How to get the most from a visit to an open house

The open house is a time-honored ritual of the home selling process. It is a way for sellers to let buyers tour their home without setting multiple appointments throughout the week. Sellers may bake a batch of cookies, put out a stack of their realtor’s business cards and throw open the newly painted front door.

But what about buyers? How should they approach an open house? Here are a few tips:

1. Because you will need to rely on your memory when weighing the pros and cons of the open houses on your roster, take notes and photographs as you walk through an open house. Bring along a tape measure to help you determine how (or if) treasured furnishings will fit into a potential new home.

2. Focus on the open house itself. Walk around the neighborhood a get a feel for the other homes and neighborhood features. Are there sidewalks? How are neighboring properties maintained, or are they? How is the home sited — where will the sun rise and set in relation to windows and rooms?

3. Test the water pressure. Flush a toilet and turn on the water in bathrooms and the kitchen. This will give you a sense of any water pressure issues the home might have.

4. Consider the view. Look out the various windows on a property you are considering. Consider how the yard might look in different seasons, and from different vantage points, both with leaves on the trees and without.

5. If you like what you see, make sure you make an appointment to visit the home again a day or two after the open house. A second look will often turn up issues you may have missed the first time through.