How to Tour Five Houses and Still Remember Them
By the fourth showing in one afternoon, the houses blur. Clients ask me which one had the deep closets or the quiet back bedroom, and they are surprised how quickly the details go. A little structure fixes it.
Before we go out, we write down what is truly required and what would just be nice. Required might be three bedrooms, a short commute, and a single-level layout. Nice might be a bigger kitchen or a fenced yard. That split keeps the day honest.
I ask the same questions at every house so the answers can be compared. Recent repairs, age of the roof and mechanicals, monthly utilities, parking, storage, any rules if there is an association, and what is planned nearby.
Take photos of what the listing never shows. The view out the back windows, inside the closets, the utility room, the furnace label, the wear on the floors, and the space between the house and the neighbor.
Write two lines in your phone before we pull away. Best thing, worst thing. That habit alone saves most of the confusion later.
Then test the house instead of just admiring it. Walk your own routine through it. Where do the groceries land, where does laundry happen, where would you take a call, where do guests sit.
And try not to decide on finishes. Countertops and paint are a weekend. Layout, natural light, the street, and the condition of the building are what you are really buying.
Do it this way and by the end of the day you will not be guessing. You will know which two are worth a second visit.
