It starts online as so many things do these days. You’re cruising your favourite real estate website (likely Realtor.ca here in Canada, unfortunately) and you see something that catches your eye. You think to yourself “I wish my house had that” or “I can see us living there!” and maybe that scratch is itched, maybe it’s time to take it a step further.
Keep in mind, you may or may not be in the market for a house as a lot of Canadians like to peruse the internet looking at homes that they have no intention of buying or even looking at in person… ever. It’s a popular hobby for many of us, it just happens to be my job and I’m fortunate enough to see a lot of homes in person thus I don’t spend much of my time looking at homes online through the lens of “I want this”.
Imagine for a second that you did see something online that you really liked, for one reason or another. Some online marketing is very good these days and some of it is really bad. I plan on writing an ode to the realtor with his cell phone photos, but suffice it to say you aren’t going to get much from a bunch of shitty photos that somebody took on their 4 year old Samsung phone. But in most cases, if you saw a house that you liked, you then probably thought about seeing it in person. And here is where different people go through different avenues depending on their actual interest in buying a house.
The first, most common type of viewing when looking at a house is an in person showing with a Realtor present. In most cases, that Realtor is your chosen representative who is there to show you the house, discuss it‘s pros and cons and then advise you on how to proceed, or not. This type of showing is for buyers that are seriously looking to buy a house, with one caveat. Sometimes, if a buyer is seriously thinking about buying a house, but haven’t really started their search yet, they might reach out to the listing agent and ask that Realtor to show them the house. This is common and not out of line in my opinion. Just know that if you go that route, the listing agent represents the seller and should do everything to sell you the house rather than protect your interests. They also might try to recruit you as a client depending on their business model and how busy they are.
This type of showing is the best way to actually evaluate a house for your own purposes. You have lots of time to look at every aspect of the house that is important to you, talk about it privately without other buyers or agents around and you can really make a decision if this house is for you or not. Personally, I would have a very hard time committing to a house without having this type of experience.
One thing I want to mention: if you are committed to a Realtor to act as your buyer’s agent, call that person for any and all in person viewings. Do NOT go direct to the listing agent. It is their job to show you houses and give you their opinion on the house, then help you move forward. You are not bugging them. You are not inconveniencing them. If you feel like you are, that should tell you something. If they say “I’m too busy” or “it’s out of my area, just call the listing agent” that should tell you something and you should probably evaluate your relationship with that person.
The second most common type of viewing a home is an open house. This is where majority of buyers get started looking at homes either before they are seriously looking, or as they narrow down their search on their own.
Open houses are a great way to get your feet wet when first starting your search but are also a great way to see interesting homes or to get ideas for your own home. Open houses should be open to the public and in most cases, the agent at the open house will be welcoming and happy to answer your questions. They also will try to recruit you as a client after asking you to sign in to the house. You will also be surround by other buyers and neighbours which will limit your ability to see everything you want in a house and to have open communication about the home.
Often times, if you go to an open house and are serious about the house, book a private showing for the next day or two. That will give you the time you need at the house to make a real buying decision.
So those are the two ways in which most people see homes before they decide to buy. You can also do a video walkthrough of a home to get the right idea if you are away or busy. I have actually had multiple clients buy homes after video walkthroughs, one was on vacation, one was moving from across the country. If you are going to buy a house based on a video walkthrough, make sure that you ask your agent to take their time and to show you everything that they are seeing. Ask them to describe the smells in the house, the lighting, the colours etc. basically anything that will help you get an idea of the actual condition of the home. If you want them to revisit anything, ask. Do whatever it takes to get the information you need in order to make an informed decision.
You might also have a home inspection included in your offer on a house which is a great opportunity to learn about the house and should be attended by the buyer. You will get the most amount of information about your (possible) future home over a 2-3 hour timespan and be able to ask questions of a home inspector while they are in the house. Do everything you can to be present for your home inspection if you can.
Now, once you have agreed to purchase a house, there are a couple of other showings/viewings that can take place during the closing period and before you move in.
An appraisal is often not attended by a buyer and is usually very short. An appraiser will either go into the house or just take a walk around the outside based on a request from your lender.
You might have 1-2 walkthroughs allotted to you based on what is written in your purchase agreement. Those come in 2 varieties based on my experience.
The first is a general walkthrough that you might use to take some measurements, compare paint chips, plan renovations and show your new home to family members. Personally, I have spent anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours with a client at an appointment like this and I will say this, anything more than an hour is excessive. Before you do this type of walkthrough, make a plan to do everything you want while you are there. Bring a notepad, measuring tape etc so that you can get the information you want out of the visit.
The second walkthrough is a “final” walkthrough and the purpose of this visit is to make sure that the house is in the same condition before closing as it was when you agreed to buy the house. These are quick visits that take place 2-3 days before closing, ideally after the seller has moved majority of their stuff out of the house so that you can see what condition they intend to hand it over to you in. If you go to the house and there is damage to the house, garbage everywhere, missing chattels or whatever, make sure that you call your lawyer immediately so that they can work it out with the seller’s lawyer before closing. Take their advice on how to approach the situation but make sure it’s done before closing. Once the seller has your money, your leverage is completely gone unless you want to pursue them in small claims court.
Keep in mind that you agreed to buy a resale home, not a brand new home. Thus, the house will not be perfect, the seller is only obligated to make sure that the house is in the condition under which you viewed it. So a scratch on the floor, nail holes in the wall and things like that are not things worth mentioning or trying to get fixed before closing.
If you are building a new house, the first time you might see your completed home is at a viewing called a pre delivery inspection. This is your opportunity to go through the home with a representative for the builder and point out any mistakes, blemishes etc that you would like fixed before closing. This is specific to a new build home and not like a final walkthrough on a resale home.
This is a quick guide on how to navigate your home buying journey or your home searching hobby. Enjoy!
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