Once you know your price range, the next step is walking through actual homes. And this is where a lot of buyers get tripped up: it's easy to fall for good staging, fresh paint, and a great smell in the kitchen, and just as easy to overlook the things that will actually matter six months after you move in.

A showing usually lasts fifteen to twenty minutes. That's not a lot of time, so it helps to walk in with a plan instead of just wandering room to room. Here's what I tell my buyers to actually pay attention to.

1 Start Outside Before You Ever Walk In

Curb appeal is nice, but what you're really checking for is the condition of the big, expensive stuff.

• Roof. Look for missing or curling shingles, sagging lines, or a roof that looks noticeably older than the rest of the house.
• Foundation. Walk the perimeter and look for cracks, bowing, or noticeable settling, especially near corners.
• Grading and drainage. Does the ground slope away from the house, or toward it? Water pooling near the foundation is a future basement problem waiting to happen.
• Gutters and downspouts. Are they attached, and do they actually direct water away from the house?

2 Walk the Layout With Your Actual Life in Mind

It's easy to picture a room as "the office" or "the nursery" without thinking about how you'll really move through the house day to day.

• Stand in the kitchen and imagine cooking a real meal. Is there enough counter space near the stove? Does the fridge open without hitting a wall or cabinet?
• Check how bedrooms relate to bathrooms. A primary bedroom on one end of the house and the only full bath on the other end gets old fast.
• Look at where the laundry is. Basement, main floor, and upstairs closet are three very different daily routines.
• Notice storage. Closets, a pantry, a garage, an attic. It's one of the most underrated factors in long-term satisfaction with a home.

3 The Systems That Are Expensive to Replace

You won't get a full inspection during a showing, but you can absolutely spot warning signs.

• Water heater and furnace. Check the age tag on the unit if you can find it. Anything past 12 to 15 years is worth asking the listing agent about.
• Electrical panel. Older homes sometimes still have fuse boxes or outdated panel brands that insurers flag. Take a photo of the panel if you can.
• Windows. Single-pane, foggy double-pane, or drafty windows are a common, costly fix. Give a few of them a wiggle test.
• Water stains. Look up at ceilings and down at baseboards, especially in bathrooms, basements, and around windows.

4 Things That Are Easy to Miss in the Moment

• Cell signal and internet. Step outside and check your phone. Rural pockets of Greene County can have weaker coverage than you'd expect.
• Noise. A quiet showing on a weekday afternoon can feel very different from a Saturday morning with lawn mowers running and traffic on a nearby road.
• Natural light. Note which direction the main living spaces face. A home that feels dim during your showing may just have been shown at the wrong time of day, or it might genuinely lack light year-round.
• Cell coverage aside, test the basics. Flip light switches, run a faucet, flush a toilet, open a window. Small, quick checks that take seconds but tell you a lot.

5 Questions Worth Asking On the Spot

Your agent can usually get quick answers to these either during the showing or shortly after:

• How old is the roof, furnace, and water heater?
• Why is the seller moving?
• How long has the home been on the market?
• Has anything major been replaced in the last five years?
• Are there any known issues with the basement, roof, or foundation?