House Hunting Etiquette by Guest Blogger Samantha Bell

Hey all you "Keepin it Real Estate" readers! This great blog was written by the fabulous Samantha Bell who is an award winning REALTOR in Fredericton NB. I just loved this information and thought you would too, so rather than trying to recreate this, I asked Samantha to give us a chance to take advantage of her knowledge and learn about her top tips for buyers out shopping for a new home! 

For many, walking into someone’s home when they are not there can be uncomfortable, you suddenly forget what to do with yourself. These Do’s and Don’ts have come from questions I often get when buyers start viewing houses for the first time.

Time to book an appointment 

If you have ever sold a house before you know how much work it can be to prepare for a showing and if the seller has pets or children the workload can double. If possible, try to schedule the showing at least the day before, the more notice the better. Same goes for cancelling, of course emergencies come up out of our control, but if you plan to cancel a showing doing so at least the day before can save the seller a lot of work.

Arrive on time 

I know this becomes even more important when I am showing multiple houses in one day, although you’re viewing many, the seller is only aware of their house being shown and typically they are asked to leave for 30-60mins, if you don’t arrive on time for the first house, this can impact the houses later down the list and now the seller has to stay even longer out of their home.

Watch for furry friends at the door

Always keep an eye out when you’re entering the house for pets that should not be let outside. This is the same for pets outside, don’t let an animal in the house if you don’t know it belongs there.

Shoes off please 

You never know what’s on your shoes, please remove your footwear at the door so you don’t track anything in. If you’re not comfortable going in your sock/bare feet, another option is to bring your own slippers to wear inside the house.

What’s behind door number one? 

You’re there to view the house so absolutely opening kitchen cabinets/drawers, bathroom cabinets and bedroom/storage closets are necessary to see the type of storage the house has. But do not open any furniture doors and drawers or touch any personal items or collectibles.

Kids

Viewing a new house can be very exciting for kids, lots of new things to look at and take in. Have a conversation with your child before entering the house to explain that you’re visiting someone’s home and they cannot touch anything or sit on the furniture. Be sure to bring plenty of things for your child to do, books, games etc. this can give you the freedom to look at the home without distraction. If you think your child would struggle with this, sometimes it’s best to leave them at home for the first viewings and bring them in when it’s time to pick their bedroom.

Photos 

Ask your Realtor® first before you take any photos of the house you’re viewing. The seller may have requested certain items to be out of the photos for the public.

When you gotta go…

Sometimes you can’t avoid it and you find yourself needing to run to the washroom while viewing a house. Be sure to use the guest washroom and leave it how you found it, clean:)

Inspections

Maybe a member of your family came along to help you look for things you wouldn’t know to look for. Please ask them to keep their ladder in the truck. First viewings are not the time to do a full inspection of the house, this should be scheduled at a later time with the seller’s permission.

Samantha Bell | Realtor®

Thanks so much for your insight Samantha! Looking to buy or sell in Fredericton NB? Check out Samantha Bell and tell her you read her guest blog post here!