It is often helpful to make a checklist of characteristics to look for when visiting a home you are interested in purchasing. Creating such a checklist makes them easier to remember and eliminates the need to write down a lot of information during the home showing. The checklist can also be referred to while you look at newspaper or online property listings to determine if they have the features you are looking for.

It is difficult to remember all of your concerns when visiting a home for the first time, so be sure to include both large and small considerations when creating your shopping checklist. Items which might be placed on the list include major appliances, multiple exits, modern electrical outlets, high-quality windows, heat registers in each room/level, good roof condition, rooftop TV antenna, lightning rods, sufficient parking, paved driveway, outdoor lights, central air conditioning, or ceiling fans. You may want to include characteristics of the neighborhood or town/city the home is located in when creating the checklist, as well. Using a thick pad of paper or bringing a book to hold the checklist against will eliminate the need to find hard surfaces to place it on while writing.

If necessary, the home shopping checklist can also include a list of questions you intend to ask the realtor or homeowner. Leave a space between the questions and the rest of the checklist so they can be quickly located. Make sure there is some extra room on the paper for taking down notes about the home and the responses to questions you ask. Some questions which might be asked when shopping for homes include what items are included with the house, the type/depth of its well (if not using a public water system), and how long ago various systems in the home were installed. In a rural area, you could also want to ask about what sort of services are provided by the municipality (snow removal, road maintenance, garbage removal, etc), the type(s) of internet access or television which are available, and where mail is received.

Overall, when creating a home shopping checklist, it should be thorough, organized, and allow for quick reference. Following these suggestions and keeping the above-mentioned tips in mind should make shopping for the right home easier and help prevent you from overlooking flaws when reading about or visiting homes which are offered for sale.