What To Look Out For At An Open Home

You see the property online and the photos look good, you run through your check list and if it ticks enough boxes you’ll see the place in person.

Sounds a bit like dating, right? Then open home is like the first date.

It provides you with the opportunity to look beyond the beautiful pictures you saw online and see if the property is right for you - or if you should bolt for the door and never look back. 

Here are our red flags you should look for whilst on your first date with your potential new home.

Physical Condition

Check the condition of the interior and exterior of the house, keep an eye out for cracks, sagging or slopes where they shouldn’t be. Look up at the celling, the roof, as well as the foundations down below to ensure everything is it well maintained.

Is the beauty skin-deep?

The property will be looking its absolute best during an open home and it’s important not to get swept away with the furnishings. Try to look beyond and imagine the place empty, is that fresh coat of paint or beautiful rug covering something up?

Hygiene

Take a deep breath, is the smell of freshly baked bread or flowers covering a worrying odor? Are there any damp spots or mould around – be sure to check behind the curtains – and have a look at the heat source and how it will carry throughout the house.

Be inquisitive

Don’t be shy, check that the doors, windows and cupboards open and close as they should. That the water pressure in the shower is how you like it and that there’s enough storage space. No doubt you’ll have some questions about the property, ask them! You need to have all the information before deciding.

Fixer-Upper And/Or Baggage

If you find yourself saying ‘if only this was a little…’ or ‘we could easily replace…’, make a list and consult a professional on the actual cost to see if it’s worth it. Like a person, sometimes you can’t change it, no matter how much you try and invest.

Our last word of advice is to remember that an open home is like a first date, so try to avoid getting all the feels after one introduction, and keep an eye out for the red flags above. Like on a first date, you put the best version of yourself forward and then you get your friends to do the digging and see if they’re everything they said they are.

So, if you enjoyed your first date, call us - your friends - for the second date. We will size it up to see if it measures up to everything it promises and let you know if you can fall in love, or if it’s just too good to be true – and if that’s the case don’t worry, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.

Happy dating house hunting!