The Things You Don’t Notice When Buying a House… Until You Actually Live There

Everyone gets distracted by the fun stuff when they’re house hunting. We all do it.​ ​Heck, I still get dreamy-eyed over a gorgeous backsplash or an amazing backyard made for entertaining.  I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve walked into a house and my buyers immediately start imagining  where the couch is going to go, whether the Christmas tree will fit in that corner, or whether that giant kitchen island is finally going to make Sunday meal prep an actual habit.  (Spoiler alert: it probably won’t. At least it hasn’t for me.)

But after years of walking through homes with buyers, I’ve noticed there are a handful of things that almost nobody pays attention to​, until after they’ve unpacked the last moving box.  And by then, reality starts setting in right about the time that first mortgage payment rolls around. These are the things that aren’t always obvious during a showing but become part of everyday life once you’re living there.

The Afternoon Sun

Natural light is one of those things everyone wants. Big windows? Absolutely. Bright rooms? Sign me up.

But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

That beautiful living room with windows stretching from floor to ceiling might also become the hottest room in the house every afternoon. You know that feeling when you get into your car in July and immediately question ​w​hy you choose NC for a home state ? Some rooms can feel like that if they catch the afternoon sun.​ 

​I personally insisted on this feature for my living and dining room during the building process. And boy do my plants enjoy it.  But my electric bill has definitely made me do a double take a few times during the summer.   I mean my Pothos is seriously showing off with its beautiful heart shaped leaves sprawling up my windows, but half the summer these blinds are shut and I am looking at the dust forming instead of that gorgeous “outside-inside” feel that I was hoping for. 

I’m not saying don’t buy the house. I’m just saying maybe stand in that room for a minute and imagine it’s August.​Hey, don’t let me ruin your dreams. If the positives outweigh the negatives, then let’s find you that floor-to-ceiling window room!

Every Neighborhood Has a Soundtrack

When you’re touring a house, you’re usually so focused on the inside that you don’t really notice what’s going on outside.​I’m looking at square footage and whether it’s possible to add another permitted bathroom. My buyers are normally concerned with the age of the carpet and hot water tank, but often do not consider the activity outside, all around them.

Then you move in.

Maybe your neighbor has a motorcycle that fires up every morning at 6:00. Maybe you’re directly under the flight path for military helicopters. Or maybe your neighbor is convinced everyone within a three-block radius enjoys his classic rock playlist as much as he does.

None of those things are necessarily deal breakers. They’re just things that become part of your daily routine, and it’s nice to know about them before you’re surprised by them.​ I always tell my buyers, if this is the house for you; then you need to come back in the morning; drive slowly through the neighborhood with the windows down. And don’t worry that driving through the neighborhood after dark puts you in stalker mode. You’re doing your homework!   A neighborhood on Tuesday at 2:00 in the afternoon can feel completely different than it does on Friday night or during school pickup.

​I will never forget the time I helped my buyers find the absolutely perfect home after touring so many of them, to find out that next door the sweet little neighbor who talked with us several times during showings actually ran a dog daycare during the week at her home. These poor buyers were enduring barking , yelping, and the smell of a not so pleasant neighbor. My heart broke for them. And about 8 months later, I was finding them another home with a large lot, and they actually did the drive throughs in the neighborhood at all different times of the day to make sure another dog daycare wasn’t operating next door.

Rain Has a Funny Way of Exposing Everything

Here’s something that sounds backwards…

One of the best times to look at a house is when it’s raining.

I know. Nobody wants to spend their Saturday getting wet while looking at real estate. But rain has a way of showing you things that sunshine politely hides.

Does water collect in the backyard? Do the gutters overflow? Does the driveway turn into a small river? Does the yard drain toward the house instead of away from it?​ I promise you I will not be mad if you call me with a showing request and we are under a severe thunderstorm warning. I cannot tell you how many times my buyers have tried to cancel because of the rain. I had to tell them, “Absolutely not, this is exactly when we need to go”. Of course, we always went back once the sun came out so we could see everything in a different light, but let’s not miss the chance to see your future home in every shade of gray it has to offer.

A bright sunny day makes every house look good. A good rainstorm tells a much more honest story.

I’m not saying every puddle is a problem, but I am saying Mother Nature is one heck of a home inspector.

Don’t Forget About Your Wi-Fi

Twenty years ago, buyers wanted to know where the phone jack was.

Now we want to know whether Netflix is going to buffer.

If you work from home, have teenagers, stream everything, or simply enjoy scrolling through cat videos without interruption, internet service matters. A lot.

This is especially true in some coastal or more rural areas where service providers can vary from one neighborhood to the next. I’ve had buyers completely fall in love with a home only to realize afterward that internet options weren’t what they expected.​ I will never forget a military couple that I fell in love with and wanted to so badly to help them find everything on their checklist on the next home purchase. I was probably only a year in of selling and helping buyers. I was so happy and felt like I had just won a marathon at closing. Then, a week later I got an email from the buyers asking me if I knew that Spectrum did not service their road. My heart dropped. I felt so horrible because I knew that the alternative was going to a satellite and that took away their options. I kind of think they held a grudge over it, and honestly, it was a rookie mistake that I have never forgotten. Their unfortunate situation has helped me so many times moving forward. So please, make sure your wi-fi and cable options match your needs! 

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the prettiest kitchen isn’t always what determines whether you love living in a home five years from now.

Sometimes it’s the little things. The afternoon sunshine that fills your breakfast nook instead of roasting your living room. The quiet evenings on your porch​ vs being front row to neighborhood drama. The way your yard drains after a storm​ vs leaving rainboots in your car so that you can walk into your home from your driveway if we have more than 2 inches of rain. The fact that your Zoom calls don’t freeze every ten minutes.​ I promise, none of these points will be talked about on Zillow or realtor.com . But they’re often the things that make a house feel like home.​ And as your realtor, I promise to make sure I help you think this whole process through as if it was my next purchase.