How to Use Photos for St. Louis Open House Success
You’ve seen five St. Louis open houses in your search for the perfect home. They’re probably all starting to seem like the same house, leaving you unsure of which home you actually enjoyed. Take photos of each one and document each aspect that you like about the home. Of course if the home is still owner occupied it’s best to be polite and ask permission before doing so, but you’ll find that these photos will become a useful tool when evaluating which home you want to make an offer on.
Remember the Address
One thing you certainly want to remember is the address of the home. Step outside and take a few photos of the exterior with the address visible; this will help you in organizing the photos and cataloging where they were taken. The photos don’t do you any good if you can’t remember which house they belong with. Also, be mindful of what the actual neighborhood around the home looks like. Take a few photos from the street looking at the home, away and down the street both ways to help you remember exactly what the area looks like.
Desired Spaces
Do you want a separate laundry room or walk-in pantry? Take photos of these rooms and note their sizes, but be sure to take the same photos at each home that has them. This will help in your decision making process if these rooms are deemed ‘must-have’ by you and your family. At the same time, if the home has a few special touches that you find yourself drawn to, like the claw foot tub in the bathroom or the vintage sink in the kitchen, document them.
Will the Furniture Fit
If you will be bringing your own furniture, you’ll want to know if your California King bed will fit in the master suite or if you’re oversized reading chair will fit in the den. So take a look at each room’s actual size, documenting the size and layout of each room so that you’ll know if your furniture will fit in the home with ease.
How Old Are the Appliances
If the appliances will stay with the home once you’ve purchased it, be sure to take photos of them and of their tags. You want to take note of the make and model number and know the age of each appliance so that you’ll know about how much time they might have left. Don’t forget to include the water heater, heating and air unit, and the dishwasher – each should have an installation year listed. You want to know up front if one or many of them might need replaced in the near future.
Look Under the Sink
Open the cabinet doors and check under the sink in the kitchen and bathrooms. Be on the lookout for current and past leaks, taking photos to document each. Also look at the electrical panel, especially in older homes, and note whether there is still room or if you may need to add to it later. Take photos of the roof, ceilings and walls from different angles, as well to check for areas where leaks may have occurred.
Most Popular Rooms
Take photos of rooms that are high in traffic that may require repair sooner rather than later. These high traffic areas exist in every home, from the garage to the backyard. Take photos of these areas. Take note if the floor has extra wear that will need to be replaced, or if the trim has a few nicks from toys and kids playing. These photos will be useful when you get to the inspection stage of the process as well and will help you to know what costs might be headed your way.
Whether you end up buying the first home you look at or the fifth one, you’ll want to keep track of each St. Louis open house along the way. It’s easy to confuse which home had the bathtub that you loved or the fenced in backyard when you’ve looked at several homes. Having an organized catalog from each open house will help you to distinguish each St. Louis open house and remind you which parts of each home you favored.