Etiquette Buyers Must Show During Site Visits

A typical home-buying journey starts from searching properties all over the preferred locations spreading across several square kilometers. Thankfully, much of it is done online. It is the day you start visiting homes that the rubber meets the road.

Visiting under-construction sites is still simpler, and you can take assistance from developer's sales staff and property brokers. But, site visits in the resale markets are quite different. Often, it is inhabited by the owner or tenants, and irrespective of the fact that you are from the buying side, it does hold importance that you follow certain etiquettes.

Here are some points you should consider while going for an open-house walkthrough.

Take an appointment and be on time

A seller may be entertaining a number of prospective buyers during a certain period. Generally, such visits are done during weekends and during certain hours of the day. The most preferred timings start from 12-3 PM and then 5-8 PM. During these hours, the house owner is over with daily chores, and is in a better position to show up the house. As a prospective buyer, you should get the appointment fixed prior hand. More importantly, once you set the schedule for site visit, follow it. 

Do not barge in

You, your agent and the seller, everybody is aware that you are a visitor and are expected to look around the house. Still you should ask the seller or the owner of the house and take the permission to get into the house. Wait for your host or seller to invite you to get into the house.

Similar etiquettes are expected out of you once you enter the house. Wait for the owner to invite you to take a seat or move around. Even when the owner has allowed you to take the tour, do not be hasty. Let the owner be your host, let him take the lead and you can just follow him.

Similarly, you should not touch any personal objects in the house. The same goes with your family members, especially children. You might like to examine cupboards, drawers and other fixtures and certain furnishing items in the house. Still, you should not touch any of these. You can simply ask the host or the owner to let you check the capaciousness of the wardrobe, but, this does not allow you to peep into or touch any of the items kept inside.

Do not comment on owner's personal choices

You might like certain things and might find some things that are not appropriate in the house. In any case, you are not expected to speak anything ill about the house. Even if you strongly dislike something about the property, it can be discussed later on with the property broker or with the seller.

Never make any comments about the personal choices of the owner, be it an awkward wallpaper or clumsy furniture. Avoid comments, satire and criticism.  

Keep the tour short

You should be quick enough to move around the house and examine the appropriateness of the house. If you don't like a house at first sight, there is no point wasting time. Do not discuss about your needs and suitability of house while taking the tour. It unnecessarily increases your visiting time and might make the owner uncomfortable after a while.

You should list out your requirements before taking the open house tour. When moving around, quietly check if the property will be suitable for your family to live-in. This will not just cut short your visiting time, but you will be able to make decisions faster without annoying your host.

Following these basic etiquettes could make your home-buying journey much pleasant.