Buying A Home
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Checklist for comparing houses??

DH & I are going officially on Saturday with a Realtor (we've been to several open houses just perusing). We have a list of about 10-15 houses we will be seeing over the next few weeks.

Does anyone have a link or spreadsheet where we could mark down standard things about the house quickly when we are seeing them as a way to organize our thoughts & be sure to look for things?

Re: Checklist for comparing houses??

  • I  would bring your wish list, and that way you can tell what of those items each house does/doesn't have.

    Even if you don't prioritize them, you could put them in a spreadsheet and quickly check a box or write a comment in each spot. We found having our list very helpful, as well as writing the pros/cons of our favorites later that night when we had more time.

    imageimageimage
  • Take a camera and get photos, too. It's amazing how quickly the homes run together once you've seen three or four. It was scary how little I could actually remember about the one we ended up buying! (I mean, I knew we really liked it, but I couldn't picture some of the rooms for the life of me.)
  • I just created a list in Word with boxes next to each item to help categorize.  For example:

     Bedrooms

        __ 2

        __ 3

    Bathrooms

        __ Master w/ double vanity

        __  Master w/ separate shower/tub

        __  2nd w/ tub only

        __  2nd w/ shower only

    Etc.  I also included a spot to write notes for extra storage space, how many garage spots, kitchen (island/peninsula), carpet/hardwood in bedrooms and living room.  I just took a new sheet to each different house and also included the address, asking price, HOA fees, condo/townhouse, location from train, etc.  Then when we got home, we just narrowed it down based on what we remembered and what I had written down.

  • Our realtor printed out the listings of the houses and gave that to us when we looked at them.  We wrote notes on the back of those, and took pictures, and when we got home we decided 1) if we were still interested in the house and 2) how it compared to other houses we were interested in.  Although I have to say, when we first found the house we're buying, it wasn't even a contest between anything else.  We both knew we loved it.
    DSC_0182
    71 workouts completed in 2012
  • It may be easier to just bring a notebook and use a separate page for each house.  You don't have to keep detailed notes on most of them - you'll see some places with a characteristic or location that make you or your H really want to run.  It's useful to try to verbalize to the realtor what exactly turns you off about the place, but there's no reason to keep any info on it other than the address and a note -'NO!' - in case you see it listed somewhere later and wonder if it's worth looking at.

    We did this and didn't really make a detailed comparison chart until we had a few places that we were actually considering putting offers in on. 

    ds born may 2011
  • I made a checklist, then didn't use it - too cumbersome. I took notes on the sheets from the REA like PP and DH did a video tour. 

    The video camera was by far the most useful thing we brought with us. 

    image Anniversary
  • making a checklist is a wise idea. you get to compare each and who gets a lot of goodies. after you get to choose the house dont forget to : fire protection systems

  • not sure where you are, but nolo's buying a home in california has good checklist and spreadsheet examples. my local library had it, and i made an excel document using their example printed in the book.
  • imagemrssisler:

    DH & I are going officially on Saturday with a Realtor (we've been to several open houses just perusing). We have a list of about 10-15 houses & ball valve we will be seeing over the next few weeks.

    Does anyone have a link or spreadsheet where we could mark down standard things about the house quickly when we are seeing them as a way to organize our thoughts & be sure to look for things?


    Did you already found your house? I just got married and we are currently looking for a new home on Houston. Can you help us with this?

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