some "as-is" sales attempt to waive your right to inspect. Walk. Even a flip can have hidden issues; an inspector working for you is non-negotiable.

• Recent superficial fixes hiding old damage

  Fresh paint over a single ceiling spot. New flooring in only one room. New baseboards near a foundation crack. Look at what’s being covered, not just what’s new.

• Major work without permits

  Finished basements, additions, decks — ask if they were permitted. Unpermitted work is your problem after closing, including insurance denials and resale issues.

• Major odor masking

  Plug-in air fresheners every 6 feet, candles burning in every room. Almost always covering pet, smoke, or mold smells the seller can’t actually fix.

Common questions