The viewing is usually the most exciting part of looking for and purchasing a home. It is the biggest purchase anyone ever makes, and home sellers usually go above and beyond when staging their homes. Because of this, home buyers find it so easy to fall in love with a home that looks great at first sight. But if you really want to make sure that you're buying a home you won’t hate after all the staging is gone, you need to be aware of the things that aren’t easily assessed with a single look.
Here are the top 5 things home viewers miss when they view a house for the first time. Read up to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes!
1. Storage Units
Storage spaces are extremely valuable assets, and yet they are often overlooked. It's easy to be blown away by a home's massive living room, kitchen, or master's bedroom, but if storage spaces are scarce, your newly bought home may end up looking like a cluttered mess once you move in. Make sure there's enough built-in spaces for you to stow away your vacuum cleaner, chinaware collection, and beloved linens.
Ask about hidden storage areas in every room, and make sure that they are well-maintained. Just because storage areas are only used to store things doesn't mean that they're allowed to be in poor condition.
2. Where the house is facing
You may be wondering why it is important to know whether a house is facing north or south. The answer may not bother you during cooler months, but if the sun hits your house in all the wrong places during hotter days--summers in your home can be unbearably warm.
To avoid this, ask the listing agent or the owner about the sources of sunlight into the house. You don't want a house that gets scorchingly hot in the summer, but you also don't want all the walls blocking the sunshine and making the house extremely dark during gloomy days.
3. Dampness & Humidity
Dampness is not always be easy to spot in a home, which is why home buyers often miss this very important detail. Dampness in bedrooms and other rooms can pose serious health risks, so be sure to survey the house carefully and ask the agent if there have been any flash floods in the area in recent memory. Also watch out for musty smells, rusting and discolorations, as well as mold and mildew forming on walls. A newly painted room may also be a sign of a damp cover-up, so be wary of that.
4. Roof issues
The roof is a challenging area to check, but don't risk skipping this during the viewing. Ask about the materials used for the room, as well as how often they've been maintained over the years. If you can, have a look yourself. However, if you can't have safe access to the roof, check the attic and see if the interiors of the roof structure bear any signs of leaks. If so, this is an indication of a poorly-maintained roof (possibly with missing shingles!)
5. Soundproofing
If you turn off all the noise from inside the house, can you still hear what's going on outside? If you’re a light sleeper, or someone who often works from home, loud noises from your neighbor’s houses or the street outside can be intolerable. When viewing a home, move past what you see and bring your attention to what you hear as well. Listen closely and make sure that the house is adequately soundproofed. If possible, try visiting the house during the day and night and check if you like what you hear, or in this case--what you don’t.

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Counseling Session Activities
- Prepare the buyer for executing a buyer representation agreement
- Explain agency relationships to the buyer and get state required legal consent to represent, if needed
- Inform the buyer of working relationship based on state law, the REALTORS® Code of Ethics, and the broker’s business policies
Building a Relationship
- Learn the buyer’s wants and non-negotiable needs
- Understand the buyer’s budget and what will be needed financially
- Help the buyer understand what property their chosen budget will buy
- Consider having the buyer fill out a homebuyer’s checklist
- Assist the buyer in examining how much they can afford to spend
- Provide quality lender resources
- Partner with the buyer to locate suitable properties for consideration
- Match the buyer’s needs with available property
- Constantly re-evaluate buyer’s needs and refocus property showings to fit those needs
- After ensuring the buyer understands what is done for them, how it is done,and the benefit to them, obtain signatures on the buyer representation agreement
- Explain how compensation is paid, who pays it, and what the buyer’s options are for paying it
Educating the Buyer
- Communicate the working relationship based on state law, the REALTORS® Code of Ethics, and the broker’s business policies
- Explain Federal and State Fair Housing laws
- Explain what to look for in applicable property disclosures
- Reassure the buyer that their personal information will remain confidential
- Inform the buyer that you will always disclose all known material defects
- In accordance with state law, provide information on checking the sex-offender registry and crime statistics for the neighborhood
- Discuss available resources that the buyer can check to learn more about prospective neighborhoods

Preparing the Buyer
- Explain the timeline for house hunting, mortgage approval, and closing
- Explain the local market and how it impacts the buyer
- Show statistics on what percentage of list price sellers in the area are currentlyreceiving
- Inform the buyer on what home features are popular
- Identify current average days on market
- Share the dangers of using the price per square foot to figure home values
- Explain the concept of absorption rate and how it impacts the buying process
- Indicate current listing months of market inventory
- Share estimated potential out-of-pocket costs to complete the transaction
- Assist the buyer in analyzing the loan estimates
- Qualify the buyer for financial ability to purchase
- Help the buyer account for the complete costs of homeownership
- Prepare lender for listing agent calls
- Assist in comparing different financing options
- Help the buyer select for viewing only those homes that fit their needs
- Proceed in showing homes that fit the buyer’s must-haves
- Caution the buyer on posting information to social media
- Review the sample sales contract so the buyer is prepared when it comes time to make an offer
Showing Properties
- Schedule showings and provide access to all listed properties as soon as they become available in their local MLS broker marketplaces
- Educate the buyer on the immediacy of new listings appearing in their local MLS broker marketplaces and the lag time for them to appear on some websites
- Collaborate with the buyer on properties they may have learned about through their sphere contacts
- Research and assist on all unlisted properties the buyer wishes to see
- Preview properties prior to showing if needed
- Network with other agents to source properties not yet in their local MLS broker marketplaces
- Contact homeowners in focus areas to see if they are considering selling
- Set up an automated email alert system through their local MLS broker marketplaces that immediately notifies the buyer of properties that fit discussed requirements
- Arrange a tour of areas, schools, and key points of interest
- Provide resources containing neighborhood information on municipal services,schools, etc.
- Inform the buyer of negative aspects like nearby venues or operations that may result in issues that could impact value
- Collect and share any other vital information on available homes, remembering to follow all fair housing laws at all times
- Check applicable zoning and building restrictions
- Help the buyer decipher public property and tax information
- Collect and share pertinent data on values, taxes, utility costs, etc.
- Compare each property shown to the buyer’s wants and needs list and remind them of what they were looking for
- Help the buyer narrow the search until the buyer identifies top choices
Negotiating Offers
- Assist the buyer in getting the best property at the best price
- Suggest that the buyer learn more about the neighborhood prior to makingan offer
- Prepare a comparative market analysis (CMA) in advance of making an offer
- Prepare the buyer to have the most attractive offer in the current marketplace
- Explain common contract contingencies and include approved protective clauses in the purchase offer
- Ensure that the buyer receives and understands all state and federally-required disclosure forms
- Prioritize contract negotiation goals with the buyer
- Help create a negotiating strategy
- Use strategies such as an escalation clause to maintain a competitive offer
- Prepare the buyer for a multiple offer situation and develop negotiation strategies
- Write an offer that has a reasonable chance of being accepted
- Recommend optional contingencies and explain the pros and cons of using them
- Provide information on purchasing incentives that may be available
- Discuss financing alternatives
- Negotiate the buyer’s offers to arrive at the best price and terms
- Utilize hyperlocal expertise and strong communication skills to assist the buyer in being the successful offer

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